The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-11-25
WHOLE NO. 1856.
From the National htelligencer.
PRESENT CRISIS IN THE CONDITION
OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS.
NO. XVII.

FhESENI CRISIS IN THE CONDITION
OF THE AMERICAN INDIANS.
NO. XVII.
AS georgia Is so strenuous an advocate for
state Rights, and protests SO strongly against
any interference on the part of the General
government, the inquiry how far she has her.
sen acknowledged the national character of the
Greeks and Cherokees becomes peculiarly in
teresting
In l738, Oglethorpe renewed the treaty of
friendship and alliance, of which an abstract was
given IN my last number The next year he
took Journey into the wilderness, four hundred
miles, as the distance was then computed, hav-
ing been previously invited thither by the Creeks
| OF the Coweta towns, where he was received
with the greatest kindness, and had the oppor-
tunity OF comforting with deputies ofthe Creeks,
Chckasaws, and Cherokees. On the 9TH of
| august, another treaty was made between him
ana " the assembled estates of all the lower
Creek nation" This may be called
THE SECOND TREATY OF GEORGIA WITH THE M
dams.
The instrument begins by enumerating the
towns and tribes of the Creeks, which were rep
resented in the council. The Indians then de-
clared, without dissenting voice, that they adj
hered to their ancient love to the King of Great
Britain. They next declared, that all the terri
tory from the Savannah to the st. Johns, with
the intermediate islands, and from the ST. Johns
to the bay of Appalache, and, thence, to the
mountains, doth, by ancient right, belong to
the Creek nation, who have maintained possess
sion of said right against all opposers, by war,
and can show the heaps of bones of their ene-
mics, slain by them in defence the said lands,'
They further declared that .hey were under
the protection of the King of England, and
would not suffer the Spaniards, or any other
nation but the English, to settle upon the terri
tory. They acknowledged that they had grant
ed to the corporation for which Oglethorpe act
ed the lands from the Savannah to the St.
Johns and as far back from the coast as the tide
flows But they reserved to themselves three
islands, and small district adjoining Savan-
nah
Oglethorpe engaged, on his part, that the
English should g not take any other lands e1-
cept those granted by the Greek nation to the
trustees" and that he would punish any person
who should intrude beyond the limits. He is
sued proclamation Immediately afterwards, in
which he says, g Know ye, that you are not TO
take up or settle any lands beyond the above
limits settled by me scith the Greek nation"
About the year 1917, a man by the name of
Bosomworth, having married half Indian
man, claimed, in her right, all the lands in the
possession of the colony, and artfnlly induced
tie Greeks to support his claim. He greatly
endangered the safety of Savannah, and put all
the settlements into the greatest alarm. 1t is
not little curious, that he instigated the In
dams to assert that Ogletborpe and his follow
ers had been merely tenants at lotu of the Creeks
from the beginning; applying the same phra.
seology to the whites as the Legislature of
and with much greater plausblity. Although
Mr. Stephens, then Governor of Georgia, did
not admit the claim of Bosomworth and his wife,
yet the whole affair svinced that it would have
been idle and dangerous for the settlers to have
pretended any other right to the country than
hat wi how had cd ha nf
of the natives.*
Before l760, a destructive war existed be-
tween the Cherokees and the Colonists of Vir-
ginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. During the
contest, many cruelties were perpetrated on
both sides The southern States were unable
to defend themselves, and applied for aid to
General Amherst commander of the British
forces in America, from whom indispensable as
sistance was twice received. A treaty Of peace
was at last made between the Cherokees and the
Colonists, the terms of which do not find.
Soon after the close of this war, Capt. Steu-
art, sagacious and intelligent man, having
been much acquainted with the Indian churac-
ter, was appointed, by the King, Superinten-
dent of Indian Affairs for all the territory south
of Virginia. He convened general congress
of Indians at Mobile, where he made long
speech to them, addressing the different tribes
in succession. At the close of his speech he
said
Lastly, inform you, that it is the Kings
order to all his governors and subjects, to treat
Indians with justice and humanity, and to for
bear all entertainments on the territories GItot-
ted for them. Accordingly, all individuals arc
prohibited from purchasing any OF your lands;
but as you know that your white brethren can
not feed you when you visit them, anless you
giEe them grounds to plant, it is expected that
you aoiU cede lands to the King for that purpose
but whenever you shall be pleased TO surrender
anu of your territories to his Majesty, 1t must
be done, for the future, at public meeting ct
your nation, when the governor OF the provinces,
or the superintendent, shall be present, and o.
tain the consent of all your people. Tho boun-
daries of your hunting grounds will DO occu-
rately fixed, and no settlement permitted 10 be
made at0n he,n- AS you may be assured that
all treaties with you will be faithfully kePt, SO 1t
is expected that you also will be careful strictly
to observe them
1t is not necessary to detain the reader with
anv comments on these declarations Of the au-
thorised representative of the British Crown ::
only let them be compared with the present
claims Of Georgia.
TREATY OF AUGUSTA; OR FOURTH TREATY WITH
THE INDIANS, IN WHICH GEORGIA WAS A
PARTY.
A great meeting of Chiefs of the Cataba,
| Cherokee, Choetaw, Chickasaw, and Creek ma
tions, was convened at Augusta, by invitation
of the colonists, at which were present Gov.
| Wright of Georgia, Gov. Boone of South Car
olna, Gov. Dobbs of North Carolina Lieut.. Gov.
Fauquier of Virginia, and Capt. Steuart, SUI
perintendcnt of Indian affairs in the southern
department. A treaty was concluded Nov 10,
sit is a remarkable fact that Bosomworth in
duced the Creek Chiefs, or rather few Of them,
to appoint general agent TO transact their basl-
ness for them, and then inveigled this agent to
make deed to him (Bosomworth) of the three
reserved islands, and the small tract near ga
vonnob. After lie had occasioned much trouble
TO the colonial government, he went TO Eng
land. and commenced suit on the strength