Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-05-29
Tuesday,, .Nny %. lo3S
N SENATE

1,Ic ntlERlEEEQ


THE CHEROkEEs.
The following message received from the Presi.
dent of the United States by Mr. Abraham Van Buren,,
bis private Secretary:
To the Senate of The United States:
The accnmoan wing copy Of Il communication address
ed TO the Secretary Of War by the Cherokee delegation
is Submitted Congress- in order that such measures
may be adopted as required TO carry into effect the
benevolent intentions of the Government towards The
Cherokee nation. and which it is hoped will induce them
to remove peaceaby and conlenedy to their ne homes
in the West M VAN bChEN'
WAsulSoroS, May 81, 1893.
The message aud accompanying document having
been rend-
Mr. King observed that he had glanced his eye over
the document transmitted by the Executive IN his mes
sare Of this morning. and lie could not but regret that
snch paper had been laid before the Senate 10 the
absence of all information his part as to The leading
motive of the Secteary of War in making that com
munics,ion he was loss 20 know what disposition
to make of il, II appeared to hIm That 1t was most
unfortunate and i'll judged measure; and that conse
ouences Of the injurious character might grow out
OF IT, II was not the time to say any thing As to
the character OF that paper but he would observe that
there evidence that the Cherokee delegation here
disposed 10 accept the terms proposed by The sece
tary Il appeared 10 him that the Delegations vi The
States more Immediately interested in the matter ought
to have been consulted and considering how deeply the
interests of those States involved that no move
ment on ht TO have been made without their sanction
AS he had not had time 10 give to the paper that
examination which its importance required, he would
move TO Law it on the table until he could give II such
an examination would enable him TO determine what
course TO take with regard TO It,
Mr. Clay Of Alabama, had listened 10 the document
Just read with the profound regret mingled with
surprise He regretted extremely that 1t had been
thought proper by the Secretary of War with the APP
probation OF the President doubt, to take step like
this without previous consultation with The delegation
of either Of The States that deeply Interested IN
this important subject AS respected the delegations
from Georgia, Tennessee, aud North Carolina, he had
no owrdge and therefore could not say whether they
had been consulted the matter but he would say, that
neither his colleague himself had had the slightest
inmaton Of what going forward, and that the first
information he had received OF II derived from the
paper Jus, read So far from his being consulted and
prepared FOR any thing Of the kind the very first thing
he did his arrival in this city, at the commencement
Of the extra session, to wait the Secretary OF
War; and protest against any interference with The
culion of The treaty. and to warn him that ii would Ger
,ainy produce another Indian war; and revive the
that had been enacted in Florida.
Sir, said Mr. c., the scenes III Florida ought to have
admnnshed the Secretary OF the danger OF tampering
with subject Of such fearful importance, and that
mness and energy, with rigid adherence to the Terms
of the treaty the only 10 prevent war and
bloodshed This te,nporizing policy not the way
to preserve the respect of the Indians TO quiet the
minds Of own citizens The plan of the Secretary
proposed that the Executives Of Alabama, Tennessee,
and Georgia might be consulted, and instructions sent
to General Scott time 10 arrest The execution o: the
treaty. And under what circumstances: AS he had
been Informed there had been several recent murders
penetrated on By thcse misguided Indians,
excited no doubt, by the decisions held out to them
by their leading here at the seat of Government.
He had Just learned that the late Survey general OF
the State Of Georgia had been murdered by Chero.
kee Indians, and that his feryman had shared the
fate. Such the occurring ut the very time
that the Secretary proposes TO Interfere with The treaty
and bearing an ominous resemblance to thnFe which
ushered in the Florida He had hoped that other
councils would have governed the Administration, and
that, hIc front
as we'll the preservation of the Indians themselves
and which had been solemny ratified by both Houses OF
Congress would have been fairly executed, and end
put to this dsrncting subject He would take the oc-
casou TO saw in Justice TO himself and the people Of his
State that the Secretary Of War was warned owe. and
again before the commencement OF the Creek war
Of The danger of the course he was pursuing and he
was urgently solicited to provide for the protection OF
the people against Indian violence. Notwithstanding
the danger that threatened he would not even under
take pay for detachment Of militia raised for that
purpose What was The consequence Why The Creek
war Of 1886, which followed bv that of 1887
Without profiing by former errors which had been tol
lowed by such disastrous consequences the Secretary
was induced again to alter in carrying into execution
treaty which apparent could By no means be got
over. And what motive prompted this pretended Che
rokee delegations Why the whole secret of This mat
Ter could be learned by the propositions in the hd
article Of the treaty submitted by John Ross. which
were, that all moneys due TO the nann should be paid
the principal Chiefs be by them disposed of for the
benefit Of The tribe. Here the whole secret 1t
was get the control of the money, not for the benefit
of the poor Indians but to enrich John Ross and his
socates while the rest Of the tribe TO be ground
down to the dust Under the stpuatons OF the former
treaty, the Indians dealt with in liberal
manner. The money was TO be fairly distributed and
not 10 be given John Ross, who assumes to be the
head of the nation and hence his furious opposition 10
the treaty Again Another article Of this proposition
is the indians are to be protected in their present sboles
until the Legislatures OF The several States interested
can be consulted. The Legislatures of Georgia and
Alabama would not be in session till the fall and in the
Stale OF Tennessee there must be called session. as the
Legislature will not meet till October, 1889 Here, then
was TO be pos,ponement for three years Of solemn
treaty eoncure6 in by this House and sanctioned by the
other; and in the time body Of troops is TO be
kept up 10 project the Indians though not word was
said he believed, about protecting the white population
And he would ask, what sort of force would be
required Why, they mus, keep up army 10 res.
train the Indians and white people from coming in
fict with each other We said he, have had some
pericnce on the subject We have had the Cherokee
par, of Alabama held under martial law, and have
seen military court MARTA, undertake, ia effect, to
usurp the functions of our courts Of law.
What was the present state of things in that
try, General Scott was there with troops in the
field or shortly TO be there, to the amount Of 7000
that the part Of the expense of removing these
people was already incurred The militia called out 10
the number of OOO already there would reach
there before any orders from the Secretary of War,
countermanding them, could probably ge! there Mr..
C. regretted exceedingly the step that had been taken
He had told the Secretary frequently that the most dan.