Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1839-12-09
From The .Nsw Yorker.
THE CHEROKEE TROURr.ES

disastrous Indian Wars and, before we make the
plunge it may be az well TO undo stand some
Thing of the nature of the difficulties which lead
TO it, and the right and wrong of the controversy.
We have therefore made much earnest inquiry,
and we proceed to lay before our readers the re-
suit OF Our Investigations
The Indians, being savages have no sheriffs,
jals, letters, gibbets but they have laws, pen
altirs aud executions. 1t may be more or less
barbarons to put Il man to death by open violence
than to hang him up on gallows in the face Of
twenty thousand admring spectators; but, after
all, this is in good degree Il matter Of taste.
Now the Cherokee Nation made n solemn law
several years ago, that whoever should counsel
the selling OF any more of their narrowed terrific
ry to the Whites, who should aid in making
any land selling treaty, should thereby incur the
punishment OF DEATH to be inflicted after the mani
Ter of then race. Among the n,a.;ers, If not the
actual proposers, of this law, were John Ridge
and Elias Boudiuoi, who have recently been made
TO suffer its penalty.
We cannot here go into the whole history Of
the Cherokee struggles to PR serve their territory
against the cupidity and violence of our country
men. Suffice il that the great mass Of the Ma.
lion sternlv refused 10 part with their lands
Georgia threatened, aud annoyed, and extended
her jurisdiction over them; she distributed that
portion oftheir lands which lie within her own
State boundaries among her citizens by lottery
yet still the Chefokeos clung to the graves of their
fathers. They would not he provoked to any act
OF violence they would rot sell their lands they
wonld not be frightened away. They simply re-
manned i passive but resolved.
Georgia and other States now threatened them
with disposscsson by violence. The extension
of the State laws, under which an Indian cannot
be IL witness, and has comparatively no civil
rights, while he is held to strict accountability,
of itself placed the whole Nation comp etely at
the mercy of the white vagahonds and plunderers
| who crON1pu i'm nmnnDsf them The dro ,,ars 81
their lands in the State Lottery were authorized
| to TAKE immediate possession of any section on
which no Indian happened to have his residence :
IN short, the means adapted to the Indians
INTO emigration became so oppressive that it was
evident that those means must be arrested or thew
could not fail either 10 drive the Indians into re-
moval or ensure their aunihilation.
In this position of affairs, a certain Commission
Ell and other agents Of our Government induced II
few of the Cherokees Ridge and Boudinot heinz
at their head, to sign treaty relinquishng the en-
tire territory Of the Nation to the United States.
and agreeing that the entire People should emf
CRATE within stipulated period. Now the sign
ers and approvers of this Treaty of New Echota
had no more shadow of right to sell their country
than political Ward Meeting in this City would
have to sell the State to Great Britain They
were not the Chiefs of the Nation either heredta.
ry or chosen; they had been clothed with 10 au.
lhority they did not constitute one fltietb. and
wire uOt CohntenuHceu by One-tWentIttn, OF The
Nation. Yet the agents OF the United States
knowing full well these facts, induced them to
nuke Treaty; and the Executive aud Senate OF
the United States ratified that Treaty, and mo-
ceeded to enforce its execution upon the whole
Cherokee People, in the face of every rcnon.
strance and the solemn protest of the Chiefs and
People, signed by fifteen thousand and SIR hun
dred OF them. or more than nneteelhs of theIwhoe
fadult population.
Ii were needless inuuire yvbatbar P;doo
Boudinot, and their handful of followers, acted
from selfish or patriotic motives Gen Scott
who was intimately conversant with the whole
matter, believes thar, despite the fraudulent and
awless character of the proceeding, they acted
for the good of their People, and ith an earnest
conviction that by acting alone could the Cher
okoes he saved from anDihlation.
The Treaty being thus declared valid one by
orr Government, TO Gen. Scott was confided the
unpleasant duty of enforcing its execution. To
the admirable manner in which he discharged
this trust, all parties and both Nations bear uni
versa testimony. although bloolshed and vio-
| Ience seemed inevitable, yet by his irmness, his
Kindness. his precautions and the reliance of the
Indians on his known philanthropy and integrity,
the haplcss people were collected from the wide
extent Of their wild territory, and transported TO
their place of embarkation for the West, without
the effuson Of drop of human blood
But the end was not YET. by verbal but sol.
eti anu DlIluIUB slipuidllUU VI tIle view ECnOta
Treaty, our Government had stipulated TO protect
those who signed it from the vengeance of III ir
countrymen. This condition was essential The
Indian sgners of that Treaty knew they were
perpetrating fraud, which, whether patriotic or
traitor us, would be bitterly resented by their Peo-
pie They knew they were violating n fiinda-
mental law of their Nation, and mourning the
punishment OF death. From this Ienally AVID the
vengeance OF their countrymen the United States
solemnly agreed TO preserve them.
The guaranty has proved OF no avail The sp;r
of vengeance or of outraged justice, as Won III
TO run it, burned ihe half smothered fire in The
breasts of the Cherokee People, and Ridge and
Boudinot have been made to pay the pealy of the
violated law. They sleep in death the protec.
ton of The United States has avaed them nothing
and now we hear that Gen ArbuckIe has been in
structed by our Government to demand their
murderers, and is preparing to carry fire and sword
into the new Cherokee country if the demand is
not complied wih-a of course it probably will
not he.
Is it not hest to hesitate and consider? Have
we indeed slept into blood so deep that we may
better 90 on than retrace our steps? In the eye
of Justice and Of God, he United States are the
real murderers of those poor victims. Shall we
wash out The blood from our souls by adding
many thousands to their number?
M,