Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1838-02-09

charges preferred against me were the
most foreign to my feelings and Intentions
end which every measure adopted wit
eference to the Cherokees and the
white inhabitants will clearly prove. -
| did not 90 TO that country, Mr. Presi'
dent, TO tarnlsh what little reputation
| may have previously acquired. by sct'
Of oppression or cruelty, nor by violating
the laws of my country. My object wa
a faithful execution ofthe treaty with the
Chorokees, TO protect all IN their rights
as guaranteed by it the white men ard III,
red, the weak as well as the strong. -
These were the cardinal rules for my con
duct. which | steadily kept in view, ant
which never lost sight Of for singlt
moment from the time | entered the coun
try until left it.
But it is not my intention, Mr., President
to detain this Court, or weary its patience
by attestations OF my Innocence, or n To-
bored defence of my conduct whilst COM
handing in the Cherokee nation. The
President Of the United States having re-
fused my request for general inquiry into
my conduct, and the present inquiry being
limited to single complaint, | will at one
proceed, in as brief manner as circun
stances will permit, TO present INV viewslf
the subject to the consideration Of tie
Court. The facts by which this Court is
TO be guided in the formation OF its opnbn
are now upon its records. await The
suit of its deliberations, and the judgement
of the American People, when your Pr.
ceedings shall be made public, with III
doubling confidence.
NV Instructions, Mr.. President, Of tie
Goth June, 1886, in which q copy Of tie
late treaty with the Cherokees was enclo
cd, are before you, marked ~ Win
what energy. zeal, and promp'tude | d.
charged the important duties thus Unsigned
me, the Court will be able to Judge iron
the facts and the documents before it, A
directed, repaired to Athens, in Tenues
see. with as much despatch as practicable
and afle organizing brigade of yolun
teers arming and equiping such force
considered the nature of the service re
CURED, and establishing dcp2ts of provision
in suitable places for both tho troops and
the poorer classes of Cherokees, dstribu-
ting the troops in such position as would
afford the greatest facilities for operating
and controlling the Cherokees in case OF
hostllties, established my head quarters
on the 9th of July. a little more than q
month after left Washington. near the
mouth of Valley river, N. c. in the mids,
of the most obstinate and warllke Of the
Cherokees, and most devotedly attached to
their country. | was not slow in dscov
ing that the command had assumed was
one of dclicacy in it's nature, and extreme
| ly troublesome in the execution. | Iound
the Indians laboring under q state 4 ex-
citement, produced by the means a"rted
to force upon them the late treaty. which
they most explicitly disavowed. declaring
that they had made no such treaty with
the United States, and that the paper
which purported to be one was mae by a
few unsuthorized individuals, wiihut the
sanction of the nation, assisted by orrupt
agents of the Government" Thi state
of feeling was heightened by the dsy en-,
croachments Of the whites, who wer, flock
ing into the nation aad driving then from
their homes This excitement WIS still
greater in Georgia and Alabama, where
the Indians were not only dispossesed Of
t'tli h'uctS uHh iCluo, uul w
also, ofthe conduct OF the troops oil these
States, who, in pursui. of Creek indians
who had fled for refuge among the Chero-
KEGS from the war that was raging n their
own country, not unfreqnently captured the
Cherokees, & conveyed them 10 the Greek
cmgrating camp for transportation to the
West. BY this means husbands wee fre
quently separated from their wives, ant
children from their parents. Su,h wa:
the perplexed and embarrassing state o
things with which had to struggle on my
entrance into the Cherokee county.
To allay this excitement, to correc
these abuses, and to indnce the Cherokee
to acquesce and submit to the condition
imposed by the treaty, tho best energies o
which was master were put in requlstio
The testimony before the Court will shoy
that devoted myself increasingly to &C
complish the objects of my mission to th
} Cherokee country, to execute the treat
honorably TO the Government and just
to the Indians, have the satisfaction q
believing that the measure adopted wou
have produced the desired effect, TIL
Cherokees were beginning to relax i
their opposition, and were making prepa
ratlons for removal to the West.
have thus endeavored, Mr.. Presiden,
briefly to lay before you the state of tn
Cherokee nation in August and Septem
ber 1886. If, at that time, bad beel
sustained in my course by the Government
Of the United States, and the Commits
sioners had been present to enter upon tn
discharge of their duties at the same time
have no doubt, and think will be sus
tanned in the declaration by the more in
telIigent part Of the nation, that at leas
five thousand of the Cherokees would hav
removed to their new homes during tn
last fall and winter. This would have in
duced he removal of the residue of the ma
, ton without trouble or difficulty.