Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-10-04


her feeble means, many services as any state In
the Union, in the hour Of their common PEE
ril But of her doubtful title The Supreme
Court have decided that her title was good an au-
thority equal in credit TO that of New York Ike
viewer. although endorsed By Washington Editor
to give il currency-( Fletcher vs. Peck, Cranch's
Reports)
| Ofthe time and circumstances of the several ces-
sions of Western territory by the different states,
the Reviewer is deplorably ignorant. In supposng
that he has given fair exposition Of his know lege.
congress solicited in $780, from the states, cessions
of those lands, that common fund might be pro-
yided for the payment OF the common debt. As i,
usually happens, the state least interested in those
lands, was the first exhbi, proofs of her generos-
! iy, by cession. New York having '' indie
terminate claim coded that claim in 1871, with
out condition. The &C, of the New York legisla-
ture is rather declaration ofacual boundary than
a surrender of claim TO the United States. Vir-
ginia coded, in 1854, condition that her expen-
ses ia defending the territory coded should be re-
inbursod that the French inhabitants should be
| confirmed in their possessions; and with reserva-
non OF $500, 600 acres, and $50 COO acres to meet
certain claims of land under the state laws, &c &c
Massachusetts coded in 1855. Connecticut IN 1856,
OF all her claim beyond certain line, lzo miles
west OF the western boundary OF pennsylvania
In $500, Congress passed an act 10 authorize let
| tiers patent to be issued TO Connecticut, releasing
1
serve, condition that Connecticut surrenderedher
terri; orial urisdictional claims which due by
! Connecticut in the year. South Carolina ce-
ded in 1877 North Carolina ceded in 1880, on con-
dtions burthening the land coded with all the land
claims under the of the Legislature OF the
Georgia, in 1902, after several unavailing attempts
| 10 make an arrangement with the u. States. The
proposition of l7SS, made by that state, will vim
dictate her from the charge of delaying TO follow the
generous example set by her sister states, which
| the terms offered, compared with those accepted
| from Virginia, North Carolina and Connecticut,
! Will prove that she more DESTROYS of pro-
noting her individual interest, than became great
state, united in the defence OF common rights with
others more powerful, but not more faithful than
| herself She proposed cesson, condition,
list, That the United States should guaranty to the
citizens OF Georgia Republican form of Govern
ment indy, That the navigation of thew
oil the coded territory should be free all the Uni
ted States no duties but Tor the common benefit ;
3dly, That III lis dollars, which had been ex-
pended in quoting the Indians, or resisting their
hostilties, should be allowed in the specie quota
| required, or to be required of the state 1thly,
That, in defending the state, the expense should
be paid by the United States according to the al
tlcles oil confederation and, 5hy, That Congress
should guaranty the remaining territorial rights oil
the state--J. of c. S35, 4th vol. This PROPOSE
on was rejected, because the land lay too far of
TO be OF immediate advantage that Georgia owed
but "a small quantity Of the specie requisitio. and
the fund ought not TO be burthened and 3d. Because
territorial guarantees had been made by Con-
Sress 1t is not necessary to proceed to show the
peculiar circumstances which afterwards occurred,
10 induce the state of Georgia to ask and the u
nled States TO stipulate different conditions in the
| cesslon whictwas made iii 1902. Nor is it at all
lmportantto prove that those conditions not
more onerous than those imposed by the cessions OF
0r Nnrth oil h.an irIa ,f..r
ment of 1902, satisfactory to the parties when
| executed, and were universally approved by the
| people OF the United States Nor is it worth while
to inquire why the want of patriotism and generosi-
y Is aedged against Georgia for asking equiv aents
tor her cession of territory, similar to those de-
manded by, and yielded to other states, whose
| conduct Is not censired. The author of the Re-
view says that Georgia, when making the cession
received an ample cguipaient.'' BY subsequent
statements, il appears thar the Reviewer means
she has since received an ample equivalent, that
| an ample equivalent stipulated 10 be paid In
1902, Georgia received nothing but promises; first,
promise OF The payment of $ ,250 900 out of the
frs receipts from the lands; IDLY. The extingus-
ment OF the Creek and Cherokee title TO lands
pied by them as hunting grounds in the state. The
first promise has been complied with fully; the
cond, partially. 100000 of acres have been
freed from the Indians; 10, 900 900 remain occupied
by those tribes; about half that qn.ntity is TO be
ao: ndoned by the Creeks, under tb,. Treaty of the
Indian Springs. Adopting the statement from
the War Department, of 1924 the cost of the
Convention of 1902 TO the u. States, is said to be
nearly 900 900 of dollars The gross errors of ibis
statement were exposed by committee of Congress.
Ihe public will make proper estimate of il, when
reminded, that, to make out this large sum, pro-
perty which cost 25, 900 dollars, was charged in the
account = ,2l9, 1877 So Estimated uaiue was
substituted for actual cost, in order to prejudice
the public mind the subject of the convention of
1902. This, however is the sin Of the War De-
partment. The Reviewer having only adopted the
statement upon the authority OF Mr.. Calhoun, who,
1t Is 10 be hoped, read it without examinations and
transmitted 1t TO Congress on the credit of the Clerk
who made 1t out. The cession of Alabama and
Mississippi has not cost the U. States single cent,
Not dollar has been paid from the public Treasury
under that convention, which was not previously
received into it from the proceeds of the property
ceded. The Treasury has now large surplus the
amount of which is daily augmenting by payments
tor lands already sold and by the sale OF lands. The
final profit to the United States, after the com
plete fuhment of all their engagements to Geor-
gs, according TO the pretensons of that State will
exceed : 60 200, O00--(See Report of Committee
OF Congress, doc't. IO9, OF the lst session, 18th
Congress, page 4. The extracts which follow,
taken from pages l7s, 179, of the Review, afford
an admirable illustration of the dccurdcy of the
reviewer. Fira extract" In 1914, CATER the
Creek war; articles of agreement were conclud-
ed with the whole nation, including the hostile
party, by which peace was restored, certain
portion OF Indian territory ceded and in the second
article the United States guarantee the integrity
OF all the Creek territory not coded in the first
article
In the conference with General Jackson at Fort
jackson, in 1914, there was not single hostile
Chef present, at least such is the information
communicated to Congress by the letter of Col.
Hawkins, of the LIST of Aug. 1915, to the acting
Secretary OF War, &. Graham-(see doct IOI, of