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SATURDAY, Oflober 27, 1787*
GEORGIA STATE GAZETTE
OR
♦
INDEPENDENT REGISTER.
FREEDOM of the PRESS, and TRIAL by JURY, to remain inviolate forever* Confiitution of Georgia*
AUGUSTAi Printed by JOHN E. SMITH, Printer to the State; Essays , Articles of Intelligence*
Advert ifementS) &c* mill be gratefully received\ and every kind of Printing performed.
AUGUSTA, OBober 27.
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLT,
Tmefday, OSlobtr *3, 1787.
THE House proceeded to take under their coo
peration the report of the committee to
whom was referred the mellage of his Honor the
Governor, of the 18th inst. together with such
parts of the dispatches accompanying the fame,
as relate to the Creek Indians ; and the fame being
read and amended, was agreed to, as follows :
The Committee, consisting of General Clarke,
;Mr. Telfair, Mr. Joseph Haberlham, Mr. Sea
grove, and Mr. Walton, to whom were referred
the papers marked No. I, accompanying the Go
vernor's melTage of the 18th inst. refpefting In
dian affairs, report,
That, in examining the letters and documents
committed to them, they have ncceflarily been
led to a reference to the treaties, and principal
tranfaftions with the Indians, which have taken
place since the revolution, afid the eftablilhment
of peace with Great-Britain j and they find, that,
on the thirty-firft day of May, in the year one
tboufand seven hundred and eighty-three, the
Cherokees, by a treaty held at Augusta, among
others, agreed to and fubferibed the following
Cl a use 2
« Art. 3d. That a new line Ihall be drawn,
without delay, between the prelent settlements in
the said state, and the hunting grounds of the laid
Indians; to begin on Savannah river, where the
present line llrikes it, thence up the said river to
a place on the moll northern branch of the fame,
(commonly called Kiowe) where a north-east
line, to be drawn from the tep of the Ocunna
mountain, thall interfeft, thence along the said
line in a south-west diredion, to the top of the '
said mountain ; thence in the fame direction to
Tugola river, thence to the top of the Currohee
mountain, thence to the head or source of the molt
southern branch of the Oconee river, includiug
all the waters of the fame, and thence down the
middle of the said branch to the Creek line.”
And that, on the firft day of November following,
by a treaty also held at Augufla, among others,
the Creeks agreed to and fubferibed a similar
clause, for establishing the fame line for their
bunting grounds. Both nations made the fame
relinquish ment, on account of mutual claims which
had not before been fettled between them. And
this boundary was again acknowledged and con
firmed, at another treaty held with the Creeks, at
Galphinton, the twelfth day of November, one
tboufand seven hundred and eighty-five, and ex
' tended from the confluence of the Oconee and
Oakmulgey rivers, to the source of St. Mary’s—
That it is true, that, some few months after the
holding of this latter treaty, some uneasinesses be
gan to be fomented in the nation, and some mur
ders were committed. This was considered and
declared to be an iiifraftion of the treaty, and
reparation was demanded. It was made a fen
ous object of Government; and the Legislature
being convened, our domestic situation, and our
relative one with the Union, were considered with
all possible attention and refped. Commiflioners
were appointed with full powers to enquire into
the causes, and to restore peace s but with powers
also, if unavoidable, to take eventualmeafures of
defence. This proceeding produced another trea
ty, which was held at Shoulderbone, on the third
day of November, one tboufand seven hundred
and eighty-fix, whereby the violation was ac-
Jmoivlidged, the boundaries contained in the
fa fnrr treaties, again recognized and ratified, and
fix hostages were pledged for the faithful execution
of the conditions.—Your committee cannot for*
bear here to obfcrve, that during the course of all
these tranfatfions, the communications were made
in solemn, open and ancient form; and the arti
cels of the treaties were mutually refpefted, until
the aggression posterior to that of Galphimon;
and that, whilst it is admitted on the one hand,
there was no principle of representation of the
parts of the nation, known in civilized govern
ment, it cannot be denied on the other, that it
was such as had been common; and the Indians
acknowledged, without doubt or regret,
forming a part, and being members of the state.
Peace being thus a reftored by the treaty of
Shoulderbone, but before the articles were yet car
ried into full effect, the Hate received the appoint
ment of a Superintendant of Indian Affairs, by
the Congress of the United States, for the southern
department; and on the fifteenth day of January,
m the present year, the fame was atknowledged
by the following resolution of the Legislature.
“ That this Haufe have a due sense of the at
tention of Congress to the affairs between tins
state and the Indians within its territory.
" Re/01-ved , That his Honor the Governor be re
queued to communicate to the said Superintendant,
that the Government of this slate, in the former
part of the last year, received certain advice that
it was the intention of the Creek Indians to make
war against the white inhabitants of the fame;
and that, a short time after, they did actually
commit hostilities.
