Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-01-06
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Der Of the Cherokee tribe OF Indians are YET ieI'o'hi"l
within the limits Of the State of Georgia; how many
have gone West Oh Inc RIVER m'Ss0''Pp' W.
en- up. .~,s. ,e n,
oppressive course Of treatment pursued TOWARDS Wv
Cherokee tribe Of Indians, by this Government oil INT
Intellectual advancement of that tribe, and of the cha
racler Of large portion Of that people, as compared %itl
other portions of the community. He argued thaetne
had evinced a susceptibility of moral and intellectual I'm
p%rovement, displayed in no greater degree oy inc gtea
mass of those foreigners who were constantly emigrount
hither from other countries. Yet this Government 40
mits foreigners Of every cline, giving them c'tizenshi
the moment they set their feet upon its soil, lie wei
remembered the making Of that treaty which gusran
tied, upon their humble petition, the right to @,Uoo,ou
Cherokees to remain upon and occupy the lands OF thef
fathers; since that time they had been gradually imProv
ing in al that tends to make men TT ior clLzenship; ant
it was a proper subject 70. the inquiry OF the American
Congress, whether these people may not be wisely ant
humanely admitted 10 the rights and privileges OF citizen
ship. He hoped the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Da"
sony would 30 amend his resolution as to inquire II any
communication or report has been made 10 this Govern
ment, by the agent lately returned from the Cherokee
country. BY such q course no harm could be done, anc
from its adoption much good might arise. lie conclnd
ed BY proposing the following amendment to the resolu'
ton. Add thereto the following words:
"Also,w whether any report has been made by the sgen'
lately sent to the Cberokees, and if So, and not incom,
pstible with the public interest, that the Secretary OF
War be requested to communicate the said report 10 TINS
House."
MI. Dawson had no objection to the proposed amend
ment. He would modify bis resolution as suggested by
the gentleman from Virginia. His object was 10 ascet'
tain from the Government the state OF affairs IN reiauoh
to their relations with the Cherokees, and such slate.
ments could only be derived from the sources indicated
in the proposed amendment.
Mr.. Hoisey said he did not wish TO revive the Chero-
kee controversy upon that hoor; yet the remarks wnen
had fallen from the gentleman from Virginia, could not
be permitted wholly TO pass by unnoticed. That gentle
man had in the course of his remarks, alluded 10 the
Cherokees as an injured and oppressed people. Witnout
going at all into that discussion, MI: II. wouia ieilerate
what he had before had occasion to declare in his place,
that Georgia claimed and would maintain sole Jurisdlc.
ton within her own territory. She owed it to GOD ana
her conscience, 10 settle that question, and every other
question which could arise out OF those relations aright.
This was a right and privilege which she had never
parted with, or assigned to any other power. She stood,
in relation to it, upon her reserved rights. The charges
brought by the gentleman from Virginia, in regard to
the treatment of the Indians within the borders OF
Georgia, implied a right to interfere with that policy
of Georgia, which was not at all to kbs iDtertered
with and he repealed those charges most emphati.
celly. Georgia had assumed g policy which she would
never abandon, in relation 10 this subject. She occupied
a position which she would never r%elinquish. She
would never consent 10 have naturalized among her PEG.
pie q tribe of barbsrous, or even seml-barbarous aborl-
gines even though that tribe might have outstripped
other tribes in the career of intellectual advancement.
And if the policy maintained by the gentleman from
Virginia were to be the policy Of this Government to.
wards Georgia, he would say now, upon the Threshold
of this controversy, that it must be q long and sfduous
one, before that policy shall be forced upon his State
The people of Georgia had declared, as a sovereign
State, that these people must depart from her limits
and who, he asked, has q right 10 gainsay her? They
certainly were not to be permitted to remain, 10 the dan
ger Of the people of that State, without an effort on the
part of the latter, to rid themselves Of their presence.
