Newspaper Page Text
Cfje €rccft Crcatp.
Tlie House of Representatives, on Satur
day, 20tli ulf. took up the Report of the
Committee of Conference on the subject ol
the Creek Treaty.
Mr. Fo rsytii said a most stupenduous
fraud had been intended by the persons who
had formed this new treaty. It had been
contemplated by the chiefs engaged in it to
put the money in their own pockets. The
Senate has discovered the intended fraud,
and had amended the bill to prevent its
consummation. The report provides for a
council. Suppose the council meet. The
warriors say the money belongs to them.—
He called attention to a statement from
what is called (he Indian Bureau. It
would be seen that Ridge and Vann—
sometimes called Secretaries, sometimes In
terpreters ; two Cherokees, paid by the
government to act for the Creeks against
the United States—had made several prop
ositions, and had modestly agreed, at lust,
to take S 10,000. They intended g 10,000
each ; hut were set right, and it was agreed
that 8 5,000 each should be given. They
assented ; the treaty was then formed Af
ter the formation of the treaty, before it
was submitted to the Senate, these Secre
taries submitted to the chief of the Indian
Bureau, a list of names, and sums i.(fixed to
each. This was submitted to the Secretary
of War, who said it was (he business of the
Chiefs. He summoned (he delegation ; they
said it met their approbation. The money
is part of the consideration in the treaty.—
A payment of 8 159,700 is proposed to be
paid to those who negotiated the treaty, and
their friends, as a douceur. Every one must
he struck with the desperate infamy ol this
transaction. It cannot he contemplated
without indignation and horror. It appear
ed to him that the money should be divided
among the nation. There are circumstan
ces attending this transaction which ought
to he understood by the House—by the na
tion. A Chief has been slain for having
sold the interests of his nation ; (he persons
here ate those who condemned him to death.
Yet he did nothing but sell his own proper
ty for its value. He was slain, has I)een
vilified in the United Slates for thus dispo
sing of his own properly. They who mur
dered him aie here ready to pillage the
Treasury. He did not believe the amend
ment would do justice, would remedy the
evil, fie hoped the power of Congress will
he exerted to prevent the money from go
ing into the hands of (he wrotclies, and that
they will be exposed to their nation.
A question has arisen between (he two
Houses, as to the power of Congress over
this money. He reminded the House that
these chiefs are merely representatives of
the nation, and the contract will not ho
oumjiloto nnloau ilia money be paid to the
nation. He observed,- in reference to a
sentiment in the report, that the Secretary
of War, had the same power oyer the money
us the land. The intention of the chiefs
was made known to the Secretary of War ;
but the fact of this intention was not com
municated to the Senate from the Depart
ment. It reached the Senate by other
means. The Secretary of War had the
same power to refuse the money, as to re
fuse the lands which lie did in the first in
stance. The Secretary of War was recom
men led to approach the Chiefs by secret
gratuities ; this he refused to do. He as
ked them where was the dill’ rencc in a mo
ral view between the method here proposed
and rejected, and the mode now adopted.
There is another part of the transaction,
as detailed in the famous letter from the
Indian Bureau; and if it be true, the trqaty
noiv formed was made contrary to instruc
tions ; and the same difficulties may arise
in its execution, as existed to the former
treaty. It was alleged, as to the former
treaty, that (he persons who negotiated it
were not duly authorized. In the negotia
tion of this new treaty, those who were
concerned in it have also gone beyond their
instructions. He did not believe the state
ment to be true. He would, if in order,
move to agree to the amendment with an
amendment.
The Speaker decided the motion to be
out of order.
Mr. Forsvin (hen expressed tils hope
that the House would reject the report of
the Committee, in order to check the con
summation of this fraud. He reminded tlie
House that the chief instrument of this af
fair is a Cherokee at the head of tlie list,
with a trilling sum of fifteen thousand dol
lars a (fixed to his name.
