Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-06-30

tios,s" OF the Greek Delegation towards them
(Ridge and vann and no others) and without any
application in their favor By the Creek Delegation,
agreed to pay the applicants Ridge and Vann
$4,000 each in lieu of reservations. 1t does not
appear ha, the Secretary even waited TO ascertain
whether Ridge and Yann had truly stated the g in
tentions', of the Creek Delegation, much less,
tha, the Delegation {" afterwards confined their
efforts TO benefit those individuals by distribution
of money!" Ridge and Vann accomplished their
purpose Of securing $4,000 by their simple
statement without one effort or so much as re-
quest from the Creek Delegation. How disinSenu-
Gus then is the attempt to make 1t appear, that the
douceur TO the Cherokees was forced on The Secre-
tary of War by the efforts or opportunities OF the
Creek Delegation?
The Secretary of War says, although he was adj
vsed to approach the influential Chiefs with secret
gra,uities justified it was urged by the usaSes oil
the Government, he perenptorily refused 10 DO So
s determined, tina, whatever was given as the price
of the land should appear, on the face OF the treaty
But the Secretary knew before the treaty was rati
fed, of the intention OF the Delegation to divide
the money between themselves, the CheroHees ana
few Others yet did not divulge 1t until officially
called on for information that point, after the
confirmation of the treaty, when discovery oil
the intended fraud was made by accident. The
Secretary then evidently felt the aukwaidness oil
his situation, from hch, his call on the otlcer
experimenting the Bureau OF Indian Affairs has
not in the least relieved him-that oihcer showing
no disposition to shoulder any responsibility that
did not properly belong to him. Ii would require
nicer casuist than the Secretary to define the
difference in principle between giving oribe in
gross, with perfect knowledge of the manner in
which it was afterwards 10 be sub divided among
few defraud OF the many, and the giving TO
each one of the party bribed distinct sum.
Our readers will naturally enough enquire, where
was the tho.ough-gong confidential friend OF the
Clark party, that watchful Guardian OF The Greek
Nations rights, the Agent Crow ell, while this
scheme of atrocious villany was maturrs: Aye,
where was he? We stated in a late paper that this
Agent, with the Cherokees Ridge and Yam, went
along with the Creek Deputation to Washington
and stuck close to them there, to " keep them
straight in their opposition TO the old treaty.
But Ridge and Vann did not labour for nothing
! Their services were required-they were album
dainty paid for their vigilance IN keeping The De
legation q" straight" How faithful they were
to their trust, may be inferred from the fact, that
the Secretary of War, Notwithstanding his anxious
wish to maintain the old treaty., could not with
hold from them the reward of their merit and who
can blame him, " hen il was only the pititul sum
| OF ten thousand dollars? g" Not so small a sun,
either" says one of close-fsted readers
&C Ten Thousand dollars is no small sum TO be given
to two Cherokee scoundrels. 1t is more than
twenty Of my honest hard-w orking neighbcrs get
for their years crops in clear money when cotton
is at cents pound.'' True, gentle reader,
but remember that through the influence and watch
funess of these herokees, the Creek Delegation
were kept " straight" and steadfast in their OPP
| position to tue old treaty, which made 1t necessa-
| ny 10 form new one annulling the first-remem-
Der, that the invalidaion OF the old treaty
cessary for the justification of President Adams
and his Secretary of War it palliated their mis-
conduct in retaining Crowell in Office counte-
nancing the insolence of Andrews and Ganes--in
arraying military force, on our borders 10 awe us
into submission-in iorbdding The survey of our
lands-that it justified, TO certain extent, the
murder of McIntosh and the neglect of his friends
| by Government-that it was &c thorn in Troup's
side," and might help the Clark party in George,
the old Federal party-the friends OF the elder
Adams, and not unfriendly the younger one.
Remember all this, and then say, whether the
boon often thousand dollars TO Ridge and Vaun
was more than they deserved he hands of the
Administration. tJiiilSdgeUile recorder