Mr.. Wise remarked that the gentleman last up had
exhibited great zeal for the defence of The rights of his
own State, (Georgia) But ii had been his own design,
in the remarks he had made, and IN the amendment ne
had offered, not to reflect upon Georgia, but to advert to
the operations Of the Genera! Government towards the
Cherokees. He referred to such cases of treatment 10.
wards them, on the part of the Government, as standing
of disgrace 10 every department OF the Co.
yernment, excepting only the Judiciary and described
that treatment as resulting in the debating and forcing
q treaty upon that people. He said, give him a jury Of
IL honest men, even in the State Of Georgia itself, and
he would convince them that these things are so. The
late treaty alluded to in the resolution, he repeated, was
forced upon them; and now it is proposed that this treaty
be carried through, by force, if necessary. If this were
the proper time, he could 60 further, and show that
Georgia had done her part, too, in this oppression. He
could show this by proving the policy Of that State IN
relation to the Indians, and to the Institutions of the &C.
neral Government. That was the only State in the
Union that had ever actually %nulli6ed; and she had
And she now tells you, that if the U. States should under
take to naturelize any portion of the Indian tribes with
in her limits, az citizens of the U. S., she would do so
again! But he took leave to doubt this no gentleman
could speak for all the statesmen OF Georgia upon that
floor, as to such a point. Nc man can gainsay the right
of the U. S. Government to make citizens Of civilized
Indians, any more than they may its right TO naturalize
lrishmen. Mr.. Wise contended that he had not dispa.
ragged the surrounding people of the State OF Georgia,
os had been argued by Mr.. Holsey, when he threw out
the suggestions he had made, in regard to their moral
and intellectual situation. Far from it. There are proofs
around US, said he, in this city, of the high advancement
in. civilization which characterises that people. Hewould
telfthe gentleman from Georgia that a statesman OF his
own, who occupied a high and honorable post in this Go.
%vernmsnt, would not gain greatly by a comparison, Ell.
Their in civilization or morals, with q Cherokee chief
whom he could name. He would fearlessly institute
- - I.--. IL. D--l n
sy.h.
And now, continued Mr.. Wise, if these people are CT.
vilized in some degree, and thus demonstrate their capa-
biliiy of civilization to a still greater degree, why should
they not be admitted 10 all The rights and immunities
Of civilizations? The Cherokees were \ people who had
never turned their arms against this nation. In our
wars they had fought side BY eide with the men of Geor.
gia, in defence Of our common country. Why should
they, not be allowed 10 purchase and settle lands reserved
To them by solemn treaties' Why should they not enjoy
the rights formally and sacredly guaranteed to them by
this Government? "
He had not risen to debate this subject at length at
this line, but had only risen to say, il .reply, that it had
not been his intention in any degree to ~disparage the
people Of Georgia by the remarks he had made when he
before addressed the House. He only contended that
it was just that this Government should be fairly ap.
priced Of the true character Of the people they were deal
ing with 30 summarily, and that, when they were so ap.
priced, they should act in accordance with their solemn
obligations towards them.
Mr.. Glsscock regretted that any unnecessary discus.
sion had arisen out Of The resolution offered by bis col.
league, (Mr. Dawson) He thought such discussion gu,
of time and out Of place. If he understood that resolu-
ton, it grew out Of the present peculiar relative position
of tho people of Georgia and those Of the Cherokee
tribe OF Indians within the limits of that State. This
was the origin of the resolution, aud this the cause why
it should be adopted; and he regretted chat his colleague
(Nir. Holsey) should have thought it necessary to reply
length to what had fallen from the gentleman from
Virgiuis (Mr. Wise) upon the subject, at this time
Bot, inasmuch as some illusions to his State and her
policy bad been made BY that gentleman, and had been
responded to by his colleague, ne would only shy,
without intending to excite unpleasant feeling in any
quarter, or to extend this debate further, that upon
question Georgia had long since assumed her
.osilion. She had adopted a policy deliberately, and
,he would pursue it 10 the last, as she had pursued it
alberto. He suggested, that if such instances existed,