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THE MISSIONARY.
No, 52 Vol. Vl.]
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
Head-Quarters, Easton Department , )
Monticello , Ga. JvKg 17, J 825. )
Gentlemen —Captain Triplett will hand
to you, a copy of Maj. Gen. Gaines’ letter
to Governonr Troup, of the lOlbinst. which
the General requests you to insert in your
papers.
The object of giving publicity to this let
ter, at this time, is to counteract certain
false and infamous reports , concerning the
adjustment of Indian difficulties, calculated
to deceive the publick, and aggravate the
misfortunes of these helpless and deluded
beings, who evince a disposition to re-nnite
their destmy, and to comply with the wishes
of the General Government.
Verv respectfully, your ob’t. serv’t.
E. G. W. BUTLER.
Aid de Camp.
Head Quarters, Eastern Department , )
Flint River, July 10, 1825. \
Sir —The excessive heat of the weather,
abided to the many inconveniences and in
terruptions which I have daily encountered
in the course of my visit to the Creek Na
lion has deprived me of the pleasure of wri
ting to your Excellency as often, or as ful
ly as I have been desirous of doing.
i have notv the honour, without entering
into details that could afford but little inter
est, to communicate to you the result of my
conferences with the ludians.
After meeting in this slate, the Chiefs of
the Mclntosh party', and at Broken Arrow,
those of the opposite party, and bearing
tfcieir respective statements, with the evi
deuce for and against each party, I have
urged them to an adjustment of differences,
to which they have mutually assented.
The Mclntosh party demanded retalia
tion for their fallen Chiefs, with the imme
diate restoration of property taken nr des
troyed. Their demands were founded on
the Bth article of the Treaty of February
last—which promises, on our part, protec
lion to “ the emigrating party,” agaiost the
whites and all others; which party they
(the followers of Gen. Mclntosh) assume 1
themselves, exclusively to be.
Whether this provision of the Treaty was
or was not intended to protect the Creek
Indians against themselves, or to protect a
comparatively small part of them against
the main body of the Nation, were question*
which I was, happily, not called npon to de
cide : as, in the event of hostilities having
subsided, my instructions simply require m>
to make peace upon just principles, and to
require the complainants, as well as the op
posing parly, to abstain from acts of retalia
tion or violence. The reputed hostile par
ty consists of all the principal Chiefs, and of
nearly forty nine fiftieths of the whole of
the Chiefs, Head-men and Warrionrs of the
Nation'—among whom, I recognized many
who were in our service during the late
war, and who, to my certain knowledge,
have been for twenty years pas* (and I
tbiok they have been at all times) as friend
ly to the U. States as any of our Indian
neighbours could have been known to be.
1 met them at Broken Arrow, the usual
place of holding the Great Council of th”
Nation ; 1 could not, therefore, but view
this supposed hostile party as, in fact am!
in truth, the Creek Nation , —and altogethei
free of the spirit of hostility ascribed to
them. 1 have received from them, in
Council assembled, the most deliberate as
surance of their determination to be peace
able and-friendly towards their absent peo
pie, as well as towards the U. States. They
Regretted the necessity which, they con
tend, existed for the strong measures they
adopted against Gen. Mclntosh and others,
who, they affirm, forfeited and lost their
lives bv having violated a well known law
of the Nation. They have engaged to re
store all property taken, and to pay for all
that has been .destroyed contrary to law—
■and they have promised to allow a reasona
ble time for those who have borrowed and
run off with money out of their National
Treasury, to reimburse the same.
The Council strongly and unanimously
objected to the late Treaty, as the offspring
of fraud, entered into contrary to the known
law and determined will of the Nation
and by persons not authorized to treat.
