Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-12-19
From thr National InteLLgt,s-r-
PRESENT CRISIS IN PhE CONDITION cb
THE AMERICAN INDIANS.



Tbs decision pronounced in 1913. Since that
the politicians of Georgia have strenuousy
; Dded that the Indian title amounts to nothing.
Ia Report of Joint Committee OF the Lcgifla-
t'ise OF Georgia. which was approved by the Senate
o. that State, Dec -, 1927, found such passages
s8 the fo!owlngS
sae Committee say. that European nations asser'ed sue
eesllY the right of occupying such paris Of America "as
cash discovered aud thereby they established their supreme
&. r-n1rG overiL"
Acam may be conirnded with much piausibliy that
to-re claims, of force than of justice; but
tey claims which have hec recognized and admitted by
civilized world, and unQueStionaby that,
..-1 o.. ;h circumstances, force becomes right"
ts pi,cs Is hell" by the same title
1s committee say, that conended that, by
@ l6O2 "a consideration contemplated be paid by
G lnted States the Indians, relinqn Of
40 ue aud therefore that was of su CHI character was
tLcd To respect and could he taken from them unless
p taer consent The Committee add, "But we are of
q e. cnt opinion"
Be!ule Georgia became party the articles agreement
and oesso nhe compact of 1902 could ghtfuy have
sssssed herself of those lands, either by negoiiaon
re ndans or by force aud she had dc,ermncd, Of
two ways TO do bur by tins ~ made the
ofhs Unicd StaIss sustain expense obtaining
ne possession, provided could he dome upon reasonable
=, fss ms coo,,a.t win the un".d ,', 49, w
the consequence that CCorgia LEFT unammc
and 81 ul Liberty prosecute her ,rs tina, point
according her own discretion, aud Is though
-rnyrac, had been made"
TIE Committee g,vei their opinion THAT the right OF
and sovereignty was perfect IN Great Bri,sn: that the nos
u he Indians permssve; they
protection of that government that their title Temporal
sa have been determined any by neso,a
force, the pleasure o Great Britain"
ne words printed IN Italics thus dsnsu by
t-marise
might DC difficult tell which is most remarka-
o ne reasoning or the morality of these extracts.
N committee argue. that, as there is provis-
i- ~ the compact Of 1902, by virtue OF which the
Cai.i States bound use force upon the Indians
tIiows that Georgia has r.Eht to apply force
whenever she peascs. This Is specimen of the
&c. Again: to most people there would seem TO
- weight an the remark, that, the Indians wcrc
evidently to receive confederation for their lands
LAY must hive a tIllc which should command res
r'at but no; IN view OF this statement. the com
-Hi,tee 10 different conclusion. Here is ano
lev specimen.
The morality of the doctrines inculcael by the
riga Legislature may be sutfcIen v understood
Ae uToad positions, that discovery gave absolute
u IrOpeIRs; that the title of the original in
aa0i an.S was permSsIve; that II a mere tenan
viii, (which Is ttlH at a;) that the dlscoye-
80 gll.it determine the tenancy any moment by
s-ro IL ION or force; and that, all European 90
,'r"e1'S are aliedgcd TO be agreed III these prncl
piss. force becomes right "
"a. inhabitants of North America might there !
IRE have been righifIy driven into The ocean ''at
81 JneR' when the disco ercrS should have been
W. ~ aud able tius to drive them II Is TO be IN
rcd. that CorteZ and Pzarro wern only executing
--- iiwtnl commands of the King Of SPAN wlrn |
'-rg we're taking possession Of Mexico and Peru,
winch, according to tins doctrine, rightiully belonged
hn; though IL doiIgs they under the unplca-
ant necessity OF numbering the original nuabtan's
The committee are entirely mistaken, IN point of
United States is heidi By such title as has been de
scrbed; that IS, title in the European sovereign
which, the moIneI of discovery. suppIanfed and
subs erted all the rights of the natives to the lands
which they were born, aud of which they were in
full possession. IL be truly said that there. Is
not, within the limits Of the United States as fixed
by the peace of 1853, single foot of land held, a.
against the original inhabitants, by the title of dis
cOvery alone. IucOmparaby the largest portion of
the territory, within tie aforementioned limits has
been purchased Of the Indians Some small portions
nave been conquered; the original owners having
been nearly eNtcrmuaie ed IN war, driven from
,uer lands by superior force, compelled to cede
them, the price OF plcIfcation But in all these
cases, the had some other origin, than an at
Tempt to enforce the title of discovery. The politi-
cians of Georgia are requested TO produce a single
instance, after the settlement Of the Angina meri-
can colonies commenced of any English SOVEREIGN,
any Colonial Governor, any Colonial Iepisla
re any $ ate Legislature, anterior 10 tho treaty
= the Indian Spring in 1925, having assumed tie
'1Gt of taking torcblc possession of Indian country
any moment, by virtue Of the title Of discovery
NJ without any regard to what the Supreme Court
tas c1leh ''thc Just and legal claim" Of the natives
.r ra't possession of their country The exclusive
-gl n ertingUisting The JndiGn tue, or what has
avsly been called lie right of pre- emptlon, is n to-
-i different thing from this all-absorbIng anI over
,thelnng right of discovery, OH which Georgia now
assists If single instance Of such al assumption
can b. produced let 1t be brought forward. Let us
enpate the circumstances in which il originated,
sai examine its claims to respect Thousands of
.7g ances can be adduced on tic other hand of nc
s.lwndgmcnts made by mgraBts from Europc, and
~ rucrs Of every grade, from tho highest 10 tie
i,wcsi; acknowledgements, which admitted the pcr-
iaCt right Of the Indians to the peaceable possession
Of their country so long they choose to retain it,
But ifnll tho Governments Of Europe had, during
,.c hrce las centuries, held the doctrine now 50
Farmly cspouscd by Georgia, how utterly vain
would DO every attempt to defend It., or TO rake IT
7ppear Otherwise than tYrsnnical, cruel. and aboui-
o1ble Not all the nlOnarchs Of Europe, nor all tho
writer's on the laws Of natIons--nOt all the power
and all the sophlsry IN the world, conld al or IT'S
narrator, or convince an honest candid, intelligent
man, thatt Is entitled tn The least respect. Whit IA
lis doctrine 50 necessary the present claims Of
GeOrgl9! It's neither more nor less than the as.
mptlon that the Circumstance of an English vessel
re ing sailed along the American coast from Gaze
Hatteras 20 The Bay Of Fundy, as the case mirht b.
7va The English King an absolute nd perfect title
rJt only 10 the coast, but 10 all the eror and that
tr might therefore empower any Of his subjects %
'lk orclbe possession of the country, t. the imne-