He is a civilized man—an educated man
—educated among whites and allied to us
by marriage. He has brought in bis father
tor 810,000. His father is a friend of the
United States, and is thus made to partici
pate. The son lias been taught Christianity
and morality among the whites, and this is
the fruit of his education.
He reminded the House of a negotiation
two years ago with the Creeks, in which
they refused to sell any of their lands. An
act of Congress was subsequently passed,
to defeat which a conspiracy was formed
among the Chiefs. This was consummated
by tlie death of M'lntosh. Now these gen
tlemen Cherokees are to receive for their
transcendent villany 840,000: they are to
be paid for their crimes; and they will he
pain, unless Congress shall so act as to pay
tins money to the nation. II it should goto
the Cniets, the object will be accomplished.
loe Governments of the Cherokees and
Creeks are aristocrical: they are in ihe
■ hands of a few daring warriors. The mo-,
ncy is distributed to the Chiefs according
to the will and pleasure of these warriors,
. and the agent of the United States stands
. by to witness the act. Such will be the case,
I here, and if the Chiefs complain, they will
be put to death. The judgment of the ru
ling Chiefs will direct every thing.
| Mr. Dwight staled that we are bound to
* conform to the theaty, or we shall be guilty
ol an infraction in the treaty making power.
| He called tlie attention of the House to the
words of the treaty it self; and confirmed by
1 un able argument, the obligation on the
House to comply with the letter of that
treaty. He believed that the amendment
made by the Committee of Conference
would prevent those fraudulent effects which
the gentlemen from Georgia anticipated.—
The money must he paid to (he nation.—
He reminded the gentlemen from Georgia
that the amendment of the Senate had been
materially modified by the Committee of
Conlerence. This may have been a -stu
pendous fraud ; he was not conversant with
the facts. He insisted that the Cherokee
agents had a right to their compensation for
the services which they had performed,
without subjecting themselves to the charge
ol fraud. He would not pretend to give an
opinion as to facts with which he was not
acquainted ; but he resisted the effort to
affix criminality to Ridge and Vann, for
merely taking the reward to which they
were entitled.
Mr. Wickliffe and Mr. Cooke made
some observations in continuation, when
Mr. Cook asked for the previous ques
tion ; which motion was negatived.
Mr. Burgess wished to know what great
baud had been committed. If the money
be paid to the Delegation, authorized by
the Creek nation to negotiate and act, where
is the fraud? Where is the evidence that
these chiefs are the exqusite scoundrels
they have been described to be ? What
was the origionul fraud? Tim Secretary
of War had been asked to bribe. He had
refused. Was this fraud? Fraud implies
secrecy ; yet the horrible fraud, now dis
covered within a few days, had been known
long ago to gentlemen who had occasion to
transact business with the Indian Depart
ment.
Mr. Cuthbert adverted to the anotna
lus power exerted by the Government in
suppressing a whole treaty, and contrasted
it with the strange delicacy which gen
tlemen displayed when required to touch a
single article in another treaty, and that for
the purpose of preventing frauds—worse
than frauds —damnable treachery ; of pro
tecting the rights and interests of a people
one thousand mites distant, which were at
the mercy of the chiefs here. He asked to
whom the consideration money was to go.
, You are selling the lands of the Creeks to
, give the produce to the Cherokees. He felt
’ nis strength unable to allow him to go any
further into tlie discussion.
Mr. Boon gave notice that he should
move a reconsideration of the vote by which
the resolution sent from tlie Senate was re
jected, if the present discussion were con
tinued.
Mr. Forsyth made some observations in
‘ reply, in which he repeated what he before
■ stated, alleging that the Secretary of War
knew that these chiefs intended to defrend
■ their tribe, and that he concealed these facts
i from the Senate and Representatives of the
people: and that the circumstance acciden
tally came to their knowledge. The Secre
-1 tary of War, he assorted, took no pains to
check the fraud, but stood by, and was a
, quiet witness of (he proceeding.
