The Daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1845-1850, 1850-05-27
TUF GATpuIN RITSINFcc

The Springfield Republican gives the following
statement of facts, drawn from the Galphin Reports
with It's opinion thereon:
Previous to 1878, George Galphin was licensed
trader among the Creek and Cherokee Indians in
Georgia The Indians became largely indebted to
HIM, and could not pay him without selling their
lands They accordingly ceded to George Ii. then
hlng OF Great Britain, 2,500000 acres of land for
the purpose of paying Galphin and others, and Com
mlssoners were appointed to sell the lands, and pay
the traders out OF the proceeds. The traders, in
consideration OF the cesslon, released the Indians
from obligation, transferring their claims to the Brit
Ism government The amount of Galphn's claim
was ascerained, and certificate issued to him bv
the Governor and Council of the Province. So far.
tlere was, and can be now, no doubt about the
claim.
Before Gaphin had received anything from the
Commissioners, the Revolution was Commenced
and by Its successful result, the right and title to
these lands, hitherto held by the British Government
was assumed by the State of Georgia, subject in
equity, of course to any legal claim which indiyid-
uas might hold in them The State of Georgia. of
her own sovereign act, granted these lands to actual
settlers, and as bounties to revolutionary soldiers
These acts were entirely independent of the acts of
the General Government, and the soldier bountes
were IN no case a substitute for bounties from the
National Government. As Georgia, therefore, as
sueu Tic title III tneSe lands, and disposed of them
to her own benefit, we are entirely unable to see
why she did not assume the liabilities arising from
the Galphin claim.
The claim, then, was good against the State of
Georgia, bat Georgia refused to pay it, though fire.
quently imporuned TO do it, and though frequent
committees in her Legislature reported in favor of it.
recognizing uniformly its Justice Tired of pressing
this claim in Georgia, the heirs of George Gaphin'
IN 1874, presented it to the United States House Of
Representatives. A bill was passed for its payment
IN 1913. This, we believe, to have been an entire
ly lllegtmate act We believe that Georgia. and
Georgia alone, owed this debt; that she had wrong
fully withheld it from the use of those who held The
claim against her; and that principal and interest was
due from her to Them
The United States assumed this debt by the act IF
1885, acknowledged its obligation to pay it, and did
at once, pay the principal. We submit that, had
TINS been private Transaction the obligation to nav
the interest on the debt, would have been lust as
binding as that to pay the principal. The &C nowl-
edgement Of the debt, at last, was an acknowledge
ment of the debt from the first. The money which
the Government improperly judged was due from it.
sell TO the Gaphin heirs, had been in use seventy
odd years to its own benefit Its use had been with
held from George Galphin and his heirs for the whole
Of that period. Our opinion u.s. that the Government
had no right to pay either principal or interest but
III assuming the principal assumed all the obligations
winch that assumption incurred.