The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-12-05


him" In conforming to the spirit of the res
o!ut on | nominated five Commissioners from
the Districts of York and Lancaster, to meet
me, with as many of the Ca,awbas as could
be assembled, in the vicinity OF Nation Ford,
OH the twcnty-tl;rd day OF July vt that
meeting full and satisfactory answers were
obtained OIL many material points. Subse-
gncn'ly, proposed Il series Of questions TO
the Commissioners to elicit written rep;.
At the same time, B. S. Massey, OF Lancas-
ter, was dispatched to Haywood CO, North
Carolina Tor purpose connected "th the
main object to be accomplished. Copies Of
the papers. disclosing the result OF my nvcs-
legations, now forward.
The two important questions involved in,
the general inquiry, have reference the one
the proprIctors of the Indian boundary; the
other, TO the Catabnw tribe.
Thir'y-scvcn years ago the Catawba coun-
ty, embracing an area oi fifteen miles square,
MAS unrcprcsented in the Legislature. The
member elected in IS03, being only lease
holder was declared ineligible toa seat The
law oi lol2, constituting a lease for three
lives, or nncty-nlnc Years, qualification
equivalent 10 freehold, placed the people of
that region, i'll relation to representation, on
a footing with the rcst Of their-clow citizens.
l;y an Act passed in December, 1888, the re-
vcrsionary rig|; to tho lands, which thereafter
were 10 "bc considered and adudGcd real cs-
tate was transferred from tho State to those
who owned them ':aS icSscs from the Catawba
Indians In lS!O. an agreement was con-
ciuticd with tho Indians by which they con-
:racted to cc,ic their interest in their lands
for ,wcnty-onc thousand dollars TO he re-
funded for this expenditure, the Legislature
imposed tax OF one and a half cents on every
acre within the Catawba limits. The present
assessed rates is one half cent on an acre
BY the Act OF tha; year, 'to carry into effect
the late agreement between the Catawba In
dams and the Commissioners on the part of
thu; State Snu;h-Carolina succeeded ",o the
right, title. and interest heretofore vested in
The Cataw5a Indians, for the purpose Of taxa
tl"n and OF issuing grants to the respective les
Sos thereof" The 9Th section declares that
the lcsscs who had executed bonds, as cnion-
cd bv previous Act, were required to paw
into the Treasury the annual sums stipulated
until they should acccdc to the terms "of this
Act, or until the expiration Of the term of their
leases; at either of which periods, they shall
be entitled TO grants for their respective
household possessions" By the 9th section,
| 1t appears that the sum of $1,000 was set
apart TO purchase land, and for ''thc establish
mcnt and outfit OF the Indians" Under this
| provision 10 action was taken, as neither the
| money Tor the object were named in the Ap-
preparation Act OF that year. In 1911, S250O
was appropriated for that purpose. At that
time the Agent had conditionally bargained
for 4 tract Of land in York District, containing
| ooS acres, at 81 per acre As il was subsc-
| Tuently asccrtaincd ,ha, no better arrange
| mcnt could be made, the contract was concIu--
dcd.
This b-ici history shows, that the inhabi
tanis OF the Indian territory occupy an anom-
a!"us position, in which the government
should no longer compel them to acquicscc
Sonlh-tarolna did not, by the treaty Of 1910,
luy the Catawba lands. The fee simple from
The first sc'tlcncn. Of the country had been
vested II! her. according to the legal doctrine
asto Indian lands within the boundary of the
original thirteen States; nor did she purchase
| the usurmct of the Indians; for the State had
two years previously, conveyed it TO the les
scSs who then held right to their posses
SONS Tor ninety nine years, with the privil
cgc OF renewing their leases. Ii is true that
by the Interpostion Of the supreme au,hor;
tirS IN uncertain tenure has been converted
into n sure and permanent one. For this
Ins exercise oi power, the proprictors have
| returned an adequate equivalent In conf
| dent anticipation OF speedy relief from their
! they settled and reduced a wilderness TO the
| dominion OF the plough. Where beasts of
| prey undlsturbcd!y r"amcd a hardy highly
| intelligent, and dense population arc now to
| be found. With an accurate perception of
! their rights and obligations, they feel that
| they 10 no not stand on the same firm and
elevated ground with the other members OF
their political family The high preroeatvc
OF equality, by persistence in an inyidious dis
! crmnatnn, Is practically denied them
/ l',,g,,-y IL. .sI.,.,,
| den which they are made to bear, but that
It's imposition substantially proclaius them as
| IN the enjoyment OF a benefit, obtained rcncr
ally without full costs, and, in many cases,
unwor,hIly, il not iraudulen,ly 1t may safe
ly be affirmed that tour-littls Of the farmers
are in possession OF their estates by purchase
| Tor an ample consideration. For a large pro-
| portion OF their possessions, the real worth
| WAS pa!d before the existence of the treaty.
The number who hold by inheritance, and
who, morally, II not legally, should be con-
| sidcrcd as purchasers, is comparatively very
lmit0d. In despite, then. of this decided ev
idcncc OF right ownership, the Legislature
has subjected all the propretors to an annu-
a! charge upon their lands, which hold to
be unequal ana unjust, and probably uncon-
| stltu,lonai: unequal, in reference to rent and
taxes: unjust, because the poor land paws
more than the rich; unconstitutional, for the
reason that it annuls written contracts
Ii the public spirited and Industrious cit-
zen who now hais from that interesting di-
vision OF South Carolina 'had been prevented
by considerations of insecurity Of title from
constituting it his home, the result would
have been loss to the State of over three
thousand farmers all the advantages flowing
from their agricultural enterprise, the labor
OF a large black population, and very con-
! siderable revenue derived from the tax on
slaves. TO Constrain him, therefore, TO re-
main in his present unsatisfactory situation,
would be manicstly incypcdicnt and npol-
tic. Barriers which create avoidablc dsiinc
tons, especially III relation to pccuniary bur
dcns, ought not to be allowed in a republic;
bul IL from any cause, permitted, they should
exist, only so long as the public interest I'M
ncriomsy demand. At this period, too, of