The New York herald., 1845-05-26
YORK HERALD.
New York, Monday, May 20. Is4s.
The Cherokee Question.

The Cherokee Question.
We give in this days Herald, the I'M
portant and interesting communication from the
Cherokee nation, 10 which we referred the
other day., in relation to controversy which
has for years torn and distracted that sancient peo
pie, producing many sad scenes of confusion and
blood. This communication purports TO give the
views taken by the 'Ridge party' Of the encroach-
ments made by the ''Ross party" and goes into a
minute history of the affair on THAT side, which will
give the people of the United States correct and
full intimaon of the Ridge side Of the question We
not ourselves able to pronounce any judgment on
the merits ofthe case, and are not responsible for
the statements made in the aby-written letter which
epubsh to-day, but they made on the author
ty Of John X. Ridge, from whom we received the
communication by the way of Bentonvile, Arkan-
sas, and which was accompanied by the following
note
Mn. Bennett:
hope, sir, the length of this communication will not
forbid Its entrance into your columns if you have
10 publish it in detached parts. II next to impos-
sibe to make It shorter, and yet do justice to all par
tes have long listened in silence the harsh enun.
Citations made repeatedly against the Ridge party and
directed particularly to those who sumber nther
blood consider myself justified in demanding hearing
JOHN R. RIDGE
strong case appears tob made out for the Ridge
party But as we mean to be perfectly fair, we
must add, that see in the Tribune and other pa
pers, quite different view of the question 1t is
commended the part of Ross that the opposition to
him has been originated and maintained by a selfish
clique, who seek to obtain possession of the Nation
al treasury and that he has resoluey upheld the in
dependence of the nation denying the right of the
United States to interfere i'll its domestic policy
1t is also alleged that Ross has been humane and pa
trlotlc in his administration and that Boudnot and
the Ridges suffered death in accordance with the
terms of law proposed by the first named chief at
New Echota in Georgia, twenty years ago, and
winch affixed the penalty Of death to the crime of
alternating any portion of the Cherokee domain
Whatever may be the merits OF the controversy
whether John Ross be in the right or John r.
Ridge-here can be no question of this, that on the
eternal principles ofright and wrong, the Cherokees
have suffered most seriously by the contact of what
is called civilization. They are of the real natives
of the country-the red men. Their whole history
since the first colonization of this continent by the
white races has been history of great and CONT
nued wrongs. Robbery, outrage ana blood mark
the entire record except when here and there So
litary bright spot, as in the case of William Penn
relieves the sickening eye. We have robbed them
of their ands-we have robbed them of their birth
right--we have robbed them of all that they held
dear and valuable-we have hunted them down like
wild beasts of the field What has the Christian ci-
vlizaton given them in exchange for all their rights
and possessions? The elegancies and refinements-
the comfort and uxuries of highly civilized state?
No--nohing but the worst of our vices-drunken-
ness reachery, deceit, and every thing that is vile
The progress Of civilization on this continent for the
last two centuries has been constant conflict
between the European and the red races-robbery,
bad Saith, and murder on side, and sulen sub
mission, broken occasionally by acts of terrible re-
venge, on the other.
is, indeed, melancholy spectacle which is pre-
sented by the communication in our columns this
day. Robbed Of their heritage, and hardly able to
find home to rest in, we behold this remnant of
the mighty of the red men distracted and torn
TO pieces by intestine quarrels. We trust under
these circumstances government will do its du-
ty-that it will endeavor to atone for past bad faith
treachery and injustice and do full justice to both
parties-both to the Ross and Ridge party