Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-08-14
STATE OF New York, }
Albany, Dec. IS, 1882. !
His Epcellency, Wilson Lunlphin,

His ErcelIency, Wilson Len,phin,
Governor of The State of Georgia.
DEAR SIR-We beg leave to address
you upon subject with which, we con
fess, we have no right to interfere, and in
reference to which your feelings must,
long ere this time, have been sufficiently
harrassed. We refer to the refractory
missionaries now confined in the Peniten-
tiary of your state, in pursuance OF sen
tence Of the court of your state, and upon
conviction for deliberate and unjustifl-
able violation of the laws of your state.
1t is not our object to enter into either
an examination of the facts of their
case or into a discussion Of the law which
governs it, but to make to you friendly
suggestions, proceeding from the bcstmo
tives, and which, being communicated
only to yourself, can do no harm, if they do
no good. StiIlit is proper, that we should
precedc these suggestions with such of our
clearly entertained opinions, in relation
to the intrinsic merits of the pending con
troversy, as may satisfy you that we, at
no previous period, have been ranged
upon the side Of those who arraign the
conduct of Georgia, impugn the motives
of her legislators and other public officers,
or question the soundness of the princl-
pie she has assumed, that no Independent
sovereignty can exist within her limits,and
that her laws within those limits, subject
to the laws and treaties of the United
States, must prevail and be enforced :;
ard that we may not be misunderstood,
we further distinctly say that we do not
consider the treaties made between the
government and the Indians as partaking,
in any degree in a national sense, OF the
character of treaties with independent
nations. but rather hold them as contracts
or articles of agreement, subject in all
cases to the constitution of the United
States and the laws of congress, and we
consider it inconsistent, wholly and abso
lutely inconsistent with that provision OF
the constitution, which guarantees to all
the states of this confederacy repubi.
can form of government, that the presi
dent and Senate should have the power
/ to make treat, which should constitute
or recognize an independent sovereignty
within one of these states. You will not
under stand us as admitting, or even foI
one moment supposing, that this has been
either done or attempted by those author
l tiles; bet we are thus explicit, that no
doubts as to our opinions may weaken the
force of the suggestion we are about to
make.
Thus much being said as TO the i'm
pressions we entertain in relation to the
law and the right of the case, we now
speak as politicians. From the unPleas-
ant agitations which, at the present time
are convulsing, in an unusual extent, an
other of the independent states of the
Union, we feel the deepest interest that
all danger of conflict between the author
titles of the general government should be
\ p, at rest. This, we believe, may be
|douc by the pardon of these misguided
men. Our reasons for this belief grew
out of the late election. No subject wa;
more fully submitted to the people, pend