Mr. Tattnall said he was of opinion that
the contract now made is no treaty, the
House having declared it a treaty is hound
to regard its terms. He said he was ready,
when the proper time should arrive, to de
fend the interests of his own Slate, and to
shoulder his musket to sustain the old trea
’ ty. He should, however, under the circum
stances, vote for the report of the conferees.
He was as confident as his colleague that ai
■ fraud had been pnjected, and that it was
•{known to tlie Department before the ratifi
cation ol the treaty.
J Mr. Cook reviewed the circumstances,l
' to prove that tlie Department was not privy
Jto any fraud; and that the government is
I bound to pay tlie consideration money ac
jcording to the letter of the treaty. He
thought we are discussing the subject in a
manner injurious to tbc moral character of
the country.
Mr. M ercer said it had been stated by
an author of celebrity, (Pope.)
I •• An honest inan*» the noblest work of God.”
s If so, the Secretary of War was one of
the noblest works of God. He had known
- the Secretary of War in every situation as
Governor, and Senator, in the tented field
• and in council hall, and he knew him to be
i such a man. It is no light matter to rise
at a close of a long session, and throw im
imutation on such a man. He asserted that,
i'il the treaty at the Indian Springs was ne
i guliated with an incompetent power, it was
, not voidable, but actually void, and he was
1 not bound to vote for any appropriation for
I it. He denied that there hud been any
- concealment on the part of the Secretary of
r War. We are bound to pay the console 1
i ration money to (he delegation authorized
-by the Creek nation, the delegation is res-i
, poncible, not to tlie United States, but to,
j tlie tribe, for the due performance of tlie
. trust reposed in him. He stated that he j
! nid only yesterday been told in cenversa
i t'um bv a Senator from Missouri, (Mr Ben-
I ton,) that, as far as respects the Secretary
of War, no transaction was ever more fair
ly conducted.
Mr. Tattnall replied, repelling the idea
I that he had charged the Secretary of War
with having committed any fraud." lie had
ordy stated that he was privy to fraud.
Mr. Merger, disclaimed having stated
that the gentleman from Georgia had so
charged him.
Mr. 1 attnall replied, that such was the
ell’cct ol the gentleman’s observations. He
vindicated the Secretary of War. Why
should he vindicate him, if no charge had
been made. He had, however, made no
charge: he had merely stated facts—facts
which spoke volumes—tacts which requited
no comment. If those facts fix fraud on
any one, it must rest where they fix it.
Mr. Bartlett suggested that in discus
sing the treaties, gentlemen travel out ol
the legitimate course, and lost sight of the
question before the House. He took a view
of the course which the bill had taken, and
ol the proceedings since the disagreement,
lie then read the amendment of the com
mittee, which provides tint the payment of
the money shall be made to the Chiefs in
full council of the Nation. It has been
suggested that the danger arises from the
intention of the Chiefs to perpetrate a fraud.
That appeared to him to be sufficiently guar
ded against by the amendment. lie was
prepared to vote for the amendment. He
hoped the question would be at once taken.
Mr. T humpson, of Georgia, contended
that under that article of the treaty, (the
3d) provided that the Ciiiefs shall leceive
the cun-ideratiun money, immediately after
the ratification. If they h ive a right to re
ceive immediately, they iiave a right to de
mand immediately. How then can we so
amend the appropriation bill as* to postpone
ttiis payment, and chaise the mode of it ?
He staled (hat fraud in the transaction was
to his mind most apparent on the face of
the transaction. In saying this, he made
no imputation against the Secretary of War,
lor whom he entertained the highest respect.
He adverted to the items of distribution to
Badge, Vann, &c. and asked if these per
sons are ol the Creek Nation ? This scale
ol distribution was exhibited at the Indian
Bureau. On being questioned, Ridj,e sta
led that the whole delegation w re not ac
quainted with these items. The delegation
are then summoned by the Secretary of
War, who represented to them the impro
priety ol so dividing the money, an evidence
that lie was acquainted with the imud.—
They, however, asserted their right. He
intimated the possibility of the interpreter,
at this conference, having so conveyed the
sentiments of the Secretary as to .-uit his
own views. He concluded from all the cir
cumstances, that not only was gi oss fraud
intended, but that the Department of War
was privy to it.