They refused to receive any part of the
I consideration money doe uoder the Treaty,
or to give any other evidence of their ac
quiescence in it. ,
In conclusion— they expressed the hope
that their white friends would pity their de
plorable condition, and would do them the
justice to re-consider, and “ undo that which
bus been wrongfully done.” I have, pur
suant to my instructions from the Depart
ment of War, endeavoured to convince the
Council, but without success, of the fallacy
of tbeir objections to the Treaty, and to
MOUNT ZION, (HANCOCK COUNTY, GEORGIA,) MONDAY, JULY 25, 1825.
dissipate their delusive hopes that it can ev
er be annulled. I have assared them that,
in all our Treaties with the powersrof Eu
rope as well as with near fifty Indian Na
tions, there has been Dot one instance, to my
knowledge, of a Treaty having been re
voked or annulled, after being duly ratified,
except by the free cousent of all the par
ties to it, or by war.
I yesterday met in council, near Joseph
Marshall’s ferry, the Chiefs of the Mclntosh
party, and communicated to them the prop
osition of the Council at Broken Arrow; to
which they have acceded in. They prom
ised to return to their homes as soon as they
sre advised of the arrival of the United
States’ troops ordered from Louisiana and
Pensacola to the Creek Agency at Chatta
boochy.
The Chiefs of both parties have distinct
ly aod solemnly assared me that they will
remain at peace with each other; and that
•hey will in no case raise an arm against
the citizens of the United States. Under
these circumstances, it is my duty to notify
your Excellency that there will be no occa
sion tor calling into service any part of the
Militia or Volunteers of the State over
which you preside.
The certificate, of which I enclose here
with a copy, marked A, added to the decla
rations of the Chiefs in Council, of whom
Joseph Marshall was the principal, and in
terpreter, prove that your Excellency has
been greatly deceived, in supposing that
the Mclotosh party ever consented to the
survey of the ceded Territory being com
tnenced before the time set forth in the
Treaty for their removal. This fact giving
altogether anew aspect to the subject of
the proposed survey of the land, added to a
strong conviction on my mind, that the at
tempt to make the surveys would be a pos
itive violation of the Treaty—and will, un
der existing causes of excitement, be cer
tain to produce acts of violence npon the
persons or property of unoffending Indians,
who we are bound to protect, it becomes
my duty to remonstrate against the surveys
being commenced until (he Indians shall
have removed agreeable to the Treaty. I
cannot doubt that the facts disclosed by the
accompanying certificate, with the concur
rent testimony of the Chiefs in Council, will
induce your Excellency, without hesitation,
•o abandon the project of surveying the
land, before the month of September, 1826.
This will be particularly gratifying to roe,
it will relieve me of the painful duty du
• v of acting, not in concert witAthe venerat
ed authorities of an enlightened and patri
otick member of the United States —to
whom I stand pledged by every principle of
honour, and under the solemnity of an oath,
to serve them honestly and faithfully.
(Signed) EDMUND P. GAINES,
Maj Gen Commanding.
A true copy —E. G. W. Butler,
Aid de-Camp.
To His Ex: G. M. Troup,
Governour of Georgia.
We certify that we accompanied the ex
press from Governour Troup to General
Mclntosh, conveying the request that he
would allow the survey of the land, acquir
< and by tbe Treaty at the Indian Spring, to
he immediately commenced. General
Mclntosh replied that he could not grant
the request, but would call tbe Chiefs to
gether and lay it before them—which was
never done.
, Q . < WILLIAM EDWARDS,
(Signed) £ JOSEPH MARSHALL.
At Portess’, Upson co. July 9, 1825.
1 certify that this is a correct copy of tbe
original certificate, signed in my presence
and now in my possession.
E. G. W. BUTLER,
Aid de Camp.
TRACT SOCIETY.
The Flat-Shoal, Fishing Creek, Eliro and
Bethel Tract Society, auxiliary to tbe Bap
tist General Tract Society, held its Annual
Meetiog, at Elim, on Monday, tbe 4th of
July.
1. A sermon appropriate, was delivered
by tbe Rev. J. S. Calloway to an attentive
congregation.
2 The Society proceeded to re-organ
ize, when, On Motion by Brother J. Wat
son, it was unanimously agreed, that tbe
present Board of Managers, to wit: Rev.
J. S. Calloway, President; A Ellis, Treasu
rer; A. Davis, Agent ; aod J. Cox, P. Nor
then, M. Boynton, S. Brown, T. Blunt, T.
