Litchfield enquirer., 1830-02-11


 sippi, the Cherokee, the Greek, and the ChOc- ! taw. would be glad if the resolution was more extensive ;3sO extensive as to embrace | all the Indians in the United States. do not intend tO prOpose an amendment to the resolution tO the effect have stated, without first giving the gentleman an opportunity to explain his reasons for limiting the inquiry. If no objection, satisfactory to me. is stated, why inc inquiry should not be extended, as ! have sugges'eds then shall move te amend the resnla'IJn.
 Mr Fr"linghuyscn said he had strong req sons why he did not wish to extend the in- quiry tO other Indians than those mentioned in the resolution, and stronger reasons why it should not be extended to GH other Indians. The Senate will perceive, said Mir. F., that the resolution proposes an inquiry in the pro grcss " hich these tribes Of Indians have made in improvement and civilization, and an in- vestigation into the present state of their civil government, education, agriculture and the mechanic arts. One of the prominent req sons, he said, he had for employing this phras- eolOgy in the resolution, was, that tt IS the emphatic terms in which our treaties with these tribes are cvuch8d. With respect to agriculture. we have encouraged these free tribes in the pursuit of it. We have agreed
  facility, by extending to them our patronage, and giving them the cOuntenance of the gov ernment. By our pledges to them we have guaranticd tand under our solemn faith and obligations, are bound to fulfil the pledges we have made to them) the undisturbed, Uninter- rupted possession of their territory. It ia in vain, said Mir. F., to disguise that an attempt is now made to interrupt that possession. and what were the reasons, he asked, which were urged for the removal of the'e Indians from the country they now inhablt? Humanity, it is said, requires their removal; and this is the only reason assigned. as appears from the res olutions of the state legislature, from the pub lie prints of the country; nay, this is the reason given in the very message of the Ex- ccutiye of the government. Humanity, it is said, calls for our interference, because, while the Indians remain in the neighborhood of the white people, their situation is daily dete- riorating, and their population decreasing. Justice calls for a correct statement respecting the condition of these tribes. I want, said MT. F., 10 meet the reasons which have been urged for the removal of these people. I want It to be shown to- the Senate, how true these representations are with regard to these same Indians. With regard to them, and es- pecialiy to the CherOkees, we are bound to
  improvement. They are rising every day in moral elevation: they are leaving behind them the habits of the savage lite, and have estab- lished for themselves civil government ; they are entering upon the arts of peace, ag- riculture, commerce, and mechanics they know the obligations of law and in regard to population, instead of its approaching to annihiiation, or melting away, they have out stripped the whites in any section of the country.
 ! l have proposed this resolution, therefore because wish to be able to meet the reasons 1 which now assal us, that unless we remove these people, their population will soon mel away. It is in vain we attempt to disguise
 the tendsosAy sAd 9f & &Hc fo eoGis9 .ucb ;no? nation as will enable me to meet those req sons fairly. fully, and fearlessly; and on tin. faith of treaties, to show that we are pledged to encourage and protect these people. 1 want to be enabled, to prove that they need 1 no such assistance as that proffered to prevent their annihilation. If we only leave them where the faith of treaties renders it ObligatO- ry on us to leave them. they will raise them selves to high moral elevation they will secure for themseIvesa a strength and stability of civil government. and will make a rapid progress in the cultivation of the arts.
 Another reason which justifies the adoption of this resolution is. that as we have bound ourselves to protect and patronize them in the cultivation of the arts, as independent sover- eign people, it is duty we owe to ourselves. to them, to this country, and the world at large, which is looking on us, to see that we have fulfilled this obligation, and to ascertain. oy reference to the propeH department, what progress they have made in these arts. therefore apprehend, that if the resolution proposed is adopted, shall be enabled, when the discussion of this question comes on, to meet, by official documents, the reasons as- signed for the removal of these Indians. We shall also informed what progress they have made in civilization; or, if they have retro graded. what has been the cause of it. If the reasons which he alluded to would be re- moved by this information, then the reasons to interfere with these people would be also removed.
 Mr. Forsyth replied, that the gentleman rom New Jersey misapprehended him in inc observations he had made. had no obiec ton, MT. F. said. to the inquiry which the resolution proposed. but objected tO con6n- lng the investigation to three sections of inc Indians only. wish that it should embrace all the Indians -in the United States. The resolution does not even embrace all the In- d'ans in the part of country, in which the oth. CTS mentions inhabit. The Chickasaws ara as n"me'o 'ous as any other tribe mentioned: 0A