“ That in consequence thereof, and agreeably to
the articles of Confederation and perpetual Union,
which this state holds as the rule of its good faith,
and as the evidence of its portion of the sove
reignty of the Union, measures were taken which
had for their objeft the present security of the
state, and the restoring of peace and tranquility
by the most: expeditious and certain means ; and
that, under pfovidence, the measures have been
attended with the desired success.
« That immediately after the measures before
mentioned were determined on, the Delegates of
this state were directed to make full representation
of the fame to Congress, with the motives which
impelled the state to the fame, without she delay
which would unavoidably have arisen from she
remote distance of the state from the residence of
Congress, which, no doubt has been done accord
ingly-’'
And afterwards, a committee was appointed to
confer with the said Superintendant on the fubjeft
of bis miftion ; and on the sixth day x>f February
they reported, and of which the following are
extrarts.
«« Your committee report, that they have con
ferred with the Honorable S-jperintendant of the
United States, and have laid before him the papers
and inftruftions committed to their care, to which
he has been plcafcd. to return the following an
swer”
Gentlemen of the Committee for Indian Affairs ,
« Accept my thanks for your polite communi
cation of the different materials in your poffeflion
to assist in acquiring an idea of the situation of In
dian affairs in this diftria. The not having been
engaged in this line till so very lately, will hardly
permit me to remark on the fubjeft as you re
quest. 4 w
« I will only ticptefs my fatisfaaion, in ob«
serving the moderation as well as spirit with which
this state pursued her plan of checking the savage
iofolence on the late occasion. The report I have
to make to the United States in Congress, taking
it#
THE
%
probably induce them to a more chearful partici
pation of the expence.
<* The spirit and prudence in the' state, will no
no doubt farther dictate the means of future tran
quility, as well as those of invigorating the hands
of the Superintendant of Indian Affairs, so faraS
is conducive to the execution of his oftice, within
the limits of the state.
“ I with to do myfelf the honor of assuring the
Honorable the Legislature, that as they may think
it advifeable for me, in my official capacity,
to be present at making the temporary one, I will
cheatfully attend to that, or any other measure
they will favour me with pointing out in the line
of my duty ; and that, in every official tranl ac
tion, I shall observe a most sacred refpefi to the
rights of the state of Georgia.
“ I am with great refpeft,
Your very humble servant,
(Signed) JAMES WHITE.®
The fame committee having teported the ex
pediency of new regulations for Indian affairs, a
bill was brought in for that purpose, and being car
ried into a board of Commissioners was
appointed, of which the said Superintendanr was
one. The Commissioners having convened, en
tered npon the duties of their office, and it was
expected that the Indians would be down some
time in the spring, in she fulfilment of the Shoul
derbone treaty. That in the mean time the ap
pointment of Commiffanes, with some other ar
rangements, were made ; and the Superintendant
determined to visit the nation. When there, he:
wrote to the Governor from th.e Buzzard Rnoft, on
the twelfth day of March, (rating the appearance*
of mifehief with some of (be Indians, the proba
ble good effc&s of his meuiation, and of the giving
up the hostages, which he recommended. It wan
also said, “ There is no doubt but the Upper
Creeks may be reconciled to the boundary at
wished ** And, by a letter from Mr. John Galp
hin, one of the Commissaries, written at the fame
time, -jUd on the fame iheet, he fays, **■ I Caw
Mr. M‘Giitevray lately, who favs he only waits
for Doftor White; and if becomes, he will have
the line run between the Indians and Georgians,
ty the firft of May ;® and be also adviftd that the
hostages ihould be given up.—Upon the founda
tion of these letters, the surrender of the hoftavres
was agreed to, and two of the principal ones went
on with the answers, and the others were to ac
company the Commissioners.
But that, on the thirteenth day of April follow
ing, another letter from the Superintendant to the
Governor, dated from the Culletas, advises t#
prepare for war in any event; adding, that his
personal fafety was assured to be in danger, should
he threaten the nation with the force of the Unions
and upon his return to Augusta, on the twenty
third day of April, in a farther address to the
Governor, he aferibes the suspension of boun
ties between the Indians and the state, to propo
pofitions communicated to him by M‘Gif
levray, for a new state to be laid off fouth of the
Altamaha; and mentions, that he had acceded to a
truce until the firft of August; and here ends the
knowledge of your committee of tranfadions with
or by the Superintendant.—l* was but a little
while, however, before several murders were
committed on our frontier, and which have been
repeated from time to time, until mutual boftili
ties have at length taken place on the whole length
of our border, and a war by the lavages is now
raging with all its horrors.
And here, too, the talk of your committee be
comes diftreffiogly difficult. As lovers of their
couauy, aod adismnu of tfcc ifatc a it i» «|uaHf
[No. LVII.J