G. Jordan, J. Watson and S. H. Burgess,
Directors , continue to serve for one year
longer.
3. On Montion, by tbe Rev. E. Talbot,
it was agreed, by a constitutional majority,
that the name of this Society be altered to
that of tbe Flat-Shoal, Jones County, Geor
gia Tfact Society, auxiliary to the Baptist
General Tract Society. Also, that tbe
time of the Anonal Meeting of this Society,
in future, be on the Saturday preceding tbe
last Sabbath in June.
4. From the report of the Treasurer and
Board to the Society, it appears that there
has been $39 87 1-2 subscribed; that
$33 00 has been received by the Treasu
rer, and (bat S2O 00 has been, by order of
tbe Board, paid over to tbe Agent, aod by
him transmitted to the Treasurer of the
Parent Society at Washington to procure
Tracis, but that tbe Tracts had not yet
come to hand.
Resolved, That the next meeting of this
Society be held at Bethel, Jones, on Satur
day before tbe last Lord’s day in June, 1826.
Extract from the Minutes,
A. ELLIS, Clerk pro tern.
July sth, 1825.
FROM THE FAMILY VISITOR.
RESPONSIBILITY OF FEMALES.
The remark is as true as it is common,
that in countries far advanced in civiliza
tion and refinement, our sex have the prin
cipal agency in giving to society its moral
and intellectual aspect. As the subject ol
female influence has been discussed in your
columns, it is not my design to enter upon
that topick, but to contribute in my humble
measure towards giving it a right direction.
If our influence is great, our responsibil
ity is proportionally great. If we have
the power of moulding society, to a consid
erable extent, according to our will, the
vices that mar its beauty and happiness, and
which our influence is not exerted to sup
press will be imputed to us, and must be
answered for as onr deeds, in the day of fi
nal retribution. It is a matter of infinite
importance therefore, that our intercourse
with society should be so regular as to pro
duce a salutary effect on all around us.
But how shall this be done? Shall we as*
sume a melancholy air, and lecture our
frieds on religion until they retire from
our presence in disgust and shun us as they
would the serpent or the scorpion? By no
means. There is something cheerful aod
attractive in that religion which has brought
life aod immortality to light. The ecep
tiek may well mourn over the miseries of
life, be sad in view of tbe thick darkness
and gloom that surround the grave, sod
shudder at tbe prospect of annihilation or
a miserable existence hereafter. But let
us, who hope belter things than these,
whose path is illumined with tbe lamp ot
heaven (for a female infidel must be a mon
ster of ingratitude and iniquity,) let us throw
all around the charms of cheerfulness and
joy, that others may seek and rejoice io our
society, and be influenced by our example,
to walk io wisdom’s ways. There is no
danger that an amiable, intelligent, accom
plished, and virtuous female will be neglect
ed. Her society will always be sought by
the other sex; and it is completely in her
power to dictate tbe terms on which it shall
be enjoyed. Let her never countenance
by her example, or even by a smile, light
and trifling remarks on religion, or any
kindred subject. The Bible was not given
to man, that its sacred truths might be quo
ted with irreverence, to adorn tbe conver
sation of the gay and thoughtless ; the min
istry of the Gospel was not instituted to be
tbe scoff of fools, or to exercise tbe inge
nuity of the critick; the condoct of Chris
tians must be accounted for at the tribunal
of their owo Master, and not be made tbe
sport of the immoral and profane, who
know not tbe heart and have an interest
io misrepresenting their motives. Tbe ap
probation or disapprobation of a lady of
any sensibility and independence, is instant
ly observed io her deportment, when to
picks like these are treated with that levity,
which two often passes for wit with tbe
thoughtless, even amoognominal ebristians.
A rebuke given in the spirit of meekness,
will, in most cases, produce a powerful aod
salutary effect. From the other im it
might perhaps give offence ; but in us it in
dicates a spirit of independence, and an un
wavering love of trolb and which
seldom fail to excite the admiration eve*
of those who feel the wound.
