Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1825-09-24

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From the New-York Review and Antheneum
Magazine.
Examination of The controversy between
Georgia and The Greeks.
The character of the conlederacy Of
The United States, is subIec, OF great
interest, both to the presen, generation
and to poslerity. Ii is regarded by the
coniending parties in the political world
as the great exemplar of liberal estah
lishments; and upon its conduct and
success depends the speedy advance
ment, or the temporary defeat OF the Ii
beral party. Its force is not physical,
but a moral force. Ii consists in ma
tioual character, unsulled by injustice
and oppression. The inquirer canno'
find in their annals the records OF sue
cessfui or unprovoked iHvasions--oi
triumphs achieved over the rights OF ma
lions and humanity. The government
vi tiiS udtlOD fdS, ou al VSSao'O'9t ap
pealed to reason as its standard, and by
that standard it will be judged. After
profession of its principles, so openly
and SO often reil Grated, it cannot shape
its course according to the dictates OF a
temporizing, prevaricating policy. Il
must act up TO its principles, or it must
disavow them. The path of honor and
justice is open, and it may travel on
alone, sustained only by the moral
strength, which stric, adherence to the
maxims OF integrity gives to nation !;
or j, may shrink from its high destiny,
and like the members oil lbe Holy Alll-
ance, stoop to share in the petty plum
DIR, derived from stripping The weak
and the defenceless OF their possessions.
4 it be emulous of the fame OF the par
eitioners ot Poland, the invaders OF Spain,
and the plunderers OF India; an oppar-
tuni,y to equal, and even exceed hem,
is forced upon the government OF the
United States by the conduct ct the go
vernon of Georgia, and upon the disposi-
ton OF that question, rests the tuture
character OF our country. By the rash
and unlustihable measures of the Exc
cutive of that state, the national govern
ment is compelled to decide upon the
ultimate destiny of the Indians within its
limits; TO become party to their torci-
BILE removal; or 10 protect them in the
lawful enjoyment Of their rightiul pos
session.
In an age like this, with a free press,
and thousands ready and willing TO vim
dictate the rights of The meanest and mosl
defenceiess; we cannot, it we would,
dispose of thousands Of human beings
like cattle, without inquiry. Their
wrongs will go forth TO the world and
the agency that we have in their final
disposition, must make part OF the ma
tional history, Let US, then, as we value
the opinion of mankind, as we regard the
approval of our consciences, examine
well the relations between the white in
habi,ants of the Uni,ed States, and the
surviving aboriginals, before any irrevo-
cable step be taken to remove the Creeks
from the lands which they now occupy.
Scarcely two centuries have ELAPSED,
eince the Europeans landed on the
American continent. They then found
the country covered by the native tribes
of the new world. The resources OF
the country were not SO fully developed,
as if civilized men had applied their ia
culties and arts to that end. Agricul-
ture, commerce and manufactures, did
not flourish, as il under the control OF
civilization. This, however, did not
give to Europe right to depopulae
America. To vacant territory, the white
conner had as good right as the tawny
native; but to occupied territory, TO the
land appropriated for the purposes OF
planting and hunting, the Indian had
right, which was as valid as that OF an
English nobleman to bis extensive and
vacant park. The history of the early
colonial settlements, shows this right to
have been generally respected; and por-
chases were made from the native chief
tains by the frs, settlers, of,large tracts
of land, for which valuable considera-
ton was given. Notwithstanding the
fairness Of the public authorities, injus-
tice was occasionally practIsed by indi.
viduals; and the Ignorant and untutored
savage was often driven, by these unau-
thorized wrongs, into indiscrimInate hos
Utilities with the colonists. in the con-
hicls, their numbers we're wasted, and
often whole tribes were externinated,
one could only lament the hard fate