Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-07-04
CONGRESSIONAL.
On the tate Creek Treaty.

United States and the Creek nation Of Indians, wa.
taken up;
:" Both of which shall be paid TO the Chief.
oil the Creek nation, to be divided among the Chiefs
and Warriors OF the said nation; and tina. the same
be done under the dir ection of the Secretayof War
in full council othe natio., convened upon notice
Tor that purpose. -
/ On This subject, debate arose.
| Mr.. Foryih, believing that the amendment, as
| modified by the Committee OF Conference, would
not answer lis Intended purpose, made speech OF
considerable extent, in the of which lie pro
! posed to amend the amendment as reported; but
the Chair pronouncing such motion out of order,
be then insisted that the House should dissent from
the amendment. A report of his remarks is in
preparation, and will be given separately, here
| after
| Mr.. Dwight observed, in reply 10 Mr. F. tina,
the House was now, in effect, debating whether il
would carry into effect treaty, consti,u,ionally
made by the President of the United States, and
whether it would would not invade the limits of
the freaty-making power. The Senate had made
an amendment to the bill nj first proposed, which
! required that the money paid under the treaty 10
the Creek Delegation in this city, should be ds,ri-
buted 10 the nation annuities distributed: but
the treaty said that the money 10 be paid TO the
chiefs and warriors; and the Senate had no power
TO say that the money should be paid per CAPITA to
all the members of the nation, in the manner that
well that they could not violate the treaty. II was
therefore proposed by the House, that the money
should be paid in full council, 10 the members OF
the Creek natop not on the principle OF annulties
but on that OF the treaty. The treaty could not
be altered by Congress; and the to carry it into
effect must conform its provisions; but instead OF
! paying the money here, when its operation would
be to corrupt the Delegation, and 10 de.Iaud the
body OF the nation, it proposed that it should
he in ba mid. of u. do
notice given, that they might convene to re-
ceve H. The honorable gentleman from Georgia
thinks that the amendment will not effect this
OBJECT. / of different opinion; but we
agree perfectly to the justice of securing the pay
ment OF the money to those for whom il is intended
The gentleman supposes that the Senate will adj =
here to its amendment, but they appointed Com
miitee OF Conference; and when tina, committee got
the ultimaium of The House, they reported it TO the
Senate, and The Senate, by large majority agreed
TO accept OF it. If we shall reject the report,
we shall reject the proposition OF conferees,
20 which the Senate have acceded.
/ There may have been, as the gentleman believes,
a stupendous fraud contemplated. | am not in
full possession of the facts OF the case. Ii does
not however, appear 10 me so very surprising,
/ that two Indians, not themselves members OF the
| Creek but OF the Cherokee nation, should demand
TO be psd for performing the duties Of diplomacy
| for the Creeks. They are educated men, compe-
tent to perform those duties, and they have per
formed them. Have they not right to ask COM
! pensaiion? What is the nature and extent of the
evidence oil this s,Gpendous fraud? do confess,
that, some other points connected with this at
fair, my mind misgves me; but as 10 these Chero-
kee sgents, did not our own diplomatic agents re-
ceve 600 for heir services on MISSION 10
make treaty? and have these agents of the Creek
nation no right TO stpulate for $4,000? When
the Secretary was urgued TO give a douceur 10
Ridge s. Vann, he rejected the suggestion, as pro-
posing a dishonorable course and afterwards ,
when the chiefs had been assembled at his request,
he made speech TO them, dissuading them from
their intended disposition Of the money. There
no circumstances oil conccalment in the CASE
The honorable gentleman 10 suppose that
there was diScOUeTY--tIat the Senate, by acci-
dent discovered the true state of the matter but
the House has heard that the Secretary, 30 far from
having any pIon or purpose of any clandes'ine ar
rangement, disclosed The whole OF the facts TO the
Chairman of the Committee Of his House on Indian
Affairs; and this before the ratification of the treaty
by the Senate.
| when the Indians applied 10 him to make tie
division Of the money among them, according TO
schedule furnished, he told them expressly, be had
no power to DO any such thing, and referred them
TO the third article of the treaty, in support Of the
declaration. Here was nothing but tie most open
and upright conduct.
Ii the House shall refuse the report OF The Com
mitiee of Conference, the appropriation must of
course, fall, and the treaty with IL; but, if the
! House shall assent TO it, as the Senate has already
done, the money Will be sent, and the treaty will
| be carried into effect.
Mr.. WickGe, Of Ken. agreed in the opinion,
that the Secretary of Wa was not chargeable with
any improper conduct in the conducting Of this az
fair; but stated facts, which went TO show, that
there had been concealment and unfair dealing on
the part of Ridge and Yam, the proposal made
by them for division of the money, according to
a certain list submitted by them to the Secretary,
was a matter of surprise 10 Opofhleyoholo, the
principal Creek Chief, when he was told Of it; and
he declared that il had been done without bis know
ledge.
Mfr Cooke (ChaiIman Of The Committee on In
dian Affairs) confirmed the statement made by Mr..
Dwight, and stated the circumstances oil the inter-
view he had with the Secretary before the con6r-
nation OF the treaty by the Senate, which inter-
view the Secretary had fully informed him Of the
facts now referred to.
Mr.. Cook, adyerting 10 ME late period Of the
session, and the few hours no~slelG Tor business,
together with the mass olimporant matters which
claimed the attention of the House, moved the
previous question.
= The motion was not sustained by the House.
Mr. Burgess, OF II. I. went into a vindicaton OF
the conduct Of the War Department, in the several
stages of the treaty negoation and denied al! pur-
pose Of cosceament or indiTectIon.
MI Cu,hbe1i, Of Georgia, said, that wereit even
| his inclination, the state OF his health would not
] permit him. at this time, 10 address the House
otherwise than with extreme breviiy and he should
be believed, when he said, that strong sense o
duty only could urge him to rising on this oc
casion.
For more than year past, (said hc,) violeD
and uncessing torrent Of abuse has been poured of