Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-08-28
f,on. The .Naionn. f,seugeecr.
To THE EDIToRs
PRESENT CRISIS IN TUE CONDITION OF
THE AMERICAN INDIANS.


,cat right hare e Cherokees to the lands ,ohich they
occupy? This is u plain question and easily an
swered.
The Cherokees are human beings, endowed by
their Creator with the natural rights other
men. They are In peaceable possession of terrific
ry which they have always regarded as their own.
This territory was IN possession of their ancestors,
through an unknown series of generations, and has
come down to them with title absolutely taincunt
tered IN every respect 1t pretended, that the
Cherokres have ever aenoted their country or that
the whites have ever been in possession off 1.-THE
Cherokees are Intercepted to their title, they can
truly say, God gave this country to ancestors.
We have never been i'll bondage to any man. Though
We have sold much land to white neghbors, we
have never bought any from them. We own the
land we now occupy, by the right oftho original pos
SCISSORS; right which is allowed in all countries be
of incontestble validity. We claim, therefore, that
no human power can properly compel us to leave our
lands"
If the Cherokecs correct in their statement Of
facts, who can resist their conclusion We might as
Wen ask the Chinese, what right they have TO the
territory which they now occupy. To such ques
ton they would answer "God rave this land to our
ancestors Our nation has aioays been in possession
OF 1t, so far as history and tradition go back. The
nations of Europe comparatively OF recent origin
the commencement of ours is lost in remote anti
guilty.
What can be said 10 such statement this? Who
can argue plain a case?
II has been said, indeed that the savage of the
wilderness can acquire title The forests through
which he pursues his game Without admitting this
doctrine, IT is sufficient to reply here that it has no
application to the claims of the Cherokces. They
at present neither savagcs hunters. It does
appear that they ever were mere wanderers, without
stationary residence. At the curlicst period at
which the whites bccaIne acquainted with their con-
dItlon they had fixed habatons and we're IN ,.rldis-
puecd possession OF u widely extended country. They
were then III the habit Of cu!tivatng some land near
their houses, where they planted Indian corn and
OTHER vegetables. From about the commencement
OF the present century they have applied themselves
derry
their support from the soil, Is truly and entirely as
90 the inhabitants of Pennsylvania Virginia For
many years they have had their herds, and their large
cultivated fields They now have i'll addition their
schools, regular civil government, and places of re-
guiar Christian worship. They earn their bread by
the labor ofther own hands, applied the tllage Of
their own tarns and they ciohe themselves with fa-
orIcs made at their own looms, from cotton grown in
their fields.
The Cheroliees did not show themselves unwilling
10 sell their lands, So long adequate motive was
presented to their minds During every admnstrati
of our national Government applications were made
10 them tor the purpose of obtaining additional por
lions OF thair territory. These applications were mr.
ged not only, principally by tile consideration of
the money or presents which they were 10 receive in
exchange, but often, and strongly, by tie consider-
ton that they would become an agricultural people
Ike the wiiitesinat it tor their interest 70 have
their limits clrcumscrlhcd, that their younu men
could not have great extent OF country to hunt I'M.
anu that when they bccame attached to the SOIL and
engaged IN It's cultivation, the United States would
not ask them to Sell any more land Yielding to
arguments and to the opportunities of the whites
the Cherokees sold. at different times, between the
close OF the revolutionary and the wear 1920
more Than three quarters of their original inheritance
nat the reader may have some definite idea of the
territory IN question, he should pursue the following
deneatop by the aid of good map:
1t would seem that the Cherokees possessed land
within the following limits, if beyond them viz:
From the mouth of Duck River, in Tennessee on the
West, to the waters of French Broad in North Car
olna the East; and from tire head waters of the
tioiston, III Virginia. the North, to some distance
down the Oconce, in Georgia, on the South; compri
sing what is than half of the State of Ten
nessce, the Southern part of Kentucky, the South
west corner Of Virginia, considerable portion of
both the Carotnas large portion Of Georgia, and
the Northern part of Alabama. This tract probably
contained more than 35OOOo0O acres of which q
large proportion is extremely fertile and some of il
not inferior to any land in Norh America or per-
haps III the world. The country is also generally
healthy, and the climate delightful Ofau this vast
and beautiful tract, watered by numerous rivers
which find their way to the ocean, some of them cir
cautiously by the Mississippi, and Others more direct
ly to the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic the Cher
okees now retain less than 5000, 900 acres Of quail
ity far below the average quality Of what they have
Sold Georgia claims 5000 900 acres OF this remnant
as taiing wi,h'n the map of that State. Alabama
CHAINS nearly ,OOO,O00 Of the residue The horizons
which in the general DIVISION will fall to Tennessee
and North Carolina, seem hardly worth inquirinp
aboGt for, if the other portions are given up or Ia
ken by force, there will be motive for retaining
these.
TO every application made for their lands within
the last ten years, the Cherokecs have said, eve
ore not disposed to sell any more We have betaken
ourselves to an agricultural life. We are making
progress in civilization. We are attached TO orr
schools and oar christian teachers to our farms. tn
our native rivers g. mountains. We have not too much
land Tor our own comfort, and for afordng us fair
chancein the experiment we are making - I'b;s lon
guage has been repeated in many FORMS and with ev
cry indication of sincerity and earnestness
The assertion of the Cherokees, that their nra
sent country is not too large for fair experiment in
the work Of civilization is undoubtedly correct J,n
wlscst men, who have thought and written on the
subject agree in the opinion, that no tribe of indians
can rise to real civilization, and to the full ENJOYMENT
% christian society. uncss they have communi
~ OF their own aud be so much separated from,
the whites, as TO form and cherish something of alNn
tional character 1.-THE limits of the Cherokec com
try were much smaller than they are, this would be
imDraciicable.