Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1825-06-09
CREEK INDIANS.

treaty for their land, they would not
make war upon the whites, nor would
they shed a drop ofthe blood Of those
who should be sent to take their land
from them; that if they were turned out
of their houses, they would die at the
corner Of their fences, to manure the
soil, rather than they would abandon
the land of their forefathers A report
prevailed in Milledgeville, on the 18th
inst. that a great council oil the Indians
was about to be held, to deliberate on
the propriety Recommending hostilities
against the party among them favorable
to the treaty; and il was thought that a
civil war would ensue.-The legislature
of Georgia which had been convened
TO hold an extra session, was expected
TO put a stop for the present to the sur
vey OF the lands coded by the Indians
which had been ordered by proclama-
ton of governor Troup.
rbe editor of the Charleston Courier
obseryes:-"However shocking to a
sensitive mind may seem the summary
vengeance inflicted by the Creek In
dams on General M'Intosh and another
Chief, who had aided him in the trans
fer ofthe Indian lands, yet it can be
regarded, where it is correctly under
stood, in no other light than an act of
penal justice, required and sanctioned
by the law which governs the Creek
nation. The Creeks are in a good
measure. civilized; they are losing the
character of the hunter in that of the
agriculturalist-they have partially civil
lized towns, which are represented each
by n Chiefin the general council, and
of these Chiefs, there are thirty six. 1t
has been always required that a MAORI
ty of these should sign any contract for
the alienation of the Creek territory;
but laterly, SO hostile are these people
TO any further sales, that the punishment
of death has been enacted against any
Chief who should propose such a mea-
sure. OF these important and vital re-
gulations, MIntosh must have been a
ware-and yet, he not only advocated
the surrender of the land which is to go
TO the State Of Gecrgia-but signed the
deed, conveying it away, in company
with n Chief only-the other sigma
lures to the treaty being, it is said, those
oil persons entirely unauthorized.
-Now,i if these be the real facts of the
case, who is there that can feel any
sympathy for the ruin Of the b~etrayer
ofhis nation-of the man, whe appears
TO have been more civilized, only tt be-
come more treacherous; and whose no.
nors, Won by serving our country, do
not redeem his disgrace in the sacrifice
OF his o,un. If these facts be SO, who
does not pity an exiled people torn up
by the roots from their domestic soil,
and driven like leaves of the forest,
westward towards the grave of the sun
and that too under his auspices, in
whom chiefly they conided.
The affair of the killing OF M'TNrosH,
be it iu~stiiable not, is not cognizable
by the Government of the United States.
They have only to look to the treaty.
If executed by competent authority IN
the part of the Indians, it must be en-
unless an enlightened and liberal
policy should rather make a great Pc
cuniary sacrifice to the State of Gcor-
gia-than cover the Indian soil with the
bones of slaughtered Indians. If, on
the other hand, the treaty, asst is alledg-
ed, was executed by incomp etent au-
the whole matter is re -opened
for consultation and peace"
THE CREEK INDIANS.-Many
best informed editors in the I'm
ion, have taken up the cause of the I'M
fortunate Creeks, and unite 10 the SEN
iment of reprobation expressed by a
in the essay published a few days
ago. To elicit all the information pos
sible on this very interesting subject,
we shall endeayeur TO give the state
and argum ents adduced BY the
great c~ontending parties, as they
may appear, being convinced that the
people on all matters of national policy
will Judge rightly when the means are
Afforded to fairly estimate the merits
subject. 1t will be easily seen
that the following paragraphs, are from
a source not very friendly to the rights
the Indians:
MILLEnGEvlLLE, May1z.
In the newspaper published at Mont
gomery in the state of Alabama, we find
what i. called the Indian official ac-
count" of the murder of M'lntosh and
Sin compliance, as it said, with
laws that the great Chiefs ofthe Ma
ton made at Pole Cat Springs" We