Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-04-15
EroDs FAC Lorion Courrr.
INVENTION OF LETTERS BY A ClIERO-
KEE INDIAN

TIA. tho Cherokee Indians have publsI,ed for some
time past newspaper, partly in English ard party in
their own language We have seen several copies Of
inns Journal, but were qui unable TO Imagine how
the Cterokees became possessed Of Nh alphabctic
c'ierac' all he following very curious and esting
account fell into our hands. IL is an extract from
she ''l.ecture5 OF Mr.. Knapp on American I.itera-
tore" and in our opinion, records Of the most
GsisaDc,luary events which has occurred sirce the
o.Ginsi Invention of letters. 1t appears that IN
dia % the name Of See-qsah- yah IS the inventor of
ls Cherokee alphabet, and the insentor under such
G.sadvaGtageous circumstances render hun, in our
H';mblscpinion, one of the most extraordinary men
t'ai Tie world has produced. The Universities and
o,ar learned societies in Europe would be only doing
common justice to Seequahy ah in granting TO MIN
the highest literary distinctions
The Indians themselves are becoming piloIorsts
ali GrrmnisrizIis, and exciting the woader Of the
We Idly the invention of letters. The invention of
hc Chcrtkce alphabet has tScited the asonis .ncut
a. thc philosopher in this country aud in Europe; but
as hase not Jet seen any satisfactory account of the
progress and history of this great effort uf qen,s of
the present day. will state what know OF it. from
tile bps OF the inventor himself
"In the winter of IS28, delegation ef the Cher.
cIees visited the city of Washington, in order 10
make treaty with the United States, aild among
was See quah-yah the inventor Of the Cherokee
alphabet His English name George Guess; he
visa h1k blood bat had never from his own account
sp ken single word of English up to the time of his
invention nor since. Prompted by my own curiosity
and urged by several literary friends applied 10
Eeeq1li- yah, through the medium of two inicrp.e-
'Grsoae ha;f-5lood, Captain Roger, and tho other
ut! 5lood Chief, whose assumed English name was
John Nav, "a relate to me- as infinitely as possible
'h Hcnal operations and all tie facts in his discov-
sry. lie ehecrfnly complied with my request, and
very Deliberate aud satisfactory answers 20 eve
QG5.tion, and was at the time careful to know
.-5u its interpreter if 1 understood his answers.
RIO Sio,C could have been more grave in his demea-
rof, han WAS See-fuah-yaIi he pondercd, according
-a.,.aiBd!an custom, for considerable time after
Ga Question YVES put, before he made his reply, and
r..". took Wifi of his calumet while rejecting on
81. er-Set The details of the examination are too
-- ~ Ito closing paragraph Of this lecture; but
- .uas'aa"c of It was-that he (Sce quab VAIL was
about iHty five years old, but could not precisely
.v..aat IA early life he vas gay and Laxative. and
l-7rhhe never attempted to speak in Council but
.,a yet often, from the strength Of his memo
lis easy cOlloquia powers and ready command
a bis rcrnaculnr, story teller Of the convivial par
=. His reputation for talents Of every kind gave
nm some distinction when he was qnte young, so
! ng ago st. Glars defeat. In this campaign, or
some one that coon followed IL, letter was found on
tic person Of prisoner, which was wrongly read by
!:a % TIC Indians. In OF their deliberations
on his subject the question arose among them whe-
thcr The mysterious power of the talking leaf" was
the g!n Of the Great Spirit to the white man. or
discovery Of the white himself? Most Of his
compancns were Of the former opinion, while lac ns
strrnuously maintained the latter
This frequently became a subject Of contampla-
ton with him afterwards, well many other things
vh.ch he knew, had heard that the white man
MD do but he never sat down seriously to reflect
'il' HItHJcGb bHeitlnB us knee COultneQ
IL - his cabin, and which at length made him
1ne Cor life, by shortening the diseased leg. De-
.rit-d OF the exctemcnts of war and the pleasures
- - chase, III the long nights of lIis confinement
nnnd was again directed 20 the mystery Of "epenk.
NJ by ioiiets,' The very name Of which, Of course
"aan't to be found in his language. From the cries
uf Md bogs's, from the talents OF the knocking bird
from the voices Of his children and lis comosn,onr
ic knew t!at feelings and passions wore conveyed by
arec sounds ffom intelligent being 70 ailoti or
The thought struck him TO try to ascertain all the
sounds 10 The Cherokee language Ills own car was
noi remarkably discriminating, and lac called 10 his
aid NE more acute ears ofbis wife and Children.
when he thought that lie had distinguished oil
tho different sounds in their language. he ATTEMPTED
10 ose pictorial signo, images OF birds md beasts 20
convey these sounds TO others, mark hem 10 his
own mind lie soon dropped this method as difficult
OF DpOsFbc, and tried arbitrary signs without nuv
regard 10 appearances, except such as mirht nssst in
rcroiccting them, and distinguished them from EACH
.im'. ~ first these signs very hume rous and
wien he got fnT az 20 think his nven ION WINS nesr
b. accomplished lac had about 200 characters IN his
aiprabct. By the AID Of his daughter WHO seemed
or into the genius Of his lsbours ne reduced
hem at last 20 eighty six, the number he nog psns
T." then sot TO work To make these caractors more
comedy TO the eye and succeodeG-as yet no Ind not
te knowledge of ibe pen On instrument b,t made
liis characters on piece OF bark, with knife or
NAH At this time he sent to The Indian agent or
'''"" 'rodeT ~ tho nation, cF pnper and pen, His
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