Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-08-18

diced and unimpasIoned. They were made
after the principal business of the Council had
been brought to close, and in the presence
ofmany of the respectable citizens of Pike
county. Convinced ofthe proprietv Of all my
duties with the Indians being performed in
open dan and in the presence Of as many as
would attic nd, of all states and Of all colois;
took care that the certificate should be taken
and examined in presence Of the Council and
all others who had seen fit to attend. l had
no secret projects to promote, nor any 'tse-
cret g.iefs" to remedy, or secret hopes to
CRAFTY, and consequently had no occasion for
separating the Chiefs, or for secret examina-
tons. The certificate was written as it was
dictated, as l believe word for word, By my
Aid-de-camp Lieut.. f. George Washington
Butler, a young officer of accomplished mill.
tary education and talents, with unbending
integrity and spotless honor; and who is as in
capable of giving countenance to trick or
misrepresentation as was the beloved father
of his country with whose name he is honor
ed, and whose patriotism and virtue he con.
stantly and scrupulously initiates.
Having thus explained TO you the me ms
employed to obtain the certificate in question,
for which hold myself responsible; have
now to remark that, although nefer enter.
tanned doubt but you were deceived into
belief that Gen Mlntosh had consulted the
few Chiefs of his party, and had obtained their
assent in Council, to the immediate survey OF
the coded land; yet have found no satisfac-
tory evidence of any such Council Consisting
of the Chiefs of the ceded territory, having
ever acted at all upon the subject. And it is
apparent from M'Intosh's letters, "no matter
how procured" q will offer no apology for
making use of your Excellcncy's pregnant
phrase or by whom written, that he himself
considered the permission to surveyas merely
conditional. But contend that neither Gen.
M'Intosh nor his vassal Chiefs had any right
to give such permission, for the treaty, "no
matter how procured" had become law Of
the land:-its provisions could not, therefore,
be changed or rendered imperative by any
correspondence or any subsequent agreement
between your Excellency and any part or the
whole of the individuals of one OF the contract
ing parties, without the consent of the other.
The treaty makes it our duty to protect the In
dams against the whites and all others. To
protect them from the whites, it is necessary
and proper that we should maintain the usual
line of demarcation between them and the
whites. am charged with their protection.
TO accomplish this important duty, my first
object has been to take effectual measures to
prevent all intercourse between them and the
whites, excepting only such as is sanctioned
by the laws of the United States.
You say 81 very well know that from the
late events which have TRANSFERRED under the
eyes of the Commissioners of Georgia, that
the oath Of a Governor of Georgia may be per-
mitted to pass for nothing, and that any vag:.-
bond of the Indian country may be put in re-
QUESTION TO discredit him; but assure You, sir,
If that oath should not weigh single feather
with your Government, it will weigh with the
people of this state, who. so far as ! have
knowledge of their history, have never yet re.
fused credence to the word OF their Chief
Magistrate"
To this apparently very serious, but certain
ly very vague charge, | cannot undertake to
reply until YOU do me the favor to give IRE
some specification of the matters OF fact to
which you have reference. Twill, however,
take this occasion to remark, that whatever
statements you may have received in support
of the insinuation apparently contained in your
letter, that have called in question, or ever
put any person in rcquisition to call in ques.
ton, the oath, or the word, of Governor of
Georgia, during his continuance in Office, is
wholly destitute of truth. Ihave indeed be-
lieved, and have expressed to you my belief,
that you have been greatly deceived by per-
SONS in whose honor you placed reliance, but
who were unworthy ofyour confidence.
But am by no means. disposed to yield
even my tacit assent to the high toned rule OF
English law which your remarks just now
quoted call to mind, that s'thc Kingcan do no
wrong" Truth is divine attribute and the
foundation of every virtue. "1'ruth is the
basis of all excellence" This inestimable
moral treasure, truth, is to be found in the
cottage as well as IN the palace, at the plough
as well as at the official bureau Of state.-Many
of the unfortunate wanderers of the wilder
ness & its borders are as firm votaries OF truth
as any men have ever known. Some OF
them who have been unfortunate, and whose
regard to truth and honesty induced them to
give u the last dollar Justly due to their Gre
ditors, had they regarded money q little more
and truth little less, might have fAted juH
handed and now instead of being reduced to
the condition of despised poverty, would wan
ton in the lux,lries of plundered wealth. !. IS
no longer possible in America to make free.
men believe that fhe King Cor he ,ct0 gor'
erns can dono ,rong."
The enlightened citizens of the republic,
having long since found it frIitless to look for
angels in the form of men to govern them'
know fall well how to discriminate between
the high office, and the man who fills it. Your
excellency, will, doubt not, always receive
degree Of respect proportioned at least TO
that which you are wont to bestow on other
men in Office: more than this could not be ex'
pected-lcss than this would not be just
That great part of the citizens of Georgia
are magnanimous, just generous and chlvaI,
ric, well know-and that they are disposed
to do justice to their chief magistrate am
equally convinced; nor can doubt that they
will do equal justise to the U. S. as well as
to their state officers. rely upon the WIS
dom and justice and patriotism of at least rii'e
tenths of those with whom have the pleasure
of an acquaintance-many of whom are cult,
vators ofthe land, to which class, in this and
every other state of the republic, look up
with confident pleasure and pride, as they
form the adamantine pillars of the UNION; q