Arkansas intelligencer., 1843-04-22
VOL. No. 10.

VOL. No. 10.
vish to nate contssst of sIs .,as0rs il question:
and hence ehe presum ppn that it vas given with
out bidders or compes i(l66.
The calcuiatioss OF which the second and third
objections are founded, = exhibited 70 me. seem
more than plausible.
The fourth aiegation Of the protest makes
strong nPpeal to mo. tho actual fepfesentative
Iof the United States and tho absent Cherokees,
under the Treaty Of New Echoea.
If that part of your people who wore directly
represented in the recent council that conferred
upon you authority % make arrangements with
mo, for csrrying on their emigration, were alone
Iinterested 10 the mosies provided by tho treaty
lof New Echota, and ~ recent act Of Congress,
lin fnrEherance Of she Treaty-she surplus Of
which sronics, nner ntsy doductions is to be dis.
tribufod per eaPita-it would be sufficient for -
United States that you had boen duly dele
10 contsuct for the Supplies 10 question, and
would be NJ pretance - euquiriue wfethef 8
terms OF such agreeinsut wore wise, or 1nwjsc.
economical or extravaeant. The money and its
application would in that case, be considerations
belonging exclusively to yourselves and consitu-
ents. But. as has boon intimated, there are nu.
merous other families, on this, and the western
side OF the Mississippi, directly interested in the
expenditure ofthose monies, and vhicn families
were not represented in that council, but whose
interests arc protected BY the Treaty, VIZ. tho
Cherokees who have emigrated since 1888, and
such Of tho Treaty party as remain to be emil
grated. The amount Of per capita money final.
ly to be paid to each individual OF those families
ought not. therefore, TO be diminished BY any
waste which the United States can prevent
The contract, with Mr.. Lewis Ross, was enter
ed into without any knowledge on my part. I
was in fact, ignorant Of the intention of the dele-
gates to obtain subsistence for the emigrants, on
the road, in that form, until sometime after the
contract had been actually signed. Until then,
had been led to suppose their intention pur-
chase, on the road, the subsistence that each par
ty of enligrants might require, and only as re.
quired; for, when the second time gave infor-
nation that had caused advertisements to be in
serted in many newspapers, inviting sealed pro-
Posals for furnishing all the rntions which would
DO required on the routes of emigration. the ben.
elits Of which proposals were freely offered to the
Delegation, they silently declined, or at least
showed no wish to profit by the offer, whereupon,
IN their presence, gave directions to cause those
advertisements 10 be discontinued.
This occurred sometime before the date of the
contract with MIR. L. Ross, which, when soon,
after another interval of many days, was neither
approved or disapproyed by me. -
I Perhaps il may be theesis ihatI have, by tho
terms Of the arrangon'ent' entsrsd into with tho
Asci'S"tfens u~P"r~a- 49, OnFtrs9 O->>t- - 40
right to adopt, onquro into the objections which
have been brought to ny notice BY she protest.
Such position cannot TO maintained-
The basis, or conditions OF that Arrangement,
by the Delegation, and not since modified in any
material particular, are laid down in my repiy to
the Delegation, dated 25ih ultirno. After stating
those conditions distinctly SAID :-"the foregoing
conditions being agreed to- the United States.
through me, are willing to pay over to the Chero-
ka, fipct ctipu., f~ox
ton OF the monies appropriated for tho emigra.
ton, as may seem reas,nabie to prepare for, and
carry it out" And when the conditions had
been accepted, three days later, ,repeated:-'tho
monies which from time to time, may be deemed
necessary to prepare for and carry on the emigra-
tion you will please n,nke estimates for, address,
ed to me. specifying the immediate object. and
# the estimates shall appear reasonable, ttey shall
be prontly complied with"
Now il the contract IN question be liable 10 the
objections stated, it may not appear to mo ..rea.
sonable"t TO make advances or payments to carry
it into offact.
lam aware that the delegation discussed with
me, general estimate for the emig alton OF every
thousand Cherokees, in which were found the
items Of sixteen cents day for the subsistence Of
each horse. The estimate, though deemed ex-
travagani. was finally approved by me, and de-
Tended (uniil saw tho contract signed with Mr..
L. Ross) on the grounds that il was but rough
estimate. that if the cost, on actual experience,
oftho several items should be found DO less, the
difference in the hands Of the United States, or
those of the delegations would not be lost, but 60
to the benefit of the Cherokee Nation.
This was the idea held out by ono. or moro OF
the Delegation, and adopted BY -a,e; for coufd
not possibly imagine that individuals Of tried in
tegrity, and intelligeuce. acting for and on ac-
count Of their constituents, could fail to execute
their high trust with cere and Judgement; nor
can yet believe that they have thrown away
$lS0, 900. Of their Nations money. Neverthe-
less, have deemed it due to tho Delegation, and
all concerned, to give the former an opportunity
to reply to the foregoing allegations.
Trusting that sny accidontal crror that has
bcen committed, in ,nsking tho contract, may
bc speedily corrected, or that il may be sat
lsfactoriiy shown that there has been no serious
irnprovideace.
] remain; gentlemen,
Your most obi serv't:
(Signod) WINFIELD SCOTT.
To Msssrs. J. Ross, E. Hiots ]. Brown.