The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1830-06-23
WORCESTER:
WEDNESDAY. JUNE as. 1890.
TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION.

Islature, extending the laws Of Georgia over
the Cherokee Indians, went into effect IN Tho
LIST OF June inst. The law is reeited at length
IN the Proslamation, but both the law and the
PROCLAMATION are too long for our limits. The
latter concludes as follows:
have thought proper to issue this NV Proc.
Iamation, giving notice to all persons that said
reciteu act IS now in force, and all Indians and
otners residing within said territory or else.
where, are warned not to violate its enactments.
and every officer, civil and military, is hereby
required, and every patriotic citizen of the
state urged to aid in the enforcement thereof
and especially in causing the penalties for its
vocation TO be certainly inflicted upon each and
every chief, head man, or other Cherokee In
dian, or any other person residing in said ter
rItory, who shall exercise or attempt TO exercise
any authority within said territory, under pre-
tence or by virtue of any Cherokee law, ordi
nance, order, or regulation whatsoever or who
snail, by virtue of any such pretended authori
w prevent or attempt any Indian from em:rrat-
ing from said territory, or enrolling himself for
!nat purpose, or who shall in like manner pun.
ism or modest either the person or property, or
dorioSe the rights or privileges, on account of
his or her enrolling as an emigrant or intending
10 emigrate or who shall, by virtue of any
such pretended authority, or by any arbitrary
power prevent or deter any Indian, head man.
chiei, or warrior, residing within said territory,
from selling or ceding to the United States. for
the use OF Georgia, the whole or any mart of
SAID territory, or prevent such person or per-
sons SO residing, from meeting in council or
treaty any commissioner commissioners of
the United States fer any purpose whatever. or
who shall, by virtue of any such pretended an.
thorlty, or by any arbitrary force put to death
any Indian for enrolling as an emigrant, at.
tempting 70 emigrate, ceding or attempting to
ceoe the whole or any part of said territory. Of
meeting or attempting to meet in council for
that purpose.
In reference to these acts on the part of tie
government of Gcorgia-to which LET il be
horne IN mind. our national administration have
given their assent-the Ne,o York .Adrertiser
makes the following spirited and just remarks
We challenge the annals of civilized nations
TO produce Legislative act, on any subject, even
Tor the establishment of an lnquisiton if any
such act there be that was ever committed to
writing, that surpasses the foregoing in pure,
nnmIxed, unprincipled tyranny and oppression. |
without stopping TO notice this measure as an
act Tor legislative plumber and devastation, as |
an INTENDED violation of the sacred rights of per-
son and property, we turn the public attention |
tains: Here, the laws, usages, and customs of
the Indians, under which they have lived for
ages Tar beyond the reach Of historical record. |
ana PROBABLY tor many centuries before the state |
or colony of Georgia had being, are declared
=" to be null and void, and of no effect, as if the
same had never existed" We presume no leg.
isiatlve body, even in case over which they |
nag unquestlonable jurisdiction, ever adopted |
such sweeping measure as this Without in |
curing into the nature of the Indian laws and
usages, without attempting to ascertain the |
'., """Hns % a geoe~~l md Pror,rieouous an
limitation OF them, they, by an arbitrary and |
despotic enactment, pass over the whole sys. |
tenn with the Bosom ofdestruction.
IL is then made high misdemeanor to pre-
vent' OF 10 oner TO prevent, by any means, any
person from emigrating from the Indian lands, !
or enrolling his name for the purpose of emf |
grating, and punishable by confinement at hard
LABOR In The state prison, for term not exceed
Ing lou. years. Equally criminal, and more Sc.
verely penal is it declared TO be, 10 prevent, or
deter any chief, head man. or warrior, from sell.
ing or .cedng to the U. States, for the use of
georgia or TO prevent, or offer TO prevent, any
such Chief, &c, from attending any council or
treaty, for any purpose whatever. For these
latter offences, the punishment is Imprisonment
IN the State Prison not less than four nor more |
than stT gears. And what is still more remark |
able, the legislature of Georgia undertakes to |
make 1t highly penal offence for an Indian to
prevent, or offer to prevent, his countrymen
from meeting in council or treaty, persons an
pointed by the u States, for any purpose ,ohat-
eUer.
BY the 18th section, all Indians are discuali6.
ed as witnesses against any white man, EXCEPT
such white man reside within the Indian nation
The obJect>of this most extraordinary legisla.
tive act, most obviously is to force the Indians.
by dlnt OF oppression, and the severity of nun.
ishment, to abandon their homes and posses.
slons, to power more lawless, more greedy,
more grasplng, and more unrelenting, than the
communities of barbarians which inhabit the
shores OF Africa, and extend their piratical dep
! relations to all other nations. The Algerines
do not punish men for the expression Of their
opinions to each other, about their common in
lerests, and in the secluson ofsocia intercourse
Inc State OF Georgia makes it felony TO ex-
press such opinions among the Indians
And TO move this miserable people beyond
the reach of justice and of hope, as well as per-
sonal security, they by sovereign act dsqual-
lily whole nation for even tcstifying in court,
when suffering under the severest injuries, and
! the most unqualified injustice and oppression
Nay, the magistrate who signs and issues this
proclamation, details among the offences ofthe
Indians, that their head men and rulers, since
the passing of the act of Georgia. have endeav-
! ored to excite the Indians against submission TO
the laws Of the State of Georgia, "by appeal
ing to the Congress Of the United States, to
protect them against these Laos! And is it
become penal offence, is it crime for any
portion of the inhabitants of the United States,
TO petition Congress for any purpose, and above
all things, for security against oppression and
iniquity'
We constantlyhear it from members Of Con-
gress who voted for tine Indian bill, and from
newspaper editors who are devoted to any thing
that is sanctioned by the present administration
that that bill is mild and moderate measure,
not contemplating the use of force to drive off
the Indians; but leaving it with them to go or
not as they may choose. This is mere mock.
cry, and intended only to impose upon The good
sense, integrity, and humanity of the commu.
nifty. The Indians are left to the humanity of
the State Of Georgia, TO the operation of the