Mr. Dwight replied that the Chiefs be
ing now in the Creek nation the amendment
was consistent with the letter of the treaty,
when it provides that the money shall be
paid to them in council. The present dele
gation is made up of Creeks and Cherokees;
the Chiefs are still in the nation.
Mr. Thompson insisted on the right of the
Chiefs here to receive the money for their
lands ; that this right was admitted by the
Department: and the Chiefs had demanded
it. The delegation assert that they had a
light to conclude a treaty, and had a right
to receive the money. If they have this
right it is a violation of the treaty to refuse
it to them.
Mr. Williams, of N. €. moved the pre
vious question ; but the motion was with
drawn, and the report of the Committee was
agreed to.
INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE.
HOUSE OK REPRESENTATIVES, May 17, 1316.
Sir : The members of the Georgia dele
gation have, both during your administration
and also that of your predecessor, by whom
| these indignities were, for the first time,
tolerated, been so frequently and so impu
dently assailed for their conduct whilst dis
charging their duties as Representatives in
the Congress of the U. States, by Indians
visiting this city, at the invitation or undei
the sanction of the Executive, that some
1 notice would at length seem necessary to be
taken. J
The repeated insults which have been of
feted, have, hitherto, been unnoticed, undei
the hope .that the Department of War wouh
itself see the propriety of intimating to tin
’ authors its disapprobation. As no sucl
disapprobation has been evinced, it is now
deemed proper to address you, as the heat
t of that Department, on this subject, and t(
i present to you the suggestion, that, whils
i these persons are maintained here, nay, an
revelling at the expense of the People o
the United States, they should at least b
taught to be respectful in their conduct am
expressions to the Representatives of tha
, People. The present communication is ad
dressed to you in consequence of the ap
i pea ranee in the National Journal of thi
, morning, of a piece officially signed “ Join
Ridge, Secretary Creek Delegation.” O
the character of this piece, my feelings wil
not permit me to say a single word. I an
.sure it will receive your marked and stroiq
i ilisapprob.ition. I would merely obse, ve
that the insolence of this fellow is particu
. larly remarkable, when it is borne in mini
that he is of the Cherokee and not of tin
• Creek nation, ami,consequently, could havi
nothing to do with nutters exclusively be
longing to the latter. You will, no doubt
f recollect, that, at the commencement of this
. session, during a visit which three of my
colleagues and myself paid to you at your
i office, we stated his disposition to intermed
r die in the transactions between the Genera!
] Government and the Creek nation, the mani
festation of which disposition, as we were
1 informed, had already occasioned his being
0 reduced from his rank as a Chief in his own
nation, and that we at the same time, sug
e gested it as advisable that he should not be
e recognized as a part of the Creek delegation.
y No doubt is entertained but that you are
J now fully satisfied that his appendage to the
0 Creek delegation has been far from facili
s tating the arrangements between the Go
j vernmentand the Creek nation recently ef
u fected, I may also add, very far from being
beneficial to the public Treasury.
Whether any particular notice of this fel
f low, ought, at this time, to be taken by your
e Department, 1 leave to your own decision,
v without ottering any sugestion whatever on
j the subject, f will merely add, that the
. National Journal, in which the offensive ar
. tide is first published, is regarded by the
f public. (I would not be guilty of the rude
u “ess, nor, as I do not know it to be the fact,
i) could I assert it as the fact,) as the leading
e administration paper —that the indignities
received by the members of the Georgia
. delegation have been offered under the eye
s °f M ie Government: that the persons otter
e *'*g these indignities derive a consequence
from being recognized by the Government
j as official persons : that these indignities
e have all been offered under their official
B signatures: that these persons are maintain
r ed here, and suffered to riot in luxury, at
. the expense of the public Treasury: and
that, therefore, it is competent for the De
„ partment of War, and, being so, it is its du
e ty, to check them whenever their conduct
p may be indecorous.
