Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-09-12
From The Natiosut Isfeuiger,esr
PRESENT CRISIS IN THE CONDITION OF
THE AMERICAN INDIANS.
No. VII.

IL the artice OF guaranty winch was the subject
ga discusslOn IN my last number, the country of the
Cicrokso nation Is called "ticir lands" an expires.
SION utterly at variaHcc with the notion. that the
lands belnngcd To the whites Indeed, the recent in.
depreciation OF our conpacts with the Indians does
great violence to the ordinary rules of language
The seventh article is short, and will bear repeating
AZ reads thus: "THE UNITED STATES SOLEMNLY
GUARANTY THE CHERoKEE Nation All
THEIR LANDS. NOT REaEsy cEppD" 'rh;s seen,.
to oe, upon the face oft plain sentence. A mar
oil moderate information would at least suppose him,
SCH to understand it. He would not suspect thai
here was secret, reconditG meaning, altogether in
compatible with the apparent onc But il mstha,
there VAS such u nleaRng. How it was discovered
OF by whom, the pubic are not informed The sresen
Secretary of War. however, has lately adopted il
aud urged At upon the Chcsokees decisive of iii,
Whole question al issue. The true meaning OF IN,
st.icie tiiei' as explained By public fimctionury
thirty eight years alter was made, would hav beef
accurately expressed follows; ''2he United Siute
sole1tliy declare NtIt Tie Cherokee Indians hare ne
right nor tte 10 any lands ,oin lie terriiorv Of III
Unned States as red by The treaty Of 1893; but tn.
GATED States permit ne C6eroiess 10 r,mo;n nm "a,
lands Of Norat C.rotiaa, SouiL Cqroliaa and Geor-
sM, (souta and West IF The a5oce described BOUNDARY
"ntsl le SAID States Stait take possession of Lhc same
ais Is the guaranty OF the Cherokee country, II
a. Sertuiny the Interpretation OF the Secretary OF
war. How would other treaties bear a similar OK.
PianatonE The newspapers tell US, that Russia G;
brtain, and France, have engaged To guaranty the
territory OF Greece within certain limits. Does this
mean that the Greeks to be permited tn live fr
the present ON lands which belong TO the Turks; but
mat the Turks whenever they please may take pos-
SESSION OF their own lands aud massacre the Creeks
L ne federal Constitution says, TART ". Sec H.
ne United States shall guaranty TO eyery State in
TINS Unon,a Republican (0rm Of Goceynnrs nt" the,
true meaning of which may hereafter appear to be as
follows: The United States shall ieru,i each STATE
10 have Republican form of government fur the
eSi,; anu until hloHdrchcci form Of Gouern0aent
shaIi be imposed upon the people thereof"
Inc true meaning of an instrument is that which
was IN the minds OF the parties, at the time of sirn-
Ing- Can the Secretary of War prove that General
ashington understood the treaty of Hoston accor-
Jung TO the explanation now given2 Can he prove
that the Cherokee chiefs aud warriors understood il
IN the same manner Surely he woud not hive
1t signed and ratified in sense, and carried into
eject IN totally different and opposite sense. He
must therefore suppose, that thew had no right IN
their own ands and that they stood ready 10 remove
whenever requested. But ha must allow, that, if
TINS were the meaning of the parties, it was very
strangely Expressed and however sincerely he NAV
entertain the newly discovered opinion the mean
ing, he may still find il extremely difficult TO convince
the world that lie is right.
WIN the Secretary OF War guaranty his country
against any loss nf character, n consequence of
adopting his Interpretation? Whom will he get for
sponsors and compurgators? Can he engage that I'M
partial and dlsnerested ten will be satisfied1 md
they VIII not or If there is danger that they will
not should he not distrust his conclusions? And
may he not have arrived at them without sufficient
examination
Not to dwell longer the tr0rGs of the article is
IL credible that the Cherokees would have si1ned
treaty in the year 1891 if they had been plainly told
that the United States did not acknowledge them asa
separate people, that they had no rights nor any lands
tnat they yed upon their ancient hunting grounds by
the permission OF the whites; and that whenever the
whites required II they must beyond the Mis-
sssippR At that very moment the Cherokees felt
strong. They and the neighboring tribes could COL
Lect a formidable force. They had an illilnitable
forest in which to range, with many parts Of which
they were perfectly acquainted. They could have
uEIVen IN The the white settlers, a line Of more
than 500 miles in extent. Many Braddocks field,
n lafao Iuksl 80
noe, would have been Witnessed before they could
have been expelled from their swamps and their
mountains their open woods and their mpeTvious "a
oIeKes ana iary disioged from the wide regions on
this side of the Mississippi
lhe people Of the United States wanted peace.
We invited the Cherokees to lay down their arms
" spoke kindly to them; called them our brothers,
NJ The beginning of every sentence; treated them as
equals; spoke largely Of our future Kindness and
friendship; and shall now-u speak to the People
ct tie United States at isrge)-shail we now hest
tate to acknowledge the nl force Of the obligations
by which we bound ourselves? Having, in the days
q oar weakness, and at own instance obtained
peace for benefit, shall we now, merely
because no humr power can oppose an array of bay
onets' set aside the fundamental article without
which 10 treaty could ever have been made'
Bat Inust proceed with other parts Of the compact
AT H. any person, not an ndso shall sete any Of
eCheotee lands he shall forfeit the protection ofhe United
states, ard tie CheTokees may punish him
eaf9 No citizen Of The United States shall attempt hunt
ans o INC CheIoSees nor shall any such CITIZEN go
&c Cnor9see country without passport from the
Cilied States may authorize 10 grant the same
ARTS 10 and ~ Reciprocal semens In regard 10 the
delivery and punshmeri Of criminals.
ART " No retaliation reps in ofniury, III
satisfaction shall have been demanded aud refused.
Arr - The Cherokse give notice Of hostile designs
"AFF ~ That the Cherokee Nation may lie led q greater
degree Of civilization, aud become heIdsen cuga;os
instead ofemanin1 state hunters the United States viii
from time 80 time, furnish, graGnuy tho said Nation with
useful implements Of hsbandy and further said
Nation IN desirable pursuit. aud the 70 esab
lis certain mode of communication the United States will
spnd such and many persons reside in said nation tey
may judge proper not exceeding foT Nv number, who shall
ORALLY themselves 10 Interpreters These persons shall
have lands assigned by s Cbeokees cultivation them
sors AID the IN oce bat they shall be pecluder
exercising aT,y kind pffraffe."
&ac 70. an auOsfes cease and the treaty 10 be exc
Gated N GOOD fait.l
AR TO- The l.eaty ;ake effect soon ratified by tf
fsaen, Of the United stito with the advice and
tis Seua
The treaty was sigacd, in behalf Of the United
States, by William BoHft, governor Of the territory
South of the Ohio, and by forty. one Cherokee
Chiefs and Warriors IN behalf Of the Cherokee Ma
sion; and was afterwards duly ratified by the Presi-