The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1852-05-19

at that period One OF the prominent things-and thai
was contained IN The document read 10 the Senate
yesierdaywas absolute slarvation-tota inability 10 pro-
subsistence without committing depredatons upon
the property OF the citizens The senator read an alb
stract in the conclusion OF his speech, which he says
has been prepared by who then with him in the
War Department, which shows conclusively that much
the largest part OF these depredations committed
not after hosi,ies commenced: $27oooO OF the $780,
600 were for damages committed prior 10 the COM
mencement of the hosliiies and portion OF the claim
which was added for meal, corn, and forage fur
nshed 70 The United States troops in the territory OF the
United States.
He has read letter from Mr. Short or alluded to such
letter, IN relation to these frauds Mr.. Short himself
was one oil The principal sufferers He was settler and
that OF itself conclusive proof that the settlers
wholly unconnected with any frauds upon the Indians
On the contrary. they furnished them with food 10 the
| utmost extent OF their means.
But the senator, In attempting 10 Justify himself in
particular II seems TO inculpaied himself in another
tie was Secretary OF War at the time General Jackson
recommended the appointment of these commissioners
Tor the purpose OF paying these claims. and OF
concared in the act Of the administration Of which he
| Mr.. CASS. | was absent at that time
MI. Mr. CLEMENS. The senator says he was absent.
Az AL events the existing government OF which he const
tued part, recommended the appointment OF commits
sion for the purpose OF paying this claim, and take il
that every part OF that executive government bound
do not care whether Governor Gayle denied the right Of
me Executive to send troops into that Territory not
Governor Gayle was not sustained by the constituted
thortes OF the State of Alabama The people repudated
his actions and the consequence has been that from that
day this he has been acting with the whg Instead Of
the democratic party, 10 which no belonged anterior TO
that time Governor Gayes correspondence with the War
Department was repudated by the legislature of Ala
bama We did extend our laws that Territory partly
for the purpose of preventing these frauds that pac
used upon the Indians That constituted of the chief
reasons Tor extending the laws OF Alabama the In
dams II was for their protection, and if had been let
alone We would have protected them but the
thought proper to interfere and take the matter into their
own hands They made treaty, and by the very terms
OF II settled whites among the Indians rendering abso
Inf atpf not fh. ka
ing landess without the of raising crops must
sort TO dePredatons upon the property of the whites in
order to obtain bare subsistence This was oreseen by
the authorities oil Alabama, and the government were
warned against it but this warning, they
persisted IN this course OF conduct
But the senator from Michigan has undertaken to
prove that this was public Well, sir. the head
OF the administration of which he composed part did
not think so, and the facts do not justify the assertion
that there was public The very paper he himself
read, as have before remarked proved conclusvey
that much the largest portion of these depredaons
committed anterior 10 the time that any host,es had
existed But the fact is that the state of hosttes which
did subsequently arise confined always to scatter
ing parties of Indians, and concurred in by
the nation The head chief Of the nation, Yo po-thleyo
holo was one OF the most active instruments suppress
ing The hosttes and Jm-boy, another of the principal
chiefs OF the nation, also engaged in suppressng
them The council Of The nation never recognised the
acts Of hostility
But the senator asks why did not arr the Indians
and try them for murder Why sir. il would have been
as easy to identify them would have been 10 have
gone to the moon. We could not identify them. We
could not tell who had committed the murders; and,
moreover, would not have been polite under the cir
cumstances and not judged at all necessary, 10
sort TO this process. when the general government had
resorled 10 process OF coercing their removal. We
were willing to get rid OF them. We knew the mposs-
biy OF identifying and trying them for murder. and
lei them go when the government troops removed them.
Ihe number OF warriors in the Creek nation at that pc
rod was about