The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1825-08-24

Oiitdiu ny tbS uuittQ dEuis duu tlSds~
ure ofshe colonies, and ceded TO the u
nited States when their independence
was acknowledged by the treaty of Par
is" After the close of the revolutiona-
ry war. all the other States relinquished
their back lands 10 the United States
but Georgia retained hers until 1902.
We ought here TO remark Gas an act of
JUSTICE that in 1875, her Legislature
sold large portion of these lands, lying
on the Yazoo river, said TO contain
twenty-five millions Of acres, to COM
pany who again sold to other purchasers.
The succeeding year, the Legislature de-
.Glared the sale unconstitutional, declared
it to be void. and ordered all the records
to be burnt.
Things remained in this situation till
The 24lh of April, 1902, when the Con
yeniion was formed between the United
States and Georgia, under which the lat
ter now claims an extinguishment of
the Indian title within her territorial
limits. BY this agreement, Georgia
cedes TO the United States all her right,
title, and claim TO the jurisdiction and
soil of The lands west of her present
western boundary; 10 wit, Alabama and
Mississippi. In consideration of this ces-
sion, the United States agreed TO pay to
Georgia 1850 600 dollars, out of the
FIRST net proceeds Of the sales of the
lands. After this payment should be
made, the balance of land was to be con-
sidered common fund of the United
States, Georgia ibcIuded.-And it was
further agreed between the contracting
parties, $ that the United States shall at
their ozpn expense. ertingeish- for the use
Of Georgia, as early as TIE same can be
peaceebiy obtained on reasonable terms
the Indian title 10 ali the lands IN the
State OF Georgia.
Accordingly, on the 10th of June of
the same year, 1902, a treaty of Liraits
was negotiated near Fort Wilkinson, by
viii the Greeks coded TO the Ualied
States large tract of their land, which
was afterwards coded by tnem 10 Geor-
gia, aud which forms the southwest part
Of the State.
On the l4th Of November, 1905, an
other treaty was negotiated at the city
of Washington by General Dearborn,
by which the Creeks ceded another
large tract of their land to the United
States, for which the latter agreed to
pay to the Greeks annually for eight
years 10000 dollars, and annually for
len years II 900 dollars.
On the 9th Of August, 1914. another
treaty was negotiated by General Jack
aon a; Fort Jackson, by whicffthe Creeks
coded to the United States all their claim
10 the tract of land lying south of the
parallel of 80 So, ADD including more
than IL 900 square miles. The Creeks
now own about 900 square miles, lying
between the Flint and Cha;anouchee
rivers. This they refuse to sell, and
claim that The articles entered iDto by
General Jackson embraced the whole
nahon, the hostile as well as friendly.
and that, in the 81 article, the Uaited
States guarantee the integrity of all the
Creek territory MOI coded in he first ar.
ticle. This treaty the Greeks consider
ed q settling the boundaries within
which they were to reside, and attempt
TO cultivate The arts OF civilized life, ac-
coTding TO the original treaty with our
gov rnment In accordance with this
view of the subject, they shortly after
passed laws, making i; capital crime
for any individual of their nation to pro-
: pose any further alienation oftheir lands
By virtue of their treaties with The
United States, the Creeks were guaran-
teed in the possession of their lands,
and encouraged to abandon The hunter
state. for the cultivation of the soil, aud
Of the arts of civilized life. @The eyer
tons which had been made TO civilize
them had been TO very encouraging
degree successful. They had begun
tc put on the character of civilized
people. and to enjoy the change, when
Governor Troup became the Governor
Of Georgia. No sooner was he elected
to the chair Of state, than he commence
ed operations hostile TO the peace of The
Creeks; not indeed against the Creeks
directly, but Indirectly by attacking the
government of the United States, ard
exciting discontents 10 the GeorgiaDs,
because the United States had not re-
deemed all the Indian lands within the
State. Their complaints were made on
the ground of the Convention of 1902,
by which we have already seen, that
the United States coyenanted with Geor-
gia 10 redeem such lands, only when it
could be done peaceahly with the In
dams, and At fair price. To this con-
tract the Creeks were not pary y, and
therefore, were laid under no obligation
to cede their lands TO the United States
at all, and if they had negerceded foot
ofthem, Georgia could not have justly
complained, after having sold her west