The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-05

SiiEhohET- hfFhlNo.--ANOs VIE
Protecting the Chaokses against domestic hifst'd
stieee'stL eonspiyaeyIh United States protect III,
eonspiraforsi-The majority principle psrrdted-
.ief Of union deespiire and rod, IN lao and IN
morals, yet The ,cronged party held 10 i.-Spseia
lac for Indians!
Our last number concluded with the appeal Of
the western Cherokees to the United States for the
protection Of their government, laws, and persons
when tho followers Of Ross, having murdered the
chiefs Of the treaty party, and deposed the chiefs o
the old settlers, established new government, and
took all power into their own hands.
! BY the treaty of 1885, the United States bound
themselves protect the Cherokees against "dcme,
tic strife" This obligation embraced the western
Cherokees or il did not. That il did net will hard.
! y be asserted on behalf Of the United States II
Il did, then were the United States bound by that
treaty, wen as virtually by preceding ones m de
with the western Cherokees themselves, 10 protect
them and their government against domestic STIFF
To obtain that protection was the object OF that APP
peal. How was the duty performed BY protecting
those teho RAISED the arif-BY SUSTAINING
REBELS AND SUFFERING MURDERERs
i TO GO UNHUNG.
The government of the western Cherokees wus q
iegfia,aie government. Il was the government OF
the western Cherokee country. Every man who
put his foot on that soil became subject TO that
government There was no pretext for rebelng
against il. Ross and his followers were offered
at once all "its protection" and privileges. The
when the newcomers might, by their MAORI
ty, possess themselves OF the offices and re-
model the constitution to their liking But they
scorned to submit to the existing government for n
day, and entered into a conspiracy to put il down.
Through blood and terror that conspiracy was sue
ent system. And the United States have protected
the Cherokees against domestic STRIFE" by reeog-
nising the unupaiiOn, and treating The bioodsiainsd
u'lnpers as the legitimate authorities Of the country
| In reply TO their appeal, the western Cherokees
were told that they must submit to majority! The
United States force larger community upon a
smaller, both being their "chlldren;" and when the
weaker cry out against the usurpaon and tyranny
OF the stronger, their "father" tells them, You must
submiii cannot protect you III these "chdren"
had come together roluntgiiy their "ather' might,
with proprety, have used that language but having
forced them together, against the viii Of both parties,
II was but little else than cruel mockery to the
weaker.
The western chiefs protested against this exraor-
binary principle, and called the attention Of the gov
eminent to their rights and condition. The conse-
quence fresh order from the War Department
to General Arbueke, to bring about the adoption Of
new constitution for the Cherokees, with the view
of giving security to the old settlers To that end
the Secretary Of War instructed the general to in
sist on the following points, viz:
That the old settlers should be secured in the
right to choose absolutely one-third of the officers
in the Cherokee government.
That John Ross and William s. Coody should be
forever excluded from Office under the Cherokees-
the former pGrtiesps erinis in the murder Of the
Ridges, and the latter for justfying tina, crime.
After some delays, Gen. Arbnckle got together n
delegation Of twelve from the usurping government,
and twelve of the leading men Of the old settlers,
who, however, never pretended to have any author
ity from their people, from any regular council.
To them Gen. Arbucke submitted form of consti-
tuition drawn up in conformity with his instructions.
ltA he
usurpers plead want Of authority TO alter their
stitution which they presented to the old settlers for
acceptance. This declined, of course, and the
prospect was that nothing would be effected
On former occasion, when the western Chero-
KEGS found the United States negotiating to send in
the whole Cherokee nation east upon them, they
sought without success arrangement by which
each Cherokee, eastern and western, should share
alike in the purchase-money of the Cherokee coun-
try east and all the advantages which might grow
out of the reunion of the two communities They
were now offered by the Ross party, backed by
Gen. Arbuckle as the agent of the United States,
an equal share in those funds with the eastern
Cherokees, if they would sign an act of union.
They were informed the amount would be from $40
to 5000 per head. Gen. Arbuckle told them, as he
has since testified, that, in his opinion il would not
be less than $40 per head. Cd"
Ross and his party insisted that the treaty Of
1895 was fraud, and that the Cherokee country
east was still their property, which he valued at
500, 900, 600. proportionate share Of that prop
erty was also offered to the old settlers on con-
dition that they would sign act of union merging
the two nations into one, and bringing all their prop
erty into common stock.
They were promised also the immediate posses
sion of one-third of the Offices and told that the x
istng constitution should not be binding upon them
until they and their people had agreed to it.
BY these promises of at least --- dollars in
hand, interest in the Cherokee country east the
immediate possession of one-thrd of the offices,
and such constitution they might agree to- provld-
ing for their future security twelve ofthe old settlers
were induced to sign an act of union, recognising
that very constitution which they were told would
not be binding until assented to by them, and the
laws passed in pursuance thereof, as the legitimate
law of the land until altered. What was the result
One-third Of the officers resigned, and old settlers
were put in their places for fraction Of a term.
That fraction expired, and there the benefits to them
ended.
Instead of receiving $40 to 200 per head as per
capita money, without the assurance Of which Cen
era Arbuckle and others have testified that in their
opinion, thew would never have signed the act Of
union they hare nerer received one cent More than
half Of that fund, with the connvance Of this gov
eminent, who through their plenpotentiary (for
General Arbuckle's powers were very absolutely
promised the Cherokees a share Of it as the
price Of their independence and their country, has
been sunk in the pockets Of John Ross, and c Of his
taporiies And the rest-,oherei is II? That interest
W tne SHtIohec CohHuy Gust, WHICH iorHleu an ItH
in the act pressed upon these people, is totally
pudiated by the government, whose agent induced
them to sign the act of which it one of the
siderations.
And instead Of asking their assent to the constitu
ton, it has been since inexoraby enforced up
on them, Just as il came from the hands Of the
usurpers; and John Ross, instead Of being excluded
from all power, as tho Secretary Of War required,
has become the standing chiefofthc Cherokee nation
Now, insist that some principle ought to be OBJ
served in dealing with Indians. Test this "act Of
union" by any principle Of law, and what is III
TOTALLY VOID. II purported TO merge two
communities in one. The twelve old settlers who
signed j, not legally authorized by the commu-
nifty they assumed to represent, nor was their act
ever legally sanctioned. This is an INCoNTEST-
ABLE FACT. No man pretends the one or
the other; and il is only the law which the white
man too often makes specially for the Indians, by
which they can be held to it. Test it by moral
principle, and what is ID Equally VOID. If
it was not fraud every valuable consideration on
which il was bnsed his totally failed Where is the
per capita money! Where the twenty millions for
the Cherokee country easti Wheve is the altera
tion of the constitution and the one third of the rub