Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-09-15

NT' INT
several Of the States belonging To tho coptderacy,
sh,l nc tra.c wih ,usce aud humanity shall be u
,a,yh, tn ats ri civilized hte aud the principles %
Ctlrsti,ni'y. shall b. unlusy and wckcdiy strip
u,l al their property forced back the Wilderness,
md m Tho end exierininated. Tins is simple and [
uncfna n,cned, but in view strictly correct eX
libilian Of the subject That the attempts of those
vln are crested in ACCOMPLISHING this gross injustice
4, those feeble dependent, aud dcfenceless beings,
vii finally succeed, VIC have strong 1pprchcn-
SONS. Indians have been long considered and
treated moro snvages, unable to protect them
selves, AMI unworthy of national regard that the force
&C habit often leads men OF principle 10 view
thcm spccics of human outlaws, having m rght
10 conp.,n OF any treatment they may receive from
white men. and Christians, however severe, cad
bawevcr unjust. The nation q, large, on this sub
,ct appear TO be somewhat ike the people OF re-
son where slnvcry exi5ts-inscnsible TO the calls of
EcmIry and ioo much accustomed TO acts of cruel
yapd tyranny to BE shocked, even disturbed nj
their occ1.renrc. Nay, too apt to feel rs /
the specs ofnjusice which is under consideration
inn largo community, wll be divided INTO such small
portions that single individual need hesitate a.
euconnernglis own share OF rei ributon.
pairts;aieme of tho case Of one or two tribes,
without attempting 10 enumcratc the Others wilbrug
the nlatcr 10 the understanding % our readers in
rNar hight. that therc cannot possibly be any mistake
with regard oils ueriis. The CheTokces and tho
Greeks and possess large tracts land in the state
Or Georgia. 4 great portion OF this land is of an
excellent qvalty AID 1t has been held and possessed
bytic.e tribes, no knows how long before, but
certainly since tae settlement OF the country by
.te men. Thcir title has never been purchased
ethcr blythe sa'S efGeorgia by the United States:
of course, IL Is just as eagal, and just valid now
as it when Columbus first discovered this west
ern continent. The Indians refusing 10 sell it. moth
ing is clearer than the fact, that obtaiued Mt all
either by the stete OF Georgia, or bY tlc J7liird
States, il must be done By force or fraud However
unwilling men, acting under the Government of e
Their OF thcsccommunities, may bc this con-
cusion VIC have not ingenuity cnd'gh to low thew
can avoid it. We know of 10 other mode of obtain.
my the property OF other, which he does not feel
Inclined to part with, and az INST his consent. And
though among great political bodies, softer name
amy be found 10 describe the act by which the lndi
ans may be dspossessed OF their lands, the act itself
viii eventually sc.tlt down into measure OF flaud
or force
But an idea pre- ;als To greater or loss extent IN
the country, that becau the Indians do m. inc,os-
urculvate ali their lands, therefore the lends are not
theirs we have seen ths T-cpos:c-os we'll rs
iniqwtous suggestion pTomulgcd III high official docu
iueBt gEavely commUnca ed To leri lators. AMI
published TO the country and the world as the o
pnonof ri least individual, occuDyinr the higIl
Est station IN the republic. In newspapers il is all
most DAILY repeated; and th II bills fair 10 beco.n,
the basis of measnres of the highest Importance n
The welfare Of the Indian tribes, and the character
ot our natIa5 - consider says newspaper writer
IN the New oTk Observer of August 9Sth 1924 "a
Indian title thing OF very little Importance
Il 500 naked savages have rOaincd over 5000 sqnare
miles OF the earths surface In pursuit of game does
tIlls create IN them such tt;ic 10 possession and
sovereignty, excludes all Other persons from usinT
a. rs their nccestI9 require, n my view neither
common sense, reason, nor the law of God require
any such estimate 20 be rDadc OF the natter thew
Ike al other mcn have an uadouU-cA RIGHT To sue,
lands as they have enclosed or cultivated but 20
more than this, other than common rri,t with
tha rest OF their species: and much of the difficulty
OF the present matter arises from applying the
conventional rules q civilized society, to the crcunn-
stances Of saYages, and considering 'hcsc rules
which IN great degree are conditional as moral
InaNims Of universal apD'ication." |,
If this writer does not understood "thc law of
~ fhar ]
OF civilized societY" it would become him to trans
frI his lucubratious from religious renspapcr, to
TIE Washington Telegraph, some other, OF n sim
Jar character, II he can End one equally removed
rom the influence Of that law, and the application Of
;ie moral maxns of society They certainly make /
bat poor figure among the efTIsions of pieiy and
CHARITY which are expected 20 be found in the New
York Observer.
Il consider" SAYS this write, who makes use oc
the Signature % Mayhew, ''H Jnliqn tile as
Ting OF rery E'ie i'm porfrnre." So does Governor
Iroup, and Governor Forsyth and Mr.. Secretary
fa'on, as we are ledt conclude from the language
Inade use of by him to the Cherokee delegation.
And the rcaeon Mr.. Moyhew gives for this nptable
legal opinion viz that because il is neither enclosed
nor cultivated, their title fails. IS worthy of peculiar
regard. Who owned he lands of this country when
Christians first landed upon its shores Was il not
nc property ofthn inhabitants who those in
Anhitants' Were they not Indians. Was the land
enclosed or cultivated?
But will ondeavor 70 test the snrndness Of this
new principle respecting the tenure of real estate. by
d.
vanccd by Mayhcw, and which he seems to think har
monies with the law of God, we'll that Of rea
son and common sense, Is, that the Indians have no
right any land than they can fence abou, and
crtivate. Now the laws of God the lazy of reason
ard common sense, and the law Of The land are in !
perfect agreement subjects Of this sort The doe
tTine which they all teach tha; Indians and all OF n
erpcrsons have perfect right to every thing thew
own. Neither fence, n field ~ corn rive n 7
man title TO his I1ud; they necessary 10 tho
completion oi ms titc tile may be- perfect to
wild, uncul:iyatal. unfcncci lands ~ 20 b,.lIin,
lot m the heart OF this CITY. From yclr IN year for
many years past, the govcrnmrn; Of the Jni,ed
states have been engaged in selling the lands hclonr
ing ~ the nation IN large quantities where tbrrc -
neither fence, field, crop nor inIabtnnt-nO mo-,
cycD squatter These lands arc purchased by spnc
nators. at profit il is often he case that tov lie
on h7n1 not, indeed long as the Indians have own
"a and occupied theirs, but for years perars scores
Of ycaF, before they bought mp and settled upon
1nt 90 not me purchasers own the land they buy Of
the United States, thought remains ut,2,ed ard
unfenccd'