Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-10-25

Office of Laudcrdale county Aabamu; the proofs of
which arc here present. pray God to
try. JESSE BENTON.
.N6si,ci5l. Jsen. oct STR, 1928.
NASHVILLE, Oct. Sd, 1899.
JAMES J,cEsoo, Esq.
Sir: For years past nv opinion has been, that Cen
erai Jackson had. while acting as u public agent i'll
negotiating treaties with he different tribes Of Ird
ans na'ic various attempts to appropriate, directly
or INDIRECTLY large bodies oflund to his OWN use and
that OF his iIendS. This charge was made with 9TH
ers, four years ago tcl under the strongest obi
ltouS now To let my counrymen have the proofs on
which those CHARGES rest
The FIRST act WHICH liked my attention Oh this part
oil the General conduct, the article III the treaty
made with iAc Gre X .ln,ins, which coded to Gene
rai Jackson himself, body uf land several miles
had Just finished HIS OF DISCRIMINATION against
that miserable tribe i'll which many OF ;,cr men,
wortcn aud cit;r,n fell victims His biorrapher
(.non) states that the ricn6; Creek chiefs were the
most loud III their complaints In this treaty an ur.i-
Gle vas inserted yesing III the General himself this
body OF iaDd It has been asked if this grant was
mate ny TIC Indians IN return for his tender norcics
to their niT!c and rac"?" This extraordinary arti-
Gle was ai;! v President Madison before the Senate
ot the United States II huIniliuting to human
!toure to see public agent thus GraaIing corruptv
am Plplcy too the property acquired by t... efforts
otthc nation The Scnnt" trc.ted this grant will,
contempt; Il was not sanctioned by that body. This
sct alone Of General .ackso.i's stands like q roc,
which can never be shook. Tie Declaration oftnde-
iasii'r; proofs.
The second lact which shall notice was a rcscrva-
ton made IN favor of The Cickasa,v chiefs, the Col
h"rtS, IN IL treaty of I8IC-Iaclsor a cor,n;ss;o,
or again. The OBJECT of this was to secure IN In,
to.h"Ts the land fronting their ferry on the north
oanN vi Tennessee river, for distance up and down
.hc river. This was Thought to be, and intended to
oc II nnrrc" slip. All the other lands north Of Ten
ncSSen river hud been coded except this. In t, year
lHi7, 'ohn Cuftoc, family co,lItexio OF tho
'rencr'i and through life . friend and partnrr too
ohmf'y occasions, having been placed by Jarlssons
opportunities with, and influence over Monroe caused
this reservation to be- SURVEYED and thereby discov-
GREG that It contained vast quantity o.: immensely
Haunn nild t" his great surprise. To establish the
TACT oi thi discovery. here is the abstract of letter
70 me- on tn" s&!ect from John Ralato E.g. Il man
ofstcrling integrity:
"ln tho year 1917, was deputy uuI"r G;gn Col.
lie III A.abaGt, and recolipct heariur him speak OF:
9loPF F2Srrv some time II the supner oftlat year
DO nj know that | ought to say Collie cypress
cd nnTtr n Colbert, hat that he his s!rp-.
III me quantity oi lani contnnei IN s;id reserve and
spoke "itb' commissioners having hncn deceived in
the Qua 7t;v coutr.i in s1d reserve. T., gc7y,,rt
believe ~ tblt there were two special c;nt
70 incl it' which il included unh creat.r quantity
than vas expected by Coffee. or per!.ans any o. =
person before nc survey was iu7c i'll TIC wear i2f7.
