The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-18
Communications.
SOUTHWESTERN INDIANS.


SIR-At various interviews with which your Excel
lency has honored during the last four months, the
condition of Indian affairs Southwestern from
tier has been the subject of repeated and prolonged
conversation. The deep and active interest which
you in those conversations have manifested in these
matters 80 involved in the prosperity Of my section of
country, and the intelligent, reflective benevoence
which you evince in your designs for the adjustment
of existing difficulties between the white and red men,
and in the permanent veal of both races have e1ct-
ed the highest confidence that, under your aus
pces these veIed questions will be finally adjusted,
and peace and prosperity reign borders. This
confidence have already communicated to my fellow
citizens at home; and their eyes are now turned to
you, in earnest expectation Of these happy results.
At our last interview, about two weeks since, you
was pleased to request to present in writing state
ment of such facts important to the settlement Of our
Indian relations, my peculiar opportunities may
have put into my possession. The whole subject Is
vast beyond the scope of your present leisure and of
my immediate design. 1t would require the space Of
volumes to present the practical results Of my twenty
years research and experience among those tribes with
whom our relations becoming hourly more compli-
Gated; and shall take other occasions under youi
future commands, for the presentation of the gres
mass Of deferred information now select TWO topics
Of supreme and Immediately urgent Importance, on
which shall present condensed statement of facts
necessary to the adjustment of existing dfculties-
These are-our relations to the SEMINOLES and to
the CHEROKEES. , ..r. ~. ...
]. As to the Seminoles:
Our present difficulties with this tribe date from the
treaty made with them in March, 1888, at Fort Glib
son, by Mountford Stokes, Henry L. Ellsworth, and
John F. Schermerhorn, Commissioners on the part of
the United States for that purpose. san'-
In this treaty, the Commissioners declare on the
faith of the United States that they do thereby de-
signate and assign to the Seminole tribe of Indians
for their SEPARATE and future residence FOREVER,
tract of country lying between the Canadian rlver
and the North Fork thereof, and extending West to
where line running North and South between the
main Canadian and North branch will strike the forks
of Little rver provided said West line does not ex-
tend more than twenty-five miles West from the
mouth of said Little river" have here transcribed
the words Of the treaty This treaty having been rat
fed, and efforts being made to effect the removal
| of the Indians from Florida under it, in 1884, a
snail portion of the Seminoes removed and took pos
session of their new country. short time after, the
great body of the Greeks removed also to the West:
and as feud existed between the two great factions
of that nation, which made it desirable to separate
their locations for tme General Arbuckle Chen in
command that frontier) gave permission to Aypo-
hohola the chief of the strongest Creek faction, to
remove from the neighborhood of the Mcintosh fac
ton, and settle the lands Of the Seminoles, then
mostly unoccupied The number of the Creeks thus
intrudng the Seminole territory was not less than
IL 900 ,4 Ell H., ,..t a.;3 ...a.., .qalaaG ,a8ty
Now, what made this new location particularly un-
fortunate was that the Creeks and the Semnoles, in
their ancient Eastern territories always Hostile to
each other; nor had their removal and their common
sufferings obterated their hereditary and nveterate
enmy, which will certainly rpen into bloody war,
if they are not separated there
The Seminole territory having become in this man
ner permanently occupied by the Greek squatters,''
the little band of Semnoles who had previously been
! located there remained disco ntented and annoyed.
4 Under these circumstances it was, that in September
last, Captain Page (of the U. 8. Army, and Captain
i Armstrong (the Superintendent of Indian Affairs on
the Arkansas fronter,) were appointed by President
Van Buren, commissioners 10 collect and bring on to
Florida delegation of the Seminoles in the West,
with a view, through their influence and representa-
TONS to induce their hostile brethren to submit and
remove to their new country. These commissioners
accordingly held council at Fort Gibson, with the
Seminole Chiefs and proposed to them to 60 to Flori-
da and invite their former associates to return with
\ them. The Seminole chiefs refused to accompany
the commissioners to Florida They Indignantly de-
clared that the Government had deceived them, and
that they had no lands-no country Their high
Chief the famous Mcanopy said, in an eloquent reply
to the commissioners request "We have not here q
tree to shade us, nor foot of ground to bury
dead Give us the land you promised us, and we will
then 60 to Florida, and our people there will remove
here, for they are tired of war" Captain Page, how.
ever, managed to obtain a delegation of Semnoles
who went with him to Florida. Through their means
aided by his promises, he induced a number Of the
Florida Semineles to remove West. On their arri-
val at Fort Gibson, this year they complained of hav
ing country, and refused to 60 among the Creeks
who had intruded upon their allotted territory. They
encamped soon after on part of the Cherokee terri
tory where they now remain, to the great and grow
ing dissatisfaction of the Cherokees In this statement
you will perceive how small and how easily obviated
is the only prominent difficulty now in the way of the
final settlement of the famous, rather infamous
FLoRIpA WAR, which has " swallowed SO much trea
sure" so much blood--a war whose victories could
never yield honor though its runous defeats have
brought upon double disgrace. That war, with III
proftess expenditure of ,oOO might long age
D have been ended without the shedding of another
. drop of blood on either side, had engage
ments to the Seu,inoles in the West been hon
estly fulfilled. And even it is not too late
to save our coontrys honor, her blood, and he
treasure from extravagant and hopeless sacrifices thai
may otherwise be long continued How slight is tn.
eIertion, not of generosity not Of sagacity, but
simple justice and moderate prudence, necessary fol
this great and happy result Do but restore to the
. friendess Seminoles that land in the West which
they have reluctantly though dearly purchased with