Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-08-18

What are those means? Georgia pro-
ceeds to enforce her intolerable laws
The Indians arc subjected to punishment
and penalties for disobeying what they
do not understand-7strange laws, promul-
gated in language which few OF them
know. w.-Amidst the vexations to whic /
they will be exposed, the commissioners
deputed by their Great Father arrive a.
mong them. These commissioners arc
empowered to bribe the chiefs by largessc:
bestowed upon them, and by means o.
cxtravagant valuations Of their improve
ments, respecting which congress has
prescribed no rule, but submitted every
thing to the discretion of the president
A Georgia party among the Indians will
be thus secured. The corruption will be
extended, if necessary to attain the OBJ
ject, to others besides the chiefs. A
majority may possibly be thus corrupted
to consent to removal, and to conclude
the treaties necessary to effect it. The
president will then come to congress
with these treaties, and keeping out of
view the practices resorted to in the ne
gociation Of them, will ask the further
appropriation necessary to execute
them.
That corruption is an intrumcnt in
tended to be employed, is substantially a.
vowed in public document emanating
from the secretary of war, with the pre-
sumcd sanction Of the president, and is
also to be inferred from the refusal of the
senate to prohibit it. For what other
purpose was so large sum as half a
million Of dollars appropriated, and put at
the disposal of the president, without any
specific designation of its object.
But it is not the wretched Indians alone
who are to be affected by this fagitous
measure. They may even possibly find
in the extravaganza of the price paid for
their lands and of the valuations of their
improvements, something like an equiv
alent for the sacrifices which they are
called upon to bear. But how are the
people Of the United States to be COM
pensated for the millions ofmoney which
are to be lavished upon this favorite pro-
ject of the president ? The Indian lands
within the limits of Georgia upon the ex-
tinction of their title pass to Georgia and
not to the United States.
We have statement of the probable
cost Of this wastelul and eXtravagant mea-
sure, presented by an intelligent member
Of the house of representatives in his
place; and founded in part upon actual
prices paid for Indian lands, and in part
upon the estimates ofthe war department.
Here are the particulars:
First purchase the title SLIGO, 1873
Expenses ofimprovcments to be paid
for or replaced 9,O75,OOO
"Collection and transportation
of Indians 2,o5o,oooI
Subsistence for one year 4,1O6,2 $50
Cost ofnew lands in the west 100000
together to the
enormous sum of So4,O9l 1888
and equal to tax Of two dollars per
head upon every person, young and ole,
black and white in the United States
The proportion of Kentucky calculated
by the same member, upon official docu-
ments, is one million one hundred and
wenty thousand dollars! And this she
S called upon to pay under bill when
he president refused to sanction a bill
appropriating only $3.50, 1000 to the i'm
orovement of a great national road, pas
sing through some of the most populous
parts of her territory. But vast as the
lbove sum is, it exhibits but part ofthe
Durthen which the nation will be saddlcd
with, if the removal of the Indians to the
west Of the Mississippi shall be accom-
plished. They will be placed there in
The midst of, or in contact with fierce and
strange tribes. Dissentions and wars
will be the inevitable consequence. The
L nited States being bound to protect the
Indians in their new home, will be con-
strained to interposc their power. A
standing army, subsisted and supplied at
an immense expense in that distant re-
gion must be maintained, and that for an
Indefinite period.
All these taxes are to be borne to ap-
'easc Georgia, and according to Mr..
to avert the civil war which
he was threatening to light up. Upon
he same principle, we ought to tear the
american system from the statute book,
md offer it up as a propitiatory sacrifice
o South Carolina, to prevent the war
which she is threatening to declare "a
,ainst the United States.
And will Georgia be benefited in any
hing like the extent of the injury which
his measure will bring upon the United
'tates' If her population were crowd
ID and ovcrflowing; if it were suffering
" its density and wanted room, and
:ould only find it upon Indian lands,
here might be some apology for this
neasure. But the man of the r. States