Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-04-26
u the Ssnnts of the United States:

To the Senate of the United States:
WAsHINeToN, Slst January, 1926.
I transmit, herewith to the Senate, Tor theii
consideration, and advice with regard to IT'S ra'
ti6catiop Treaty, concluded by the Secretary
of WAR, duly authorised thereto, with the ChieiS
and Headmen Of the Greek Nation, dePuted by
them, and now in this city.
1. has been agreed upon, and is presented to
the consideration Of the Senate, as substitute
for the treaty signed at the Indian Springs on
the I2,h of February last The circumstances
under which this received, OH the Sd OF March
last. YOUR advice and consent TO It's ratihcauon
are known 10 you. 1t was transmitted TO me
from the Senate on the 5th March, and ratihcd
in full confidence, yielded 10 the advice and con.
sent of the Senate, under firm belief founded
ON the Journal of the Commissioners OF the u
nited States, and on the express statements IN
the letter OF one of them OF the 10th February,
10 the then Secretary Of War, that 1t had been
concluded with large majority OF the Chiefs
of the Greek nation, and with reasonable pros
pect of immediate acquiescence by the remain
der. This expectation has not merely been dis
Amounted. The first measures Tor carrying the
treaty into execution had scarcely been taken,
when the TWO principal chiefs who had signed
il. fell victims 10 the evaporation OF tie great
mass of the nation, aSd sheir families and de-
pcndents, far Ii ON being able to execute the en-
paeements on their part fed for lite, safety and
subsistence from the territories which they had
assumed 10 cede, 10 our own. Yet, IN this iu-
ritive condition, and whilst subsloting on the
bounty of the United States, they have been
found advancing pretensions to receive eXclu-
sivelv 20 themselves, the whole of the sums
4 -.
stipulated by the Commissioners OF the United
States, in payment for all the lands OF the Creek
nation which were coded by the terms OF the
treaty. And they have claimed the stipulation
of the eighth article, that the United States
would "profect the emigraung party against the
encroachmen,s, hostility, and impositionS oil the
whites, and of all others as an engagement by
which the United States were bound 10 become
the instruments of their vengeance, and to IN
fict upon the majority OF the Creek nation the
punishment of Indian retriRutpn, to crafty the
vindinctive fury OF an lrhpotent and helpless
minority of their own tribe.
In this state of things, the question is not,
whether the treaty Of the 18th oil 'Februa"y last,
shall or shall not be executed. 30 lar as the
United States were, or could be bound by IL,
have been anxiously DESTROYS OF carrying 1t m
10 execution But, like other treaties, It's iui-
flment depends upon the will, not OF one, out
of both the parties 10 1t. he parties on 'he
face Of the treaty are, the United States ana 'he
Creek nation; and, however deslrous one OF
them may be to give 1t effect, TINS WISH must
nrove abortive, while the other party refuses TO
perform its stipulations, and disaVows It's ool-
cations. By the refusal OF the Creek nation
to perform their part OF the treaty, the ohi'ea
States are absolved from all its engagements on
their part and The alternative lett them Is, ell
Their TO resort TO measures OF war, 10 secure oy
force the adj, antages stipulated TO them III the
treaty, or 10 attempt the adjustment OF the IN
tcresl by new compact. In the preference
dictated by the nature OF our institutions, and
by the sentiments Of justice and humanity which
The occasion requires, for measures OF peace,
The treaty herewith transmitted has been con-
cluded, and is submitted TO the decision OF the
Senate. After exhausting every effort IN our
mower to obtain the acqulescence oil the creek
nation, TO the treaty OF the 18th OF February,
entertained, for some time, the hope that their
assent might at least have been given TO new
treaty, by which all their lands within the state
of Georgia should have been coded. lbls has
also proved impracticable; and, although the
excepted portion is Of comparatively small
amount and importance, | have assented to lis
exception, so lar as TO place II before inc senate,
only from conviction, that, between ii and a
resort TO the foreibe expulsion Of the Greeks
from their ba5itauons and lands within the
State of Georgia, there was no middle term.
The depu,ation with which the treaty has
been concluded consists OF the principal Chiefs
of the Nation, able not only to negotiate, but to
carry into effect the stipulations to which they
have agreed. There is deputaton also here
from the small party which undertook to con-
tract for the whole nation a, the treaty Of the
18th of February, but the numbers OF which,
according TO the information collected by Gen
eral Gaines, does not exceed four hundred.
They represent themselves, indeed, to be far
more numerous, but, whatever their number
may be, their interests have been provided for in
the treaty now submitted Their subscriptions
to it would also have been received but for I'M
reasonable pretentions raised by them after all
the arrangements Of the treaty had been agreed
q. "katn