Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-08-16

Mesers Jones and lo.rance) departed from orr tt
Mitchell on the evening Of the 27ih foi lewiss,
Line Creek and Montgomery, for the purpose oil Is
OF procuring the testimony of certain wilsesses at
those places Ties baS ing accomplished that object Il
so lar "a hey were enabled to do, returned and joined
the Commissioners at CrabIrees on Sunday the Sd
INST Having been informed on that morning hat Mr. [
Kendall Lewis, 10 whom had propounded Ger i
tain heterogeneous, o. the day before in writing,
Gard " no lad at his request been allow ed short
time 10 draft his answors) had refused answer
them at al and had also lett the neigbborEood Tor
his residence we determined inform Gen. Gaines
OF the same, and reques, of him order, whereby
sir. Lewis might again be brought 10 Fort Mitchell
10 testify. This done on the 18th inst. (sce NO.
Ply In that communication you will observe, that
we cautiously avoided the OF any language, the
len calculated % interrupt the very iriendy feeling
manifested towards the Government of Geogia and
her Commissioners by Ger. Games, SHORTY after
their arrival n, Fort Mitchell. We sought only to
correct what we considered mistake made by the
General, through tis aid, doubtless unnientional--
to request the order for Lewis, and copy copies
OF the Talks TO, and from the Indians How Tar
that communication authorized the reply we re
ceived, forbiddug further correspondence with the
United States Mission, then In the Creek Nation,
touching The objects ct the disturbances therein your
ExcelleDcy will readily determine. Whether the |
! Spread agent was included in that Mission, we
| know not but suppose that he was; and that our
correspondence may have been closed under feel
| ing produced BY your EXcellency's noe To one OF
lorrs'nters Major Andrews) bearing date the
| On the evening Of the ~
the Counsel Tor Col Grow ell, would pro- eed the
next morning at about the hour of o'clock, to
tdke the examination OF William Hambly, Che
Interpreter.) In pursuance of the notice, we at
tended at the time and place designated When
we arrived we informed that they not
ready, but would he in short time. After we had
been there about hour, informed that
tb... 81,
HamblY To cur surprise, we found that the whole
OF the testimony the Interpreter had been COM
mtted to paper by Colonel Crowell's ounsel,
before were called in. 1t was read To him by
the Counsellor ofihe Agent, who stated 10 the Wit
nessheiore he began that he oud read his tes;i
mony, again, slowly and diS;incty-ue did so: and
then said, Mr. Hamby, g have read over the tes-
timony slowly and disnctly --indeed no, once but
two or three times-and You can say il any thing
Is wrCng'--The witness said all was right, and
then svore 20 the statements he had heard read as
true: such course we considered very unlike what
Is termed an examination. Having heard tletes-
timony of Mr.. Hanby, we determined .. once
not 10 cro- inerrogate him; his evidence 49,
mainly coniinedto points affecting the where
by the late Indian Treaty was Obtained, and at
tempting by selection OF statements, that We be-
lieSed to be wholly false and unworthy of credit to
deaine the fair character of he u. S Commissioners
and every person connected with them in their du-
ties as such. Such testimony, if from respectable
characters for truth, might be considered important
ii the Government of the u. States were prosecu-
ting an enquiry by her Special Agent whether or
not a fraud had been committed upon that Govern
mcnrby her Commissioners. Such an opinion we
could lot Tor moment entertain
u perusal OF the testimony OF Mr.. Haulbly would
convince you in moment of the correctness of the
opinion we hold in relation to his vegacty. He
has furnished abundant matter for the remark
You will see from Col Crowell's letter of the
2Sthu!t. (No. l0) to two of the Commissioners,
that he complains OF unfairness in our conduct for
having given him notice that we should proceed to
take testimony at some distance from Broken
Arrow, during the sitting of the Indian Council,
because says he, 50 1t was of much importance that
were not s tSs eGq 70 fe S9m
Council; and wherefore it could have been of
g much Importance" for an officer OF the General
Government TO be present, who was then suspended
rom the functions OF his Office is for him TO explain
We mad distinctly heard in public from Gen Gaines
'ha' IL was his wish that no white man should hold
any talk with the Indians until lie was done with
them From the course pursued by the Agent AZ
That council and his permission 10 do so for the
OMISSION TO prohibit him ,0as pe,nissio,.) his sus
/ pension was pure y nominal ii was mere mockerv
| we have no doubt but that his free admission into
he Indian Councils aided and assist ed by hi former
Sub-Agent, Mr.. Walker gave to him quite as much
influence over the minds OF the Indians as he ever
exercised in the days of his utmost prosperity and
authority.
How well the Indians adhered 10 the instructions
oil lien. daines IN not receiving talks from white
men, you can determine, when YOU exanie the
written reply made by them to him as oificial-I,
that document you will observe that they speak of
the . usages OF The u. Sates-oi her constitution
and the principles by which she is governed. .
Truly savage production.
Upon the subject OF a law, which the hostile
party allege that Mcintosh violated, and vhicllc1
to ms death, you referred the report of Nessrs
JourCian and williamson. We have no doub, from |
the very many contradictory stories that we have |
he'rd IN the Nation, touching the origin s. enactment
OF such a law that no such, known among |
'he creeks; we are confirmed in this opinion by the
reply of Gen Gaines 10 the friendly Chiefs At the
indian Springs OH the ooh ult. If we are correct
~ informed upon that point, he there stated that he
had read their laws and was gratifed to find none
30 sahgGlnary as that alledged by their enemies 10 |
exist under color OF which it has been stated that
the murder of Mcintosh was perpetrated
lhe Chiefs in Council did not pretend that thew
had any such law reduced to record. white
man VINO informed one OF the Commissioner s that he
i'h resided IN the Nation 20 or 30 years, stated
mat ne knew OF no such law. The very manner
III "hIch these unfortunate men were put to death
proves that the Indians did not execute them for
having violated any law. We believe that when
II becomes necessary TO enforce such sanguinarv
euc's upon any OF that tribe, the culprit is arrested
anu conducted TO some town or public square in the
Nauoh, and there undergoes a species of trial;
sentence OF death is then pronounced: the accused
~ thereupon publicly put TO death by shooting
iioW' unlike sucn procedure was the foul |
murder OF Mcintosh and his friends: his house
was surrounded at the dead hour ofnjght and set m
fire by band oflawless assassns, and there encir
cied by the scorching flames produced by the con-
Migration of his oyn mansion was I've irbu,oarI )