/ was aa'n! tlGS tln" sir, th3 ven Yourself orav,.
upwards Of seventy dolIrrs per acre for one quarter
sect! III amounting 10 upwards Of $40 800 i'll the same
;antu-a, and not :" veil ss1ted, about titlv niles
ingh%r W the tennessee river. Othoc persons gave
n
'lose aEdS' Coffee having, b. actual survey ascer-
'ained the quantity OF land i'll this reservation III
no doubt gave his friend and relation General Lack
son "io II ID actc'i ~; commissioner IN 1910 AMI who
iiad p"Ha 50 completely outWi:ted by the chiefs tl,,
two Colbecs. Immediate norn1a:i6? of the int,r.s
ting dScovc~r In inc fall season t, si.ccc2.iin
y"'r 1919 Gorornor Shelby "E+-cntuc'iy and Gene
raj 'acEs72 OF tcnesSa" appointed ,yyi,jiis-
sIoncrs 20 treat With the Ci,c2say ior their lands
situate within the limits ot Tennessee Id Kentucky
&C. h!Iy heid "a" 'r"ftg ana succeeded in tlail
oDJec,. II was known that number Of Gen. Jack
sons ln'inia'c and confidential friends and ngcns OF
ever" deScrtljT attended the treaty. One Of >hn,o
certain VIM. t. Lewis notorious for his mean and
sneakilg qualities, and who also The brothar-n
law OF senator E2ton, his 10 the trcaty ,ro-
posed ana actually formed partnership with Robert
r turrin, ri the town Of Franklin tire object of
Whlci was 10 procure at the treaty salt lick on " est
SahGy river, i'll the Tennessee part OF the intcn.led
purchase. ! bis &inrar movement, before the traa-
~ was even held. has had the effect of exciting n
Pcl"ns nnaTorable to the General md his ircps who
g"Aera!lE boast OF tlcr s"rVjie devotion to his Will
Inc question naturally occurred why lc did not rcs
train them in their schemes of ltcfipr IN, most val
liable lands, mines, sail rks &C. Sc. which it was
MS d'y rs pin!l'SS!oDcr, =! in the charac,r
~ Toot HatElot' I" preserve for tlo government nf
the United States, Ncf this trraty vas so mann rea
t:i"t Lewis succeeded i'll procuring the salt ;ic, f,r
himself ana his friends for Tie iri.ir consideration m
about $50 or At his choice, equal number OF bush
e!s OF hl.t annually for ninety nni. wears, as have
often heard About 10000 acres land twas stated
W"S included IN this lease. Some tun after ho trc9
" the dsi"ncc set mp iii the pubic prints by Lewis
una ms if'"ads, was that the Indians refused to
sell ;ncir lands unless this reserve was made rs thew
hn,' reason to value the lick high, because Georo,
Dcl, Esq. end DR.. Boyd MNairv had some fin. L'.
,-c Offered them $1,000 per anailm for this saii lick,
Ct notwithstanding this high offer, the indians lea
." tfiS lhnd and he" on the spot a. The time # siri-
nag the treaty o! cesson, without Whiting moment
10 procure the 5000 offered 0y Mcssrs. Bell and Nc
vary! :! FMS circumstance shows concrsvely that
the Indians did not attach so inuc ya;,e to this lick
ana could not have roado sine qHa a. represen-
tod by these Interested Witnesses
The third ana most extraordinary circumstance.
ana 10 '9ah wish particularly to invite Your atttn-
:. D, wa tie special privilege given ny this treaty to
ihc $50 c'a"ts IN" ColIer, 70 sell this ya-t,ry ion in
f!!'i. f1Eor ~ tn" north bank Of Tennessee in the
o. 1910 70 any person they chose. l: hoj boon
puma H-c.sS"ry, for many years past i'll our country
ii'te The strongest statutes possible to prevent the
'n3ias ct at! ;rbcaIr selling tbr lands t. ndiYid
'as fe st@tntes nuorjc the ndigns end government,
RON NE cunning and 0vaEicc of the SPECTATOR bv
gr'4 iiiE such sales from, ,Le Indians to individuals
! ~ mere vas most extraordinary scheme hid and
actually carried into effect Tor taking this reserved
IHd oIputlng to 10000 acres, out OF the safe keep
The Sfatllfp uIr :, -