The Democratic Whig. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1842-1843, 1843-05-04

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Two II ths 81 lhe at,a.l.
1T Is lhs indian eialns nidsr lis Cho.iar
Treaty 4 D,nsing Rahhis aFe. = nlish
e. % pace tg ~ pa1iilu b ais their clai.l
Oh Claibsfaa ll.e usillsiylsi Prsif ~ & lie
board lsai present absdat mpposod 70 Be e.
esgsd IA Sling a ron uaeg no sviaenss
10 The cases, 0fwhisa b mlfsly made memo
sauda instead q sakiag H. a Il Oagh, io have
been done, ID lha form Of alidaEils, upon uhish,
Z he pAFties had won 6laoly, they could b
op1yie,ed Of periury.
Two hundred and thirty claims have been
received and Sled AZ thm ohce
Whilst tie Commissioners held their sss-
siOn g Hoparka, Two hahdrcd and hlty six
CLAIMS eore Registered and the evidence %
sustain them was fled with them; Dut before
The commissioner had made any FINAL diaPOgi-
ton Of them, prOtest was entered b. pemons
% behalf Of the Governmentjl alleging that
many 4 not most Of these claims were iound-
ed in fand, and that, Il time were allowed ne
professors Cor procuring and furnishing ieltimo-
ny, they would sustain their allegations b
proof they therefore protested against the com
misaioners catering judgments in favor Of th'
claimants until they could have an oPpOrtuni
ty Of scrutinizing their claims. Tbs PrOtes
arrested any Goal action on these cases, and
the prO,es,ors have'beea subPonasd to appea
before the board ofcommissinues.
Messrs. Preniiss and GWih are engaged b
the claimants to advocate their claims. VIVA
viii be the effect Of this protest ! am unable Z
determine; bot il has already produced som'
uneasiness among the claimants.
During the last session Of Congress upon tn
application Of our late representative DOetO
iGwinn, sixty. seven thousand and five hundre'
dollars were appropriated BY the general Gov
eminent for the removal Of the rest Of III
Choctaws from the State Of Mississippi to III
west Of the State Of Mississippi river, and I'll
teen thousand dollars ior their support, Wills
attending before the commissioners to prose
cute their claims, An agent has also bee
appointed by the Government to superinleu
their removal to the west. But from what
can ascertain Of the feelings Of the Indians o
this subject ! am well satisfied that they en-
terrain no idea ofiollOwing their brethren wesl
They feel local attachment TO the cOnntr
which has been 50 long possessed BY thel
tribe, and they have a reverence for the bur
ial grounds Of their ancestors, which is 50 ho
" aud cherished a feeling with them tha
many ofthem had rather die, than be torn iror
the places, which are connected with the
strongest affections and most sacred efnotion'
Poor unhappy beings cheated, abused, an
degraded by their neighborhood 10 the whites
they siin hover around the graves Of their fore
fathers, and endure al that poverty and con
tempt can inflict rather than give up this melaf
choly pleasure. This hOlysreyerenee for th
mem DRY oftheir dead,seems to overcome ever
other feeling oftbeir nature, and, though con
scious Of their present degradation, they ST.
cling to it as tho last tie that connects ther
with their former greatness.
The commissioners will adjourn from thi
place to Garlandsvile; where they will hold
session from the 18th Of May until he claim
from that neighborhood are registered.