The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-10
COM M UNIC Ms.
CHEROKEE AFFAIRS.
To he Editor Of lAe Union.


herewith communicate the copy Of letter from
the Cherokee country which tells a tale OF horror
unequalled even by the murders Of the Ridges and
Boudnot in 1889. Then, men only fell by the hands
of assassins now their rifles, after the murder of
father, are eveed al his little children!
James Starr was the companion ofthe Ridges and
Boudnot, and one OF the signers of the treaty OF
1889 He is the fourth one Of those signers who
have fallen by the hands of public assassins The
blood of the Ridges and Boudinot still cries from
the ground unavenged and now the steam from the
warm fe-blood Of another friend of the United
States and of his own mal-treaed countrynen rises
in the face of Heaven to reproach our government
for suffering the il has used to be struck down
with impunity by the tiger has not ceased to nour-
ish. The United States themselves placed the
Ridges, Boudinot, and Starr in situation in which
they ought not to have suffered hair of their heads
to be injured without eracting blood for blood Wheth
er they right wrong in signing the treaty OF
1885, our government was bound TO them
harmless or avenge them, by every sacred principle
which binds man TO man.
The Starr family is one of the most numerous,
brave, and respectable in the Cherokee country.
Two Of James Starts sons-W Washington and Thorn
as--have been charged by the Ross party with COM
hitting many murders; but if there truth in the
charges, it is surprising that they have not long
since been arrested, tried, and executed. Washing
ton Starr and Ellis or Sue Rider, were indeed tried
on a charge of numbering Thornton, and acquitted
charged with crime, or if ever charged no intelli-
gent man believed it.
The pretence under which these murders were
committed is, that the "Starr boys" lately murdered
two Indians in the prairie, and plundered and burnt
the house of Meigs, the son-n-aw Of John Ross.
The government paper, the Cherokee Advocate, inn
mediately asserted that the murderers were we'll
Notwithstanding, in manner not to be mistaken,
to the "Starr boys" The murdered Indians were
not of the Ross party, but were old settlers; and
-, ~ he \
kill him, if blood was their object il is not easy to
conceive But the Stairs were doomed men. To
prepare the Ross party to sacrifice them, they have
been for some time past charged with every afro
cious crime which has been committed In the nation
And now they are shot down, old and young as if
they were wild beasts whom il is a merit TO exterm-
nate.
And the Cherokee Advocate ,'vfends these MUIR
ders! l beg you to republish the three articles
from that paper Of the 18th ult, which append
the letter Of the Stars 1t says "The killing Of
these men seems ~ hare been absolutely necessny;"
that ''the party, which numbers many Of our most
respectable and valued citizens, is still in pursuit Of
others, whomi is depsuily hoped they may early sue
coed in arresting or publishing" "A determined
effort will now be made" says the Advocate Of
murder, under pretence of Furnishing murdereTs,
ito rid the country of those heartless villains who
have perperaed for the last few years so many acts
of fendish atrocity Nor should this effort be con-
fined to the few. II concerns ALL and every honest
man, whatever may be his individual notions about
national matters, should feel that il is as much his
duty his neighbours, to spare neither expense or
labor TO make that effort successful"
Thus does the government paper, in presence of
the council justify murder, and invite its partsans
to hunt and slay The thirst for blood is not vet
slaked Parties are out, and more are pressed to
come out; there others to be arrested or punish
edi And the government itself has established ga
lighthouse company" which the "Advocate'' IRON
icay says ",ciA be most efficient supporter Of lao
and order!'
But the tiger, in the shape of man, who, more
than any other, is responsible for these murders,
now has his lair in this city. Sweet TO his CORY
jaws was the blood of the Ridges and Boudinot,
whose murder he justified; and now he snufs that
Of the murdered Starr upon the western breeze and
never will his thirst be satisfied until every sgner
Of the treaty Of 1885, and every influential old set
tier, their friends and supporters, are numbered
with the dead. And the United States, while.
through his myrmidons, he has murdered their
friends, repudiated their laws, and treated them
with contempt, have supported and enriched him,
giren him strength and po,cer TO cut or his rivals and
establish his po,eer!
With your permission, desire, in few short
numbers, to give your readers some account of the
Cherokee history and government, which must now
become subjects Of the deepest interest
BoUDINOT.