True Democrat. (Paulding, Miss.) 1845-18??, 1845-10-29


pursuance of the proclamation OF the pres
ident. Immediately upon Mr.. Il. hearing
that the claims had made their appearance,
he called upon the commissioner of the
general land office, and the commissioner
ofIndian affairs and informed them of the
fact, and they authorized him TO say to the
people that they might purchase the lands
with safety, for those claims would never
even be considered by the departments
On the return of Mr.. II. TO Congress at its
next session in 1874 and 1915, he casually
learned that the locations were about TO be
confirmed by the commissioner of Indian
affairs, and he Immediately went to that
department and protested against the
claims which caused their immediate sus-
pension. The following letter from an at
torney of the claims will manifest Mr. Us.
conduct on this subject.
WASHINGTON City,
January Slh, 1915.
Hon. William wilkins, secretary OF War
Washington CitN
SIR:-After the final action of the Pres
ident Of the United States, gBing his APP
p:ova to certain locations made bv the
Register and Receiver of the land office,
al Pontotoc, Mississippi, for certain Chick
asaw reserves under the treaty of Wash
ington, of the 21lh day Of May, 1884, |
had supposed that the right OF these re-
serves We're settled, and that no attempt
would be made to interfere with them, or
that if any such attempt were made, that 1t
would not for a moment be entertained in
asmuch as upon the approval of the loca-
tons by the President the reserves acquir-
ed vested right to their several locations,
(which they conld not be Invested with
ont their consent, by any power known TO
the constitution, or TO the laws ofthe coun-
try.
Having understood that an application
had been made TO you by the Hon. Jacob
Thompson of Mississippi, to reconsider
and set aside the approval made by the
President, on the 2lSt of December last, on
behalf of the reserves, and acting under the
authority Of the Chickasaw Commission
crS, | most respectfully protest against any
action by the department, tending TO inter
fere with the rights OF these reserves, ac-
CURED under said treaty by their locations
by The register and receiver at Pontotoc,
and by the subsequent approval oflhe Pre-
sident of the United States. And farther,
if the Secretary should consider that he
was authorized TO reopen the matter and
set aside the approval ofthe President, | re-
specially ask, that before proceeding 10 act
i'm Inc final determination Of the mattel,
he would inform me and give me an op.
por,unity to he heard.
With entire respect,
Your most obi scrv't,
JOSEPH BRYAN.
But in order TO give this protest more
form aud effect, Mr.. T. drew up a letter
addressed to the Delegation in Congress
from Mississippi, which was signed by
Dr. Gwiu as agent for the ChickOsaws, rs
follows:
To The Mississippi delegation ia Con-
greSS: -GENTLEMEN: As the agent Of the
ChickaSaw Indians, appointed TO look AT,
ter their interests at Washington, desire
10 call your attention 10 a subject now pen
ding before the War department.
The ChickaSaws coded their lands TO this
in 1892 on the condition that
the proceeds ofihe sales Of the same should |
be kept for their special benefit BY a
treaty ~ 1884, reservations !
were alloge1 each Indian and each or |
plan Of the tribe. In the years 1885, |
and Z, the ChickaSaw agent, aided by the 4
chiefs, made out a list Of the Indians and .
located them severally upon appropriate
tracts Of lands, and in this way about 2, /
100000 acres of the common inheritance |
was reserved for individual uses. Every I
Indian that could be found any where was
by persons interested, and was re-
gularly enlisted. In the years 1897, 80 /
and 80. these Indians were removed west Of /
the Mississippi riverto their present homes. |
Afer their removal a large class Of new /
were found bv persons interest
Ell on the west side Of the river. They ap- /
piled IN a regular way numbering in all, /
between six and seven hundred for reSer- 1
vations oflaud. From The year 1889 to T,
1913, the lands claimed were suspended /
from sale, and thereby the settlement ofthe |
country greatly retarded, and the general 1
Chickasaw fund greatly impaired. IN |
1913, the Secretary Of War rejected the I
whole ofthese SIX or seven hundred claims, I
with the exception Of snnie five or six. /
The suspension IF The sale Of the lands |
was removed, and 10 Nav, 1914, the CON-
ofthe general land Office, BY or
der Of the President, hroupli all, or nearly |
al -ffia.. rnr,,,frir,r lands into usnrkpf aud