Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-07-24

SPAN DaQ 10 mat leilhoiJ. -
Nor is mis- mex, charge IN reference 10 ID.
tract of land lying vest OF Arkansas ard south o.
36dec. 80 less base;ess lie asserts that ihiS STIFF
land, as he calls it, was enough TO fofin ,"e
States, and that "requred this strip oil lana U
be given up 10 the Indians, as permanent aDooe
and that il was losl 10 the slave States. ms
like his other other assertions, IS Without loau
dalton. He makes no attempt 10 establish II, ou
leaves il 10 be inferred from The mere Statement
that Il was al the time Secretary OF War, anc
member OF Mr.. Monroe's administration" ne
knew il would not do TO so INFO details, as 'he'
would relu!c his charge, and hence the vague
ness Of the language, in which IL IS coucneG.-
What he omitted. shall! supply. The history o.
The affair may be told in few words.
The Chuctaw tribe OF Indians a; Tie Tins IN
babed the Sac oil Mississippi, and occupied al.
most lis entire territory. General jackson and
General Hines, OF Mississippi, were appointed
by Mr.. Monroe to treat with them Tor The puI'
pose OF Obtaining a cession OF portion oil 'heii
lands, They succeeded in Obtaining a large
tract lying in The very centre Of lle Stale, AM
extending from Pearl river TO the Mississippi
in exchange Tor all lhe territory lying between
The Red river, and the Arkansas, West Of a iine
drawn from The paint OF The Arkansas, opposite
10 where The lower line Of the Cherokee lnuiahs
slluca il, 10 point on Red River three miles oe
low tue mouth oil Little river, and wes'wdrdiy y
the South Of The Canadian fork OF The Arkansas
and line drawn due South 10 Red river. bi
The treaty, in making The exchange, mace ne
provision 10 change The character oi Inc Indian
lille to The land given in Arkansas in exchanst
Ter that which we received in Mississippi Nu'
did il make j. The permanent abode oil The indians
as be asserts. They hold it just as they held ,ht
land they ceded 10 Mississippi. Nothing was
lost BY the saveholdIng State; but great Geal
gained by the ueay. A large and valuable
lrac, in the very heart OF The cotton region, and
lying couvirnien. 10 market was acquired oJ
Mississippi, viii out the loss OF single acre to
her s:ters O.! The slaveholdins States. So that NE
great 81 mpathy which ne progressed tor the slave
Siares, in This case is misapplicd. II ne chooses
10 consider me responsible ios Ike treaty, instead o.
alr. Monroe, aui The ccmmis. ioGers who mace
il, and he Senaie that approved Of u, be is wei
come 10 Go SO, however contrary 10 The ruin o.
the case.
Another, and only arolher treaty was made
win that tribe, while | remaiGet IN The Wal
Department. | was The Com aaissioncr on Inc
pafl OF The unilea States. ird, Ct course, &C.
knowledge my responsibility for It's provisions :
Instead VI Iequi Ing strip 10 be gwen 10 he IA
dams Tor Their permanent ABIDE, The lndIats r..
ceded TO the United Sta'es By treaty, a pa't, and
moot Yalrsble part, without orr cedIns an inch
10 them. The entire line zee moved westward,
as lar as Fort Smith, on the Arkansas, and
thence by line due South 10 Red river. Nor
did il make the slightest change in The title 10
what remain lo tie Indians, or provided per-
mantnl home tor Them &, he would have you
believe. So much tor lhs charge and its author
The next is oil a kindred character. lie sta cs
il sill more vaguely, 50 much 50, that am at
loss 10 know 10 which one o. The many treaties
made with the Indians, about The resicn 10 ques'
ton, he refers. He speaks Of slice tony iuIlec
wide aud three hundred long "cut oil from Ar
kansas and given 10 the lndian.;" that il was
done by Indian treaty-trealy made by prolege
Of Mr.. Calhoup's;" and adds that | was Vice
President al The time bat gives nc boundary and
avoids naming what treaty il vas, with what
tribe Of Indians made, or The name OF The per-
son BIZ calls my "prolege." Il is an Indictment,
without specification OF time, place or clrcum-
Stances 10 which it is impossible 10 make sre-
cilic answer But, fortunately such an one is not
necessary 10 repcl il efecualiy, without descend
ing into details, which il is fair c presume, were
omitted, Because they could not be given without
exposing he absurdi'y oil lie charge. Ills ad.