8 subject may, perhaps, never before
f have been presented in this serious light to
, you. I am, however, from my knowledge
of your character, perfectly assured that
’ you will, suggested as it now is to your
j consideration, deem it, in future, necessary
to interpose, so Tar as your Department can
, interpose, to prevent the feelings, and
* character, and conduct of gentlemen, called
to the Seat of Government in the discharge
‘ of their dudes important to their constitu
' ents, from being in any manner assailed by
' persons brought here at the instigation or
1 under the sanction f the Executive.
lam, sir, with the, most cordial personal
“jesteem, and with the highest respect, vour
" very obedient servant,
s EDWARD F. TATTNALL.
’ To the Hon. James Barbour, Sec. of IVar.
s
. Department of War, May 18th, 18£6.
I Sir :As you suggest in your note of
r yesterday, I had supposed that the conver
sation I nad held with you a few days past,
- on the subject of your letter of the 11th,
t rendered it unnecessary to reply to you in
writing—as you wish, however, a written
e answer, I cheerfully give it.
To so much of your letter as refers to
; indignities ottered the Representatives of
Georgia, by Indian Delegations under a
e former Administration, it was not, I pre
r sume, expected, 1 should make any reply,
eTo the one you particularly refer to—a re
| cent publication in the National Journal,
a you have done me only justice in supposing
t that I entirely disapproved of it. Iliad
s anticipated your suggestion, by causing the
e Creek Delegation to' be expressly told, on
their arrival here, that the Department
. would see,with displeasure, any deportment
- on their part, that would give offence justly
s to any one. No importance can attach
with propriety to the paper in which it
appeared, as the Executive feels no respon
sibility for its publications. The editor
• availing himself of Ids privileges, publishes
what he pleases on his own responsibility.
i- Had I have been consulted previously, I
n should liave given my advice against that of
n which you complain. Beyond that you arel
s, aware it would be improper to interpose,!
. and as unavailing as improper. If these'
i People were here fur their own purposes'
n alone, our authority over them would be l
s much greater than at present, when the:
!r Government has an object to effect—and to!
e conciliate them is one of the principal
ie means of affecting that object. Upon this!
branch of the subject, 1 must correct an er
f. ror into which, from an expression you use,
ir y°u must have been led by misinformation.
il You speak of their revelling in luxury at,
e the expense of the People". I feel the more
h constrained to notice this particularly, be-!
w cause, on the floor of Congress, the Depart-1
d ment has been charged with pampering the!
;o one party with champaigne, and treating
»t the other penuriously. Now the fact is,
•e they were both treated precisely alike—to
if each was assigned nine dollars "per head a
)e week—and the accounts against both for
id any indulgeucies beyond the above allow
it ance rejected. Although I am opposed to
J- any interference of members of one tribe in
p- the concerns of another, yet, in the case of
is Ridge and Vann, they were presented, not
in as members of the Delegation, but as Sec
)f retaries. So long as you respect the In-
II dians as an independent People,with whom
m you treat, you must indulge to them the
igi privilege of selecting their own agents.
e,j To reject the object of their own choice,
i-i would be but an inauspicious comnience
d; men Ito any friendly arrangement of the
ie| difficulties, whose removal was the object of
re, the agency. Not being sufficiently advised
j-iot the influence that these men possessed, or
V exercised over the Creeks, I cannot say
whether they have increased or diminished
the obstacles to pacification, or consequent
ly whether it had any influence on the pub*
lie Treasury. I hope no occasion will again
occur like the one complained of. From
what I have previously said, you may be
assured I shall use such means as are in my
power to prevent it.
1 feel particularly obliged to you for the
friendly sentiments you express to me per
sonally, and take pleasure in saying they
are cordially reciprocated on my part.
With great respect, your ob’d. serv’t.
JAMES BARBOUR,
Hon. Edward F. Tattnall,
House of Representatives.
ANOTHER SLEEPING PREACHHR.
