New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-08-15
The cherokees and their Troubles.

NAPOLEON, Ark. 10Th july. 1874
My attention has just been called to an extract
from your paper, of know not hat date, in which
you comment upon the Cherokee memorials
That article contains remark very uni Just 10 the
memories Of lamented men, whose families have
nothing save the good name of those true patriots
lett and which as friend and affinitive relation of
their bcreaved widows and orphans, | feel ii my
duty to call upon you TO correct. In your second
paragraph you are made TO say: No one can ap-
preciaie more highly than we, the talent Of Boud-
not and his great exertions for his tribe, in the diff
fusion of the Cherokee alphabet and the pure pa
triolism OF the Two Ridges; but these three chiefs
had violated fundamental law OF the tribe, bad
been tried were then found guilty and executed
The writer Of that article has been grossly misin-
formed and led into all error, winch The reading oil
the Report OF The Secretary OF War, accompany ing
the Presidents Message Of December, 1882 will
enabie YOU te correct. The truth is that these I'M
fortunate men were never tried, ccus.d, nor found
guilty of any crime nor they even summoned
or arraigned before any Court or Council of the
Cherokee Nation or any other country.
The facts these: After the arrival oil Jchn
Ross and his twelve thousand emf grants IN the west
ern Cherokee country, in June, 1889, he contrlVed
TO have called together The Chiefs, Committee and
Councillors 1.-THE Executive and Legislative ofhcersl
of the Western Cherokees, and otncers correspond
ing in rank of his own emigrants. contest arose,
in which the Eastern emigrants contended, or Ross
for them, that they had removed Us body polite,
and that the Western CherUkees, who had been re-
organized hy the United States a separate people,
ever alter 1919 should surrender their government
and laws, and submit 10 new polity. These Yves
tern Cherokees had been joined by the Ridges and
Boudinot and many OF Ihertrends in 1887, and had
become II part Of their community to whose Laws
aud government they quietly submitted. Neither
the Ridges nor Boudnol held any Office, they
known 10 have taken any part IN this dispute, al
though MIR. Ross does, III one OF his nieIorIals 10
the House of Representatives, III l0lO, intimate thai
they lost their lives by "oiciously aiding the Wes-
tern Chiefs" &c There is doubt but he and his
party thought so. For the Western Cherokee
Chiefs and Councillors having refused sub
mission, retired frUm The Council ground u
bout the 18th OF June, 1889, Ross and his
party remained together unul The 2oth or Isl,
and on the morning Of the Did, these parties OF
armed assussins went out and slew the unsIspeci-
Ing Ridges aud BuudinOt in the most savage and
barhnrous manner. John Ridge was drawn iroa
his bed and slain in the presence OF his VIE and
children. Elias BoudinOt was Killed al The MISSION
ground when he was engaged IN The RELIGIOUS cali
ings of the American Board and Major Ridge ttlIe
.lder( was followed into the State OF Arkansas,
waylaid, and shot. BY the laws OF the Western
Cherokees and the State @. Arkansas, tire prrpeird-
tors OF these horrd deeds were guilty OF murder and
should have received the punishment due TO such
assassins even though there might have been any
ignorant enough 10 believe that IL years gone 10y
they had violated any OF the fundamental laws
of the Eastern Cherokee Marion, which had been
abrogaIed by the laws OF Congress, and the removal
OF the whole tribe within the limits OF another Jis
dicton. But even MIR. Ross seemed 10 ilihA mat
the lnurderers had violated some fundamental
law" for on the 10Th of July thereafter, We mud
he and his party, by solemn decree, pardoned these
murderers, and all other Cherokee murderers O
every d,e whether their homcldes had been com
mitred in the Cherokee Nation or elsewhere. lie
Bridges and Roudnot were not then, US you sup
pose, sentenced 10 death and quietly made way
with; but they were cruelty assassnated, and as is
universally believed in tins country according 10
the order of secret conclave OF this four TO one ma
jority, whose numbers and strength have enabled
Them 10 escape with impunity ever SINCE
There are several other statements In you artc'e
equally erroneous in fact and which reference 10
the documents in relation to these people, oihciaiiy
published within the last few years. will enable you
10 correct The complaint in relation 10 money Is
not that the Western Cherokees received no part oi
the price of the Eastern Cherokee lands; but II Is
that Ross under fraudulent contract, Tor the emil
grafton of his party received near fourteen hundred
thousand dollars, which was wropgully paid out oil
The Cherokee funds subject 10 head right division,
among the whole people, thereby deprivlng the or
phans of Ridges and Boudnot, and the few OF their
partv who have been permitted 10 live, OF this small
piltance due them, under the treaty for yielding ~
which those men, of true patrloils lost Their liVes.
These orphans are deprived OF all participation IN
the education funds of the Nation. They are thrown
among the people Of the United States, and il Is 100
much that respectable press, unadvised Of the
facts, should give currency to the statement that
they had been 'executed'' as felons. They were
slain by consprators and usurpers; and the dis
,racted state Of those unhappy people but TOO plan,
ly proves that He TO whom vengeance belongs, Will
not suffer blood to be covered up.
If MIR. Ross chooses 10 avow the killing OF KldGee
and Boudnot, as his " sentence" let him do so
over his own signature. 1t will then be seen whether
he can escape The laws of violated sovereign
State, and the odium OF community governed
by principles of religion and humanity. When
ever you and other Editors speak OF the facts,
beg ,ha, you speak not unadvisedly. Let but The
truth be told, and the friends OF Ridges and Boud
not have nothing 10 fear. They will appear as mar
tyrs who lost theilives ruined people from
the oppression Of the State Laws, and whose Or
phsns have lost the small pittance, due them under
that very treaty, by the cupdiry and avarice of that
'eEsrLEMAN, who lays claim TO much patriot
ism, virtue and intelligence If he be judged by his
deeds, let a just community determine between linn
and the departed dead.
Very respectfully, your ob't. servant,
GEO. w. PASCHAL.
e -.