Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-08-28
go froT oe -Not,oani Isislig,neer.
To THE Eprrons
PRESENT CRISIS In THE CONDITION OF
THE AMERICAN INDIANS.


4 THE AMERICAN INDIANS
i No. H.
AN my hrst.number prepared the way to inquire
ghdt right haoe the Cherokees the lands rhich they
occupy This is plain question and easily an
swered.
The Cherokees are human beings, endowed by
their Creator with the natural rights as other
men. They in peaceable possession OF terrific.
~ which they have always regarded their own.
This territory in possession of their ancestors
through an unknown series of generations, and has
come down to them with title ABSOLUTELY unircur,-
be,ed creyy respect. 1t is pretended that tho
Cherokees have ever alenaed their country or that
the whites have ever been In possession of it. Ifthe
Cherokees are nterrogaed TO their title they can
truly say God gave this country to our ancestors
we nave never been in bondage to any man. Though
we have sold much land TO our white neiphbors v,e
have never bought any from them We own the
iand we now occupy by the right of tho original pos.
sessors right which is allowed in ali countries IN ~,
OF incontesfi6ie validity. We clam, therefore, that
lands" " ~ ~ '
nthe Cherokees arc correct in their Statement, of
,'m VINO can resist their conclusion We might as
wen ask the chnese, What righ. ihsA have Ia tho
territory which they now occupy. TO sue, a ,,cs
toh they would answer "God gave THIS land tn our
ancestors. Our nation has Gicas been in possession
OF IT. so lar as history and tradition 90 back The
nations of Europe comparatively Of rcccn, ORIGIN,
tine commencement Of ours is lost in remote ann.
guilty" ~
What can be saGto such staten,pn, .s This, \vbo
can argue plain casc'
II has been said indeed, that the savage OF the
Wneress can acquire title 10 the forests through
vhiCh he pursucs his wamc. Without admitting tbis
doctrine, n is sufficient to rcplv here that i, has N,
application to the claims ofthe Cherokees They are
az present neither Savages nor hunters Il docs not
appear that they ever were wanderers, wiihou,
stationary residence. At the earliest period az
winch the whites became acquainted with their con-
dillon, they had fixed hahitations and were IN untlis
puted possession ofa widely extended country Thcy
werc then IN the habit Of cultivaiing some land near
heir houses, whore thy planted Indian corn and
other vegetables. From about the commencement
OF the present century they have applied themselves
more and more TO agriculture till they now derive
their support from the soil, MS truly ard entirely ns
do the inhabitants of Pennsylvania or Virginia For !
many years the have had their herds and their roe
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 OF their hands applied t, the tirage OF
their own farms; and they clohe themselves with IA
their own fields.
The Cherokees did not show themselves unwilling
to sell their lands SO long adequate motive was
presented to their minds During every administration
OF our national Government, applications made ,
10 them for the purpose of obtaining additional por
tons OF their territory. These applications were ur
ged not only nor principally b. tie consideration of
the money or presents which they were to receive 10
exchange, but often, and strongly by the considora
ton that they would become an agricultural peoplc
NE the wh;es-that ii for their interest to have
eilei nn''s clrcunscrhed, so that their young men
couu not nave great extent of country 70 hunt in
and that when they became attached to the soil and
engaged IN Its cultivation the United SIaLes would
not ask them TO sell any more land Yielding to
arguments, and TO the opportunities of the whites
the Cherokees sold, al different times between the
close OF the revolutionary war and the year 1920,
more than three-quarers of their original inheritance
Ihat the reader may have some definite idea of the
territory in question, lac should pursue the following
delineation by the aid of good map:
1t would seem that the Chcrokees possessed land
within the following limits, If not beyond them viz: |
From the mouth of Duck River in Tennessee. on the
West, to the waters of French Broad in North Car
DINA, on the East; and from the head waters of the
Hoiston IN Virginia. on the North, to some distance
down the OconCe, III Georgia, the South; compri-
sing what Is than half ofthe State of Ten.
nessce, the Southern part of Kentucky, the South
west corner Of Virginia, a considerable portion of
both the Carolnas, large portion OF Georpia and
the Northern part OF Alabama. This tract probably |
contained more than 30 100000 acres, of which a
large proportion Is extremely fertile, and some of II
not INFERIOR 10 any land IN Norh America, or per
haps IN the world The country is also generally
healthy, and the climate delightful OF all this vast
and beautiful tract, watered by numerous rivers
winch md their way to the ocean, some Of them cir
cutous!y by the Mississippi, and others more direct
! ly TO the Gulf of Mexico and the A:nntic the Cher
okces now retain less than 900 600 acres of n ounl
iiy tar below the average quality of what they have
sold Georgia claims ZOO 900 acres Of this tfnnant
as falling within the map of that State Alabama
claims nearly 100000 Of the residue The portions
which IN the general division, will fall TO Tennessee
ana North Carolina, seem hardly worth inuuirinr
about for, the other portions are given up or Ia
ken by force, there viii be no motive for retaining
these. 's
To every application made for their lands within
the last ten years, the Cherokees have said, we
are not disposed to sell any more. We have betokon
ourselves to an agricultural life We are maxine
progress IN civilization. We arc attached to onS
schools and our christian teachers, to orr farms n
our native rN ers mountains. We have not too much
land for our own comfort, and for affordnp r,s fi
chance IN the experiment are making" This Ian.
guage has been repeated in many FORMS and with ev
cry indication Of sincerity and earnestnoss
q q.
sent country Is not too large for fair experiment in
tue work OF civilization, Is undoubtedly correct The
wisPst men, who have thought and written on tLIs
SUBJECT agree ~ the opnIon that no tribe Of Indians
can rise to real civilization and the full eniov,non,
OF christian society unless they can have a cor1mnn
~ Of their own; aud can be much separated frono
the whites, as 10 form and cherish something Of AIM
tio"ai character Ifthe limits oftbe Cherokee coun
try were much smaller than they are this would g.
imprGcticable '' ''
Thus standlthe cnse; and Il is nn,r ma, i-....