[From the New-York Com, Jidu. May 22.}
We copy the following article from the
Onandaga Register of Wednesday last, the
editor of which is personally known to us as
a gentleman of character and veracity.—*
We are thus particalar, that the reader may
rely upon the truth of what is stated.
There is at present to be witnessed, in
the town of Otisco, in this county, an in
stance of what Doctor Mitchell calls “ de
votional somnium, scarcely second to the
celebrated case of Rachael Baker. Simeon
iVatson a hard laboring industrious man,
aged about 30, of athletic habits, and san
guine temperament, about a month since
commenced preaching in his sleep. The
fit (as it is unquestionable a disease) com
mences immediately after lying down in the
evening, and continues until the usual reli
gious exercises of a meeting are concluded.
Mr. Watson is a pious, respectable member
oi the Baptist society, and during the past
winter has been much engaged in an awa
kening which has existed in that vicinity.—
Soon alter retiring to rest he apparently
tails asleep. In a few moments he is sei
zed with strong spasmodic contractions of
the muscles of the che%t and limbs—always
groans, and sometimes as if in great dis
tress : and when his paroxysm subsides,
commences preaching, or rather praying.—
Our informant terms it preaching, because,
in his somnium “he always terms it so
himself, whereas Miss Baker when in that
state always declined having her exorta
tions termed preaching, as signing the
scriptural reason, that women ought not to
preach. Mr. Watson commences with a
prayer of ordinary length—then names
some passage of scripture as a (ext, from
which he discourses fluently, and quite
connectedly, and closes with another prayer.
He is totally insensible as to what is pass
ing around, nor can he be awakened until
the paroxysm leaves him. Some at first
were sceptical, but trials were made suffi
cient to convince the most incredulous.—
During the existence of the paroxysm his
hands are so firmly clenched together as
deeply to indent them with his fingers, and
cause the blood to stagnate under his nails.
Miss Baker’s hands used to be motionless
by her side, yet she, like Mr. Watson, used
to move her head on the pillow as if ad
dressing an audience. In the midst of an
exortation, Rachel would pause to answer
a question, and then correctly proceed;
but Mr. Watson cannot be diverted from
his subject. In short, this state of the hu
man body, and mind, must be deemed one
of great singularity and interest; and one
which, as it has never been fully investiga
ted and explained, opens a wide field for
the religious and philosophical enquirer.
[From the Scoharie (N. Y.) Republican.'}
A-SINGULAR ADVENTURE.
Some fifteen or twenty years ago, a man
and his wife, then considerably advanced in
life, settled in the adjoining town of Duane
burgh. They were in very indigent circum
stances at that time, and like many others
who have commenced the world with better
prospects, have held their own remarkably
lever since; supporting a family of small chil
jdren by the precarious trade of basket ma
king.—The woman was a native of one of the
j West India Islands, and a widow before she
married her present husband. Her appear
ance and manners plainly showed that she
had seen better days, and she often told her
neighbors that she had wealthy connexions
and a property of her own in her native
country. The neighbors of course, gave
very Hi tie credit to this story.—About six
years since, however, the old lady having
carefully laid by ten or fifteen dollars, took
| her departure, unaccompanied by any one,
I for the West Indies. Weeks, months, and
| years have passed over, but there came no
tidings of the old lady. She had almost
'ceased to exist in the recollection of her
; ; nearest neighbors; the old man, her hus
band, liad given her up for lost, and it is
• said, had long since begun to cast his eyes
L j about among the plump widows, and an
| liquated damsels of the neighborhood, fear
ing that he might be under the necessity of
>! supplying the place of his long absent, and
perhaps deceased wife; (for he waxed old,
land did not love to be alone,) when one
■ day last week while the old man sat cogita
ting on the subject at his cottage door, a
beautiful carriage drove up and made a
halt—the door opens—the steps are let
down, and lo ! out jumped the old lady
dressed “ in silks and satins,” plump into
• the old man’s arms! The old man, we
suspect, was considerably shocked!
1 The New-York Times asserts, that “a
--r mongst the Chinese the males are only a«
f one to thirteen .”