The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-25

ton and the ready guarantee given for the residue,
until they had parted with the last acre they could
spare an agricultural people, by the treaty of 1919
Now listen to what the commissioner seat TO nego-
tate with them in 1885, for the last remnant OF their
country, has to say, for the purpose OF inducing
them TO entirely abandon the home of their fathers
Instead ofsaying TO them, "You have entered into
numerous treaty compacts with the United States,
by which you have ceded millions of acres of your
choicest landsl You have complied with your part
of the compacis, by prompt REIMBURSEMENT OF
these lands TO the purchaser! She will now faith
fully if il has been tardly done, comply with her
part of the several compacs, by the removal ofthe
invaders from your country, and restore to you
those rights in whNh we promised TO protect you
when we obtained so-fnuch of your land" Instead
Of thus addressing the Cherokees, | say, Mr., Com
missioner Schermerhorn, in his celebrated talk to the
council convened at Running Water counc-ground,
on I'VE Goth of July, 1885, after reading to them
dr. ola treaty already prepared, and urging the
fl of a refusal of the terms proposed, warns
them against such refusal as follows:
"And now let ask you what have you to gain by de-
ways for several years past and every your
situation has been growing worse and worse Every over
every exertion on your part be reinstaed your
former rights and privileges and to expe the whites from
States over you only failed to bring you the
lief promised you by your lawyers and eounseiors and
chiefs but il has been followed ny more new ana un
supporable laws and Your principal have
all been Turned out of their possessions or have be-
come tenants will the citizens OF Georgia. II you
continue to away the very liberal and oher,
of the government now made to you you viii even lose
the sympahies Of some Of your best friends You cannot
of her Indian population and she viii soon legsae you
out of the country by granting your possessions to her
then where will you goi 70 Alabama or Tcnnessee'
Hs s0w the Whites asr' os5 ali aaa
by the emgants occupied by white men, as they have
been in Georgia You need not be surprised IT, IN sneh nj,
permit the Indians from Georgia to settle within their
bounds Be not deceived The citizens Of the states Of Ala
rid of you Georga and they lie STILL and hold back be-
cause Georgia Is fighting Their battles aswel as her own
which have alluded for they have all of them already
extended their laws over you Let m. say to you these
you may look for them soon"
This is an extract, and fair sample of the opening
talk of the commissioner sent in the year 1885 by
our government to treat with the Cherokees for a
REIMBURSEMENT of all their lands east of the Mssis
sippi river. The "benem and comfort Of the In
dams" and the promise to protect them from "i'ju-
ries and oppressions,' paternay made in the year
l785, when young government obtained, by
treaty, the first foothold upon Cherokee ands were
lost in the mist of tme-entlrey forgotten. The
Cherokees were now told that the United States
was unable to protect them she had stipulated in
her treates and that their only safety in entire
abandonment of the country. Some of the chiefs,
and best and purest men of the country, who had
bufeed with their oppressors for years, seeing the
awful precpice upon which they stood, and, judging
from the past and the present, that relief was out Of
the question, agreed to sell their country. Another,
and the largest portion of the people, composed of
men equally good, and headed by the principal
chief, John Ross) still clingng to the belief that
some good angel would come to the rescue, abso-
lutey refused to part with it, But the colossal
power of this government prevailed; and treaty
concluded with the minority party on the 18th
day of December 1885, by which the last Indian of
the Cherokee tribe east of the Mississippi was
stripped of his birthright.
| have now to make you acquainted with the
New Echota treaty-its sacred promises, which have
never been complied with; its sieve-ke character,
permitting the wheat to pass away, and retaining
nothing but the chaff-and with the manner of its
execution heretofore, and the refusal to complete
that execution, by the petty technical quibbling of
the official who possesses the inherent po,per to
s'manage all Indian matters,'' and puts consruc-
ton upon the several articles which common sense
throws out of the doors upon every opportunity
II would extend this communication to an unreason-
able and tireada6le length 10 complete the task in
this number. will, therefore, only make begin
ming; and, in to-morrow's or Mondays paper, II
will endeavor to present picture of the treaty of
1885, and the want of good faith the part of our
government in refusing to execute it, under existing
ircumstances--which, apprehend, will be under
stood and properly appreciated
This treaty contains nineteen articles, and cedes
to the United States all the lands and possessions of
the Cherokee nation east of the Mississippi river
The price Of the lands fixed at five millions of
dollars but the United States effected sale the
Indians of 100000 acres Of land west of Arkansas
adjoining the western Cherokee nation, for which it
charged 500,O0O-thns leaving the Cherokee peo-
pie 81 500, 900, in which every man, woman, and
child belonging to the nation had equal interest
The Cherokees held their land in common and the
lowest and poorest warrior among them entitled
to as much the proudest and wealthiest chief
Not one dollar Of this money has ever been paid to
these people, per capita, as intended by the plain
provisions of the treaty; and the Cherokees, as a
people, therefore, have up TO this time, received moth
ing for their land sold TO the United States by The treaty
Of 1885, except the interest paid annually on four
hundred thousand dollars, invested as school and
orphan fund, under the 10th article of the treaty.
Why these millions Of dollars, which should have
been divided among the Cherokees Immediately af-
ter the ratification of the treaty, in 1896, have been
retained in the treasury and large portion of it
expended upon objects not authorized by the treaty
will show hereafter. There shall be no fancy, no
speculation upon the subject: will speak from the
record, in the language of serious, sober earnest
AN ADOPTED INDIAN.