mission that the treaty was made while was
Vice Pre- sdent, furnishes me with ample means
Tor that purpose
II is sufficient TO repel it, TO state that during
tho whole period that filled The Office OF Vice
FresiJsu', that Of President was filled either by
Mr.. Adams or General Jackson, and that il was
my fortune TO be in opposition to both, and lno
object of their strong dislike, as must be well
known 10 all. not only had no Influence with
either, but was tho object of their persecu-
tion My support Of any measure, or recon.
mendation OF any individual, was sufficient TO
defeat the one, and reject the other; and yet,
Colonel Benton, who is familiar with all this,
assumes, in making his CHARGE that J am re.
sponsible for treaty made BY either ons or tho
other Of them, il matters moi which. II was going
far to make me solely responsible or the acts Of
an administration, Of which was no member !;
but il makes me responsible, not only for them,
but for The acts Of those that were deadly hos.
tile 10 me, is piece of extravaganza beyond
the reach of any individual bat the author Of
the charge. Even be, in this instance, seems 10
have a misgyng that he has Como 100 far, and
in order 10 give some color 10 30 wild charge,
adds liat tho treaty was negotiated by proteg.
Of NINE lie must have been fortunate mar
bearing that relation to me, TO have got an ap.
pointment from either of the two adminislra.
lions. have examined all the Indian treaties
IClutiu6 " inC iC5iou ia ACoAAOu, inaoC duiihS
their administrations, in order 10 ascertain who
tits lucky individual could be, but have been
unable TO discover him. IEsra is Tol single
treaty negotiated, during tho period, hat was
negotiated by any individual who had any claim
TO be called a pro.egc Of nine.
But why charge me with being he author OF
a measure, by which these large tracts. sufficient,
as he says, &c make two STA es, were losl 10 the
slave States AMI given away 10 The lndians,
when he authors Of The measures by which hey
were given away. are known 10 ell and 10 none
better lhan Col. Benton They were tie meas.
ures of MIR. Adams and General kson, and
their administrations. One or The other made
all the treaties by WHICH the old merely possess
DRY titles OF the indians to their lands we're con.
yrned over the whole territory inio permanent
right OF possession and properly, an! made The
permanen. home Of the int.ians, 10 use his own
expression. There was no treaty made while
lied Tie War Department, in Mr. NJ jaruc's
administration, Wni.n made aHy suca ALTERATIONS
10 the title OF Indians &c land ives! OF the .Mi>ais-
sippi, or any where else, to my knowledge. The
making Of lodian treaties Containing stIg!a.
lions for permanent tiles and their IeGioyal west
Of the Mississippi, constituted large portion OF
the doinss Of those adminisra and much Of
that on which lhay rsisd their repulanon-
Much The g:ea,er part vas the work Of General
Jackson's administration, with which Col Ben.
ion was ultimately associated, and over which
he had sufficient Influence 10 make himself res
ponsiGle Tor NC small share Of lis dcnss, espe.
cray as 10 wat related 10 the Hes,. 10 al.
tempting now 10 :hu6i. off his portion Ct Inc
responsibility, and that ot the administration. and
10 place II or me, who was hosnlc 10 il, speaks
badly tur his manlness, or regard Tor the char.
acler Of the administration Q! General Jackson,
fox which he Processes co much attachment and
admiration. He would hardly have y9a;urcd in
III. liie.:rac oil 'ihc Old Hero" 10 make the
heavy Charge he les, against measures oil
which he was the author, and OF which he 50
much prided himself
10 his eagerness 10 assail me, he has LOST, no,
only his discretion. but his memory, In order 10
maze uullhal the anii-sjayery parry OF The North
duly appreciated The great service thai had done
their cause he says tina, they gave proof Of their
sraitude: that was then a candidate for the
Vice Presidency, aud became the !avore OF the
Nonh, beams erSl MIR Adams himself on the
flee soil tracks" forgetting what sc lad said just
before, that was Vice Pfcsideu! a, the time,
when be we'll knew That was c!cc'e,i fo. tie