Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-07-30

uov INT tue present toninstraton has, iur-
therance Of the policy and views Of Georgia. changed
the former policy ofths government and appraised the
Cherookees OF the nature and ext mt Of the Georgia
title to Their lands and what the probable conseQuen
ces would DC OF their "reDaaining refracfory."
Against all these pretensions OF Georgia, the Che
rokee nation have protested to the present admnsta-
ton as well as to the last. They have asserted the
lnviolabiiy oftheir treaties and invoked the faith
and demanded The protection Of the governinent.-
They have received the of the present Secre
tary OF the Department of War and the President
They have finally appealed to this House, and offered
their memorials here their last refuge from the ca.
amies which they believe await them after we shall
have turned them away. Speaking of their case the
President says in his messsge "a portion. however,
or the Southern tribes, having mingled much with the
whites, and made progress in The arts Of ctr-ed
ye, nave lately attempted to erect independent
government within the limits of Georgia and Alabama
These States, claiming to DO tho oniv soyereipns
within their territories extended their laws over the
Indians which induced the latter to call on the Uni
ted States for protection. Under these circumstau-
ces the question presented whether the general
government had right to sustain these people in
their professions? 800.
1t to be deeply regretted that before the Prcsi.
dent assumed the power to decide against the Chero-
kee nation the interesting questions which were thus
presented under the constitution laws and public trea
ties of the country, he had submitted the whole
matter to Congress his constitutional advisers
at least to the Senate with the view of disposing
these difficulties by amicable negotiation II seems
that Vt was expected at ono time that this would have
been done The Superintendent of Indian Affairs in
the War Department, IN letter of the nth of Apr
to the Cherokee Delegation. says The Secretary
OF wa IS not prepared decide the question in
VOWED In the act of the Legislature of Georgia, 10
which you refer, IN which provision is made for ex
tending the laws of Georgia oyer your people after
the first OF June, 1880 1t is question which will
doubtless be tte subject Of Congressional n0uiry and
cd by that body regret that this disposition of
the subject had not been made These questions
doubtless have been safely trusted TO Congress Blu.
II this was the intention of the government il
appears to have been soon abandoned. On the 9th
oil April and within week after Col. McKinney's
letter, the Secretary OF the Department of War in
formed the Cherokee Delegation. that since that com
municaon TO them he had converscd freely and fll-
ly with the President, and had been directed by him
to submit 10 them his views on the whole subject
Ee then explicitly tells them that their claims to the
protection of the government under these treaties and
the laws of the United States against the operation
OF the laws of Georgia, could not be recognised
shall not now call the attention of the committee 10
the doctrines assumed by this department. further
than to read one two extracts from this letter to
the Cherokee Delegation.
ITO all this says the Secretary "there is a plain
and obvious answer doducible from the known histo-
ry the country Daring the war of the revolution
your nation was the friend and ally of Great Britain;
a power which then claimed sovereignty within the
limits OF what constituted the thirteen United States
BY the declaration Of independence and subsequently,
the treaty Of 1893, all the rights of sovereignty per
timing to Great Britain, became vested Respectively
IN the original States of this Union, including North
carolina and eorgia, within whose territorial linn
its, defined and known your nation was then sit
uated IL as is The case you have been permitted
u abide your lands from that period to the
enjoying the right of soil and privilege hunt it
hot thence to he inferred that this any thing more
than permission growing of compacts with your
nation, Nor is 1t circumstance whence now to DEW
to those States the exercise of their original sover-
egn'y." Atter further explaining 10 the Cherokees
fhn onEs De-, a.
"But suppose and it suggested merely for the pur
pose OF doGfentnS your better Judgment that Georgia
cannot and ought not to claim the exercise of such
power, what alternative is preseuted?' He then
explicitly says that If any collision should arise even
this admission that Georgia Mas an the torong
the claims set up by them under their treaties for
protection cannot even then be recognized and as
to the interference of the Executive under the laws
of the Union these treaties he adds: Phe Presi-
dent cannot and will 6eguite you With such an ex
pectatioD:" and finally tells hem: mo remedy can
be perceived, except that which frequently hereto.
fore bias been submitted for your considerations re-
DoUat beyond The Juisstsspp where <ione can be as
sured to you protection and peace Il must be obvious
to you, and the President has instructed ne again
to bring to your candid and serious consideration
that to continue where you are within the territorial
limits of an independent State, promise you no
thing but Interruption and d,Squietude" About the
same time, find that in a talk delivered by the Pres.
ideDt to the Creek nation, through their agent he
told them that where they reside, their "Uhitt
6rotters' always claimed the land, and these lands
in Alabama happen TO be the lands Of the United
States He fu'ther informed them that his ssutitc
children" in Alabama had extended their laws over
thor country, md that if they remained there they
must submit to these laws. | believe, Sir, that
this bill owes its origin at this time, TO this state Of
things, and that it's chief policy is CO operate with
these States 10 the acquisition of the benefits which
they expect to attain to themselves by the removal
the Indians.
BY the course adopted By the Executive and the
rrIn inIa i,trh ha
own responsibility without consulting Congress- these
IDdiun nations have been substantially placed with
out the protection Of the United States The trea
ties OF this government made with hem from it's frs
organization and under every administration, Il
which they have solemnIy appealed for their sccun
ty against these fatal encroachmcnts on their rights
have been treated subordinate totbe laws of these
States and are thus virtually s0rogated by the Elk
ecutve Department. Tho President has assumed
the power to dispose Of the whole question, and the
message proposes to US little more than to- register
this Executive decree. This has seriously embar
rassed the whole subject. II is to be feared that IN
superable obstacles have been thus nerposed In th