Massachusetts spy and Worcester advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1823-1825, 1825-06-08
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From the South Carolina State Gazette
CREEK INDIANS.

MURDER OF General MlptOsh, one OF the
principal Chiefs of the Creek Indians,
by about 400 warriors of his own ma
ton. When all the facts relating to
this subject shall be known to the peo-
pie of the United States, ! think they
will be of opinion, that M'Intosh was
not murdered but rather that he has
been duly executed, according to the
known laws and usages of the nation to
which he belonged.
From the time of President Washing
ton to the present day, the government
of the United States have been endeav-
oring to impress on the Indian tribes
| the great. benefits that would arise
from settled, instead of roaming life !;
and from an attention to separate prop
erty, the arts Of agriculture. and the
habits Of civilization Year after year
has this been urged upon them (the
Greeks acknowledgements on the
part of Government have been appoint
ed to live among them, and to further
these desirable and benevolent views
The Creek Indians have been made
fully sensible of the advantages of civ
ilization, and were improving very fast
in conformity to the views of govern
ment. Having so recently given up to
the United States more than one-half of
their inheritance, comprising the best
portion of their lands-and that, with
out any other consideration but guaranty
for The quiet enjoyment of the residue
the Creek nation was very reasonably
and very decidedly averse to listen to
any proposal for parting with more Of
their territory. They have long been
keeping in view the further progress
of their improvement in the arts of
peace, and the habits of rural life, and
the extension of their race bred up in
those habits. They are people at
this time alive to the improvement of
their land by cultivation, and they pay
great attention TO the increase of their
focks and herds. The habits of savag-
es and of hunters are fast wearing
away among them. With these acquir-
ed notions, sedulously promoted by our
government, they have become sensi-
BILE of the value of property they dis
incline to part with any more of their
lands; meaning hereafter to occupy
them as cultivators of the soil, instead
of wandering over them as hunters.
And who can blame them for this de-
termination ? Can we, the people of
the United States, who have encourae-
ed and advised them to do it?
| The Creek nation was originally
formed of three or four tribes, fortui-
tously thrown together; but they have
for some centuries composed one polit-
ical body, governed by the same laws
and usages. The population of the
Creeks is contained in about SO towns
or representative districts. Each of
these is governed at home, and is rep
resented in their national councils and
assemblies, by chief known to and
acknowledged in that capacity by the
whole nation.-To render valid any
national act, OF to pass away any part
of the national territory, majority OF
these confederated districts must con-
sent by means of their chiefs; by whom
the deed of transfer must be duly signed.
This is the known and long practised
law of this nation of Indians and Gen.
M'Intosh well knew it.
M'lntosh. nearly white man him
self, and rather an agent of the white
people, whose manners he affected,
than an Indian either in his outward de-
pertinent or his propensities, undertook
10 obtain the cession of lands from the
Creeks to the United States in favor OF
Georgia. But the Creeks had already
passed law, according to their forms,
making it death for any Chief to pro-
pose an alienation of any more of their
national lands, as being inconsistent with
their views of agricultural settlement,
and destructive TO the interest of their
posterity. Accordingly, when M'Intosh
proposed this interchange, which was
to drive whole nation of men, women
and children from the land and the hab-
ltation of their forefathers, and leave
the bones of their immediate ancestors
to be ploughed up by strangers--not
more than four or five out of the thirty
six districts were represented at the
proposed treaty, the other chiefs refus-
ing to attend. The treaty so entered
into (Which was on the 18th of Febru-
AIRY, 1895, instead of being signed by a
majority Of the chiefs Of the six-and-
thirty towns Of the Creek nation, was
signed by M'In,osh and Eion.e Tustan-
nuggee, the old Coweata Chief, aud by
them alone. These were the Only per-
sons entitled TO be considered as Chiefs
or representatives of the Creek nation
the other signers were not representa-
tive Chiefs, but men of straw, created
on the spot by M'lutosh, for the express