Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-08-16
From. Tie Nsw- York .4nscricda.

n,thos and force; and the Languages, throu
mild and respectful. After giving history =,
ths question up TO the present PERIOD II Illu'
.neats of the late unsuccessful application 10 oon-
gress: ,,.:.v, w.;..
oD,r;no four long months our delegation wau-
al ar the doors of the National Legislature " he
limited States, and the people at home III 'he oss
no;,ful suspense, to learn IN what manner Jul
snnl;cation would be answered; and now tna' oun-
oress has adjourned. on the very day De,ofe 'ue
date fixed by Georgia for the extension VI "e' Up
psessive laws over the greater part OF our
the distressing intelligence has been reoel'su ua'
we lave received no answer at all; anu "o uep'''
meut of the Government has ASSURE. =, Us ''a' VIC
are to receive the desired protecnon.
The address then dwells with dependency
,non the situation to which the Cherokees are re-
diced. and after an indignant alluson to those
Inv whom they are thus pressed to extrem''ies'and
~ exnression of grateful acknowledgment to
,hose who have indicated their rights, 1t states.
in the following terms, what the committee con-
ce;ye to be the relations Of their countrymen with
the United States:
| latter the peace of 1883, the Cherokees were
an independent people; absolutely So. as much as
any people on earth. They had been allies to
Great Britain, and as faithful ally took part
in the'culonnia war on her side. They had placed
themselves under her protection, and had they'
without cause declared hostility against their pro-
tector. and had the colonies been subdued, what
might not have been their fate! But her power
| on this continent was broken. She acknowledge
| ed the independence of the United States, and
made peace The Cherokees therefore stood alone;
and, in these circumstances, continueu inc war.
| They were then under no obligations to the Un-
tied States any more than to Great Britain. France
or Spain. The United States never subjugated
the Cherokees; on the contrary, our fathers re-
manned in possession of their country, and with
arms in their hands.
1.-The people of the United States sought
peace: and. in 7Sj, the treaty of Hopewell was
formed bv which the Cherohees came under the
protection of the United States. and submitted to
such limitations of sovereignty as are mentioned
in that instrument. None of these limitations.
however. effected, in the slightest degree. their
rights of self gcvei nment and invioatc territory.
The citizens Of the United States had no right of
passage through the Cherokee country I'LL the
year I'LL. and then only in one direction, and
BY an express treaty stipulation When the
Federal constitution was adopted. the treaty ct
! HONEYWELL was confirmed. with all other treaties,
as the Supreme law Of the land. In 1871. the
treaty of Holston was made. BY which the sover-
eighty Of the CherOkees was qualified as !ollows
| The Cheerokees acknowledged themselves to b.
under the protection Of the United States. and Of
no other sovereign. They engaged that they
would not hold any treaty with foreign power.
with any separate state of the Union. or with in
di,iduals. They agreed that the United States
should have the exclusive right Of regulating their
trade, that the citizens of the United States
should have a right OF way in one direction ihro'
the Cherokee country ;and that AN Indian should
I C
should be delivered up to be tried and punished.
| 4 cession of land was also made to the United
States. On the other hand. the United States
paid sum of money; offered protection. engaged
! to punish citizens Of the IT, States. who should
do anv injury TO the Cherokees; abandon white
settlers on Cherokee lands to the discretion OF the
| Cherokees; stipulated that white men should not
hunt on these lands, nor even enter the country
without passport; and gave solemn guaranty
| of all Cherokee lands not ceded. This treaty
| is the basis of all subsequent CompaCts; and In
none of them are the relations of the parties at all
! chan ed.
! {. The Cherokees have always fulfilled their
engagements. They have never reclaimed those
| portions OF sovereignty. which they surrendered
by The treaties of Hopcwcl and Holston These
portions were surrendered for the purpose OF OBJ
tanning the guaranty which was recommended to
them as The great equivalent Had they refused
% comply with their engagements. there Is no
doubt the United States would have enforced
| compliance Is it the duty of fulfilling engage
ments on the other side less binding than it
would be, if the Cherokees had the power Of en-
forcing their just claims?'
The address concludes with the following ap-
peal to the people of the United States:-
1T is under sense of the most punsent feel
ings that we make this. perhaps our last appeal.
to the good people Of the United states. 1t can
not be that the community we are addressing,
remarkable for its intelligence and religious sem
sibiities, and pre-emnept for lis devotion to the
rights of man. will lay aside this appeal without
considering that we stand in need of its sympa-
thy and comClisseration. Shall we be
compelled by civilized and Christian people,
with whom we have lived in perfect peace for
the last forty years, and for whom we have will
lingly bled in war. to bid final adieu to our
homes, our farms. our streams, and our beautiful
forests: 10 the land which gave us birth, and
which. every day of our lives, brings to us new
and stronger ties of attachment: We appeal to