Perhaps there is not a more prevalent
vice in our land, or one the progress ot
which it is more difficult to arrest, than that
of intemperance. It exists in iti incipient
state, in the habits of a lafge portion of the
young men in onr country. If unchecked,
it acquires strength to year, until
it obtaina complete confra met the man—
who will not return to habits of sobriety
until tbe Etbiopean shall change his skin,
and the leopard his spots! He who craves
a julap or a dram at twenty,will be a drunk
ard at thirty, and a sot at forty. Much of
the guilt of this beastly vice and its conse
quences, attaches to onr sex. It is in onr
power, and perhaps in ours only, to give it
an effectual check in (he early stages of its
progress. Let us not only speak of it in
terms of reprobation, but decline all inti
macy with its devotees. Let no mistress
of a family invite, or even admit, into her
social and domestick circle, any gentleman
who is addicted to intemperance. Thi9
experiment has been successfully tried by
some individuals. Only let it become uni
versal, and the effect will be astonish
ing.
The same remark will apply with eqnal,
if not greater force, to the practice of duel
ling. This blackest species of murder is,
in a peculiar sense, our sin; not that we ac
tually seize the weapons of death and en
ter the field of murder ; but other* do it at
our instance, and with onr approbation.
They do it to recommend themselves to us,
as men of honour; and we sanction the
deed, and appropriate its sin and its pun
ishment to ourselves, by giving our hands
and onr hearts to the murderer. Let us
recoil from the flatleries and professions of
such a Inver, as we would from the tears
of the crocodile or the sting of the viper.
The Almighty, in his wrath, cao carcely
inflict a heavier curse on a woman in this
world, than to give her a drunkard or a du
elist, for a husband.
Intimately connected with these vices is
the game of cards, and other games of haz
ard. In these many of ns, and those who
move in the higher circles, personally
take a part. We are ioduced first to play
for amusement, because there can certain
ly be no harm in a little innocent amuse
ment; aod this we are the rather inclined
to do, because onr presence may serve to
restrain the gentleman and keep them with
in the hounds of moderation and decency.
Next a small sum of money is staked, the
loss of which cannot be sensibly fell by any
one. This we win of course ; aod thus
the love of money is added to the love of
cards, until the game in some form or oth
er engrosses all the affections of the heart.
This is no fiction ; I know many living il
lustrations of its truth. But what is most
lamentable, is the demoralizing influence
of such an example on the neighbourhood.
The presence of one accomplished and in
telligent lady at a card tahle in the social
circle, whether the object be money or
amusement, is Regarded by the young men
as a full licence for them to go to any ex
tent in gambling and all its kindred vices.
Let those ladies then, who have any respect
for religion, any gratitude for the elevation
which it has given them in society, any
love of their country, whether they be
young or old, married or unmarried, give
their countenance and the charms of tbeir
society to those gentlemen only, who re
gard the laws of God and man, and whose
characters are unpolluted with crime.
LAURA.
CHRISTIAN ELOQUENCE.
Extract from Dr. Griffin's speech before the
American Education Society at Boston.
I am happy, Sir, to perceive that the
principles of this society are liberal enough
to admit a co operation of all denominations
who hold the Head. In this I most hearti
ly rejoice. I hail the day that breaks
down the bars of bigotry and unites in har
monious action tbe members of Christ.
There has been a world of selfishness in
our divisions. We may still on proper oc
casions, support onr peculiar sentiments by
manly and temperate argument; but the
more we are delivered from selfishness, tbe
more sincerely we can love and co-operate
with the members of Christ who differ from
us.
I cordially rejoice in the progress which
our Episcopal, Baptist and Methodist breth
ren are making in the education of men for
the sacred office. Well educated min
isters will certainly do more good than nov
ice*, (if of a character and creed to do any,)
and will put an end to that ruinous disorder
which is connected with ignorance. The
more we are enlightened by science and
theology, the more candidly we shall exam
ine each other’s sentiments, aod see at wbat
points our differences are chiefly verbal
and to be cured by kind and skilful explan
ations: and the consequences will he that
we shall get nearer together. Never per
haps shall we see all alike in this world.