Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-11-06

Nh"e WViN 70 % w SNC poihA anu 'hiN'N1 w N"N0N
quotations from the message and report; aud that is, to
state, that they were both submitted 10 Congress about
one month after the message OF Gov. Forsyth TO the Geor-
gia legislature, which bears date the 18th OF N~ovember,
1928, and in which that officer insisted strongly on the
duty OF the general government to remove the Indians,
and proposed to the legislature the taking OF Immediate
steps 10 subject. the whole Cherokee county to the opc-
ration of the State laws, and to divide amo"g tie citizens
OF the State all the hands claimed by the tribe, except
such portions as should Toe assigned in Severalty to the In
dams who should remain, and Tor which an Indemnity
should be claimed from the United States. This docu-
ment and the proceedings had uponit la the Georgia le-
eislature, must have been well known to Mr.. Adsus and
his cabinet; aud II the propositions made 10 Congress had
been prepared by the author OF the State message, they
could hardly, IN their results, have more entirely CORES
POnded.
Before we pass fron these papers, let me call your at
tcnticn to the harsh language IN which Gen. Porter and
commended TO the special notice OF Congress and OF the
nation-rclcclCd on the conduct and motives OF the mis-
sionarics then residing among the Indians, ttcO If tchOn
,oee .Aiessrs. TVorccstrr Gnd B,ttier, IN u,hose behalf so
many and such inhdnnGt0Ty appeals, are made 10 The
religious putiici When, and in What document, Mr.. Pre-
sident, did Andrew Jackson ever utter or approve of such
cehsures on these persons No such language can be
found in any document which has cnanatc4 from Andrew
JacksOn-no-no even in the FORGED LETTER to the
American Board OF Foreign Missions, recently fabricated
for the purpose of increasing the excitement against him.
Aud yet has Andrew Jackson been made obnoxious 10 the
yreJuIices OF a great proportion OF the religious public, on
the alleged ground that he cntertaius towards the Mis-
sionarics, feelings both unkind and unjust! Aud Messrs
Clay anu Writ, who may be presumed 10 have assentcd TO
the censurcs above quoted, are specially commended to
the favor and support OF the friends and patrons OF those
prosecuted meul
Whilst | do no, concur in the severe censures Of Mr..
Adams and his cabinet, | have no hesitation in saving that
In my Judgment, the missionaries, in interfering in the po-
hical questions between the Cherokees aud Georgia
overstepped the limits of their duty. Let me not be nisun-
derstood. | have not the slightest doubt of the purity oil
their motives; lsympathize with them in their suiferings;
aud honor them for adhering, at the risk of impnsonneni
aud bonds, TO what they, sincerely-though as | think,
most enormously, believed to be their duty. But 1 am
equally satisfied, that in reference to this point, they en-
sirely inisjudge-probably under the influence of bad ad.
visers-aad [ cannot but think, that if they had confined
their studies TO their Bibles, instead of extending those 10
the treaties with the Indians, the Constitution of the u
states. IN IN Statnlo laws n 4 Z 0upTpga n DI nro
they would have found the very question whether it wa.
proper for them, as ministers ofthe gospel, 10 become par
ties in this controversy, decided in the plaincst manner
and by the highest authority, in the negative.
1 allude, sir, 10 the memorable answer given by the
Author OF Christianity, to the question put to him con
corning the tribute money exacted from the Jews by the
Roman emperor. To show the pertinency OF this refer
ence, let US compare the two cases. We are told by tn,
missionaries and those who approve their course, that the,
intertered in behalf Of the Cherokees, because, after in
vestigaing the subject, they had formed a deliberate OPT
Mon that the Cherokee nation was the righuul sovereign
OF the territory in question, and that Georgia had no righl
TO extend her Jurisdiction over il. For the sake of the ar.
sument, let Us admit (what otherwise l should not fee
myself at liberty To admiO that they were right in this
opinion, and then lot VS. recur TO the condition Of Judca a
the time to which | have referred. That country had beer
gwen By the Creator TO the descendants Of Abraham for
ever, and they had been planted in it by divine interpo
sition, for the purpose of preserving the knowledge an,
worship of the true God. Shortly before our Saviour
advent, the Romlns, a nation of idolatOrs, residing on ano
Their continent, and having no connexion or iniercours,
with the descendants of Abraham, who were yet In actu
al possession OF the territory, the whole of which ha,
teen hundred years-the Romans, infamed by the lust o
conquest, and without any justilable cause, carry thei
arms into this insulated corner of the earth; wage an of
AM sn%,&sN ii3aHHoSs' rfHhe ,r consent . GsGii and a ,hf p9 heir Sii 's .Sror,
oppressive taxes. Now, even though we were 10 be
Ieve that the Cherokees were all right, and Georgi, al
wrong in The controversy between them, yet no one wi
aulrh, mat the oPpre ssiOD of Georgia could exceed tba
oil the Romans, or the right of the Cherokees he cIearc
or more sacred than thato of the Jews. But when the d..
cipics OF the Pharisees and HcTodians came IN Him ubos
example should be the guido of all his ministers. with IN,
inslulous ana hyrocrihcal question, ais ii lawful to give
ur unto Caesar the things which are Cpsar's and ,,n,
God the things that are God's!' This wonderful renI,
touches aud covers the whole question. II sbows osPt!
claly when taken in connie XiOn with the course uniform
~ pursued by the Saviour and his apostles, that those wb,
had been sent to preach the gospel TO the Chcrokces, wer,
not only not bound TO take part in this unhappy controvrr
~, but that when they did so, they laid aside the charac
ter oil ministers of the gospel, aud assumed that of poliii
clans and partzans. r
The religious community had sent them to the Indial
country ior the purpose OF scattering the seeds of ciyiiza
ton ana knowledge, and OF teaching the natives the trntIr
oI ue gospel ana Tor this purpose solely. 1 do not den,
their right to become paruzans and champions of the Che
iokees itthey thought proper 10 do so; for, notwithstanding
their commission as missionaries, they still retained tIe ~,
binary rights Of American citizens. What mean IN ssv
Is, that when they became such partizans and cham
plons they laid aside, in reference to the poGtic,I CON
troversy in which they engaged, and in rei,rence 70 ~
consequences which result from it, the sacred Office O.
they confined themselves TO the duties of that office. he,
would Justly have had, to the support and protecton of ,5'
rehSiouS community. This, at loast, is the light, in which
aHer mature dcibeTauOn, am compelled 10 regard ,h,
matter; and, apprehend it will be difficult, if not imDossi
Die, TO satisfy impartial and rejecting men that 1 am wrong
8N ~ NNNab liOAi tulo hlZItS@lOD. y Oh sill nnt fail f.
observe, sir, that the conclusion expressed i'm the renort y
Ten Porter and the message OF Mar. Adams, must be pre-.
suned to have been asscnted TO by Mr.. CLAY and Mr
writ, the candidates now before the people in opnosiGo,
to Gen. jackson, because they were then both member.
oil tue Cabinet; and II is not to be supposed hiatt matter of
TINS importance would have been submitted to Conoress
m so unqualified a manner, II they had disscnted from H.
Here theD, with the decision of the last administrator
thdt Tue Cherokccs mere not tn be protected by the Gcue'
RAJ Government IN their claims Qf ercItsips sopeyejonty
0t mat POicY, duty, end humanity, required their re-.
moral 10 a territory beyond the Mississippi; let us pause
or a moment, whilst we contemplate the Introduction into
me government, OF the new administration and the course
which II pursued.
That event occurred in March, 1929, after the adjourn
ment OF I Congress, which had separated without u,ssna
any bll upon ;he subject; and the question therefor Orc CON-
suthIcd an immediate and proper subject Of attention.
Gohcrdl Jackson took II up, and examined it for himself
no judicial opinions had then been pronounced upon iC'
Dut Inc had before him the deliberate report of General
Porter, and the equally deliberate message OF MIR. Adams,
WIN TIC ald oil those documents and OF his previous infor.
hdnoh on the subject, and under the sanction of the oath.
no had taken to support the Constitution, General Jackson.
aHer giving to the Whole matter his best consideration
came To the conclusions, that ho could not, consistently
WIN thdt oath, undertake TO maintain, by the power of nho
General government, and against the State of Georgia
me PretensOps OF the ChcrOkcos. In this opiniou The
Whoie oil The cabinet cOncurrcd; aud they unanimously re-
commended The adoption OF tie same course of policy
which had been pointed out in the report of General
Iorlcr and the Message Of Mr.. Adams. In the message
Of December, 1879, the general views of the President In
TeIdtIoh 10 The Indians, were submitted to The consideration
OF congress, and the wisdom and necessity of providing
lOr heir removal, strongly pressed. A bill was repofed.