Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-08-10
THE VIRGINIAN.
LYNCHBURG, AUG. 10, 1929.
LIE INDIANS.

/ Our relations with the Indian tribes, which,
/ IN tunes past, have been the fruitful source OF
] so many scenes of violence snd barbarity, be-
gin sgaa 10 assume a serious aspect. The
Greeks and Cherokees seem reluctant 10 aban'
don their lands. although they have been fairly
purchased by The United 81 ates from their au-
ihorized Chiefs. This is. however, assuredly n
rest entirely out oil the questionable love o.
ones " native land" having always been iegar.
de- as among the hoest aud nobles, passions
of the human heart. Aud, 1t has been remark
ed, by those who have had ample means Of OH
ser,aiion. that II is more intense aud durable
(and therefore IL should not be held less sncred)
! among savage than IL Is among civilized m
items. IL addition TO this, the Creeks have had
much to sxasperate them. h large portion OF
them believe thot they have been defraudcd Of
iDei, property they believe ,hst some Of the
| principal men who made the sale were brbed
by the u &. government 10 sacrifice their rights
aud interests. in order TO CRAFTY thu eager Gu
pidiiy OF Georgia, aud 10 silence the rasings of
her turbulent demagogues. To this suspicion
! Mclni>sh, the most accomplished Of the Greek
CHI lets, Tell n ENTHUSIASTICALLY slain by the
hand. OF his own count, men. aud il i, said in
pursuance Of law o hi, own proposing, The
feelings which Irompted the Indians To take
this bloody retribulioE for imaginary wrong,
! hav. not been suhdued-bu,. we suspect have
rather gathered fresh strength as the hour drew
nigh which VIVA 10 witness their departure from
their old hunting grounds, for diStan, and to
II EN- unknown country. We shall mol, there
fore. be nj all surprised very shortly to hear
that our Southern iros,irr ha, been the scene
OF cruel butcherles and destructive ravsges.
Our readers rccollect that our relations with
the Creek tribe have neen very unsettled for
several years past; the Anxiety Of Georgia 10
boundary having manifested itself in such
yioIen, and unbecomns manner ms 10 disgust
those who we're disinIerrsied. Whit il exc,ted
n spirit of hostility against the whites among
The Indians themselves, whom il was the pa icy
of the U. 5. government TO concate. Not
withstandinL these unpropiiious circum Stances
| however, an arrangement was at length rffec-
| ted, aud the camorous avarice Of Georgia was
satisfied The United States succeeded in oh.
tanning a REIMBURSEMENT of the Indian title for
an equivalent in money to'pay them for the in
provemeuts they would be compelled TO aban'
don. and in lands nearer the setting SUM-
| a. oh b,, .nc.
driven by The advance of the white man, from
the borders Of the Atlantic, aud whittier they
will continue TO he pushed, until taeir feet shall
touch the margin OF the Pacific. II was Hoped
and generally believed that matters would now
move on smoothly and TRANQUILITY; that the In
dams, seeing how closely the whites were ire ad.
ing on their heel, and how rapidly they were
lining theT froriiers with a dense population
which, in a short time, would in all probabilit
encroach upon their grounds--as well rs per-
ceiving ,hatjt would be worse than useless 10
| make any show of resistance after their terrific
ry had been formally ed-d,-would peaceably
aud willingly retire, agreeably 10 the terms Of
| the Treaty. But, the last accounts give US rea-
son TO fear that they are actuated by different
spirit and have determined upon n difIer ent
course. They seem TO be perfectly aware. too,
that their situation, it they DO provoke hostili-
ties, will not only be desperate, bul hopeless
Yet. they are not the less determined, appa-
rcntly, 10 dare the worst-snd, when they
Can fight a. longer, 10 retire 20 their swamps
aud die" There is something highly heroic
in this resolve, however mprudcnt and rash il
may belt would have been perpetuated, il
| ancient Greece had sent such n message 10 the
| Persian, or If the imbecile Romans had thus
answered when the Goth wa. advancing upon
the " Eternal City" But, as it was uttered by
the harassed, broken-spriled descendants OF
proud and noble race, it will be regarded as
an act OF presumption, deserving unmn gated
punishment! Ne should draw the sword with
great reluctance against a people actuated by
such feelings and ami mated by such motives
a people con,ending for the inheritance be.
quearhed to them by wariike ancestors, whose
daring exploits, carefully handed down from one
generation 10 another, by tradition, are closely
identified with the spot where theiv ashes rest
We cannot help feeling that the whites have in
ficted upon the Indians great and irreparable
wrong-that they have but lily requiled the
kindness and humanity which sheltered and fed
them when. weak and defenceIess, they landed
on this Continent, by forcibly wrestling from
them the r lands and hsbitations by hunting
| them down like beasts; and when some of the
most powerful and warlike of the tribes have
dwindled away 10 a mere handful unfeelingy
among a strange people, exchanging with them
naked wilds for fertile and cultivated farms.-
True. we have given them money also: but
oil what value is money 10 men circumstances