The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-19
For the Union.
cHERoRIe pisruRBANcEs.-No. 2,

II Wa' Counuy" IN Is Irt' psesJ MI, hoss 10 heiel
attending 10 the business Of his nssion, ard has
been here for the last seven months. The murder
ofCraYford Fox and Of Ah-to-la-bee, the burning
I o. Melgs's hruse, the attempt 70 shoot Melgs,
and the evident intention displayed by the handful
TO butcher his wife and children, reused he people
to fury, aud led TO the summary death OF James
Starr senior etd or suel Rider, &c. There 10 but
one way, then, by any comiilen.sense process Of
reasoning, by which Ross can be implicated IN The
death Of these men; and that is, thai by missives
from Washington, he planned and directed desd-
y night assault upon his own children and grand
childsen In order to give an excuse to his myrmi'
dOns 10 shoot down, without trial or ceretiOnJJ 4
few miscreants. lf"Boudipot" can prove this, |
abandon the argument, and admit that Ross Is
worse than MephlstOphiles or the devil incarnate
himself If hot, The public will st once acddt Mr..
Ross OF any participation in the "murder" OF the
venerable Starr" and Of his immaculate nephew,
| Rider. Next, | assert that the Cherokee govern
ment had no hand in THE matter IL ID known that
the Only armed force ever employed by the Chero-
kee government, at present organized, consisted
ofceTtalu police companies and very lately al COM
pany Of light horse, SO called These police com
panies aud the light horse are denounced IN
terms OF execralion by "Boudinot" and others as
instruments of Ross and his government, in perpe-
trating murders and exermindting the treaty party
Now the fact is that the police companies dis
banded three wsskS bors the "m1dsrs' in question took
place, and that the light horse company was not IN
existence at the time OF their occurrence. Here
must sdy-snd | do Il with great regret-that Gen.
Arbuckle has permitted himself 10 be grossly de-
ceiyed in thIa matter, and, under the delusIon, has
done injustice TO the Cherokee authorities, aud
brought against them unfounded charges. la an Of
fetal letter, dated 18th November, lo45, to George
Lowrey, acting principal chief, published in the
Cherokee Advocate Of the Ith December following,
the general says:
at app-afs from tie evidence in my possession
acknowledged to be correct by the captain and
! lieutenant Of the light horse company Thieh com
mintd The mlTdsTs) that no resistance was made on
the part Of any of the Victims in fact nothing was
done IN the remotest degree TO justify these outrage
| Gus proceedings"
General Arbucklc also charges that these acts re-
suited, directly indirectly, from resolutions Of
the national council, orders issued in pursuance
thereof" Mr.. Lowrey replies TO these charges IN
letter to Col. james McKissick, United States agent,
dated Tahlequa, Cherokee nation, 18th November,
lS45, as follows:
"Ihe information communicated TO General Ar
buckle must have been entirely pdrtt and moor
rect 10 have authorized the harsh terms IN which
his letter abounds. There is no wish, on our part,
TO enter into correspondence or controversy with
the general on the subject and we are content TO
pursue the hitherto usual and congratulated me-
dunn OF COMMUNICATION through the United States
agent The object, therefore, of this is TO furnish
you with such information as may be deemed neces-
sary IN yindcaon OF the authorities of the nation
from the unmerlted uspersions of General Ar
buckle.
"The assertion Of the killing of Starr and Rider,
and woundiDg others, resulting from resolutions OF
the national council, or orders ISSUED IN pursuance
thereof is entirely groundess No resolutions or
orders have emanated Il ON any such source for
that purpose, or which have even led indirectly to
the act.
The charge against the lighthors company is
equally unfounded. There is but one such COM
80 L II f.. H..
was passed on Saturday, The 9Th Of November,
ls45 On Sunday morning, the 9th, Starr and
Rider were killed, and others wounded. On Tues
day, the llth, the captain and lieutenant OF the
lighthouse company were appointed and commits
stoned, and, learning the excited state of feeling IN
Flint, they repaired thither, with ten or
twelve men, hastily collected, and where they ar
rived on Wednesday the l2th, three days after
Star and Riders death. The law organizing police
companies expired by limitation on the 18th day OF
last October since which time there has been no such
authority in the country, The light horse have
none; and the homily read to us by Gen. A., on
that hypothesis, and their reckless doings might
well have been reserved for more fitting occasion.
by reference to the report of the gentleman be-
fore adycred to, you will understand properly the
cause for the late disturbances, and the circum-
stances which resulted in the death of Starr and
Rider. However much such occurrences are to be
regretted cannot shut eyes to the facts which
induced them. They occur IN more enlightened
communities than ours. There recent instances
in Arkansas, ard doubtless in every State Of your
federal Union; but who among intelligent and re-
Hecng minds would hold the ministers Of the law
responsible, and stigma;ze them with lnfamy un-
der such circumstances? IL IS with no view to
Justify error that allison is made to the example OF
our more Christian brethren There is sufficient moral
virtue among the Cherokees to recover from these
disturbances if lef TO the free exercise of their right
fu prerogatives. In reference to the refugees who
fled into the State it may be proper 10 say, they
left of their accord and return OF their own
accord There is no evidence that the danger from
which they fed is more than imaginary.
Yours, respectfully.
GEORGE LOWRY,
Acting principal chief Cherokee nation"
This frank and manly statement of Mr.. Lowry,
the acting principal chief denies positively that the
national council had any agency, direct or indirect
in the murders complained Of, and will be be-
evcd for he is borne out by all tile circumstances
as ascertained, and by information Of undoubttd
character, long since received in this city. "But
(says General Arbuckle) nothing was done, III HE
renotes. degree 10 Justify these outrageous proceed
ngs"-the killing of Starr and Rider, DC. We shall
sec presently how far the general isustifed IN this
sweeping and damnatory assertion. 1t is not my
intention to undertake Justify acts Of lawess vio
ence; but say there provocaton enough in
this case, to account at least, for the sudden out
break Of popular fury to which Starr and Rider fell
victims. A special committee Of the national coun-
Gil was appointed, on receipt Of General Arbuckles
letter. to inquire into the causes Of the disturbances
| transcribe their report, far as it relates to the
subject in hand The rest Of it will be brought out
in future number This report is published in the
Cherokee Advocate of the 18th December last, anu
is signed by w. J. Cooley, John Bcngo, and c. V.
McNar, all highly respectable men, who could
have no object but to tell the TRUTH and to contrib
u,c as far as in them lay to keep the peace, and to
preserve the safety Of their community, their laws,
and their government. The committee says:
"The committee to whom were referred two
communications from Brgadier General Arbuckle,
and other papers relative to the excitement and dis
turbsnccs in the country, beg leave to remark: That
the origin Of this excitement is to be soughtn events
which took place more than two years ago, and that
brief statement of facts relative to the conduct OF
certain men, at that time, will be necessary in order
to set this matter in it's proper light In the sum-
mer of lS43, as is well known, conspiracy was
formed for the purpose of subveiting the government
of the nation the first overt acts of which were de-
sroying Of the election papers Of Saline district, the
murder Of Isenc Bushyhead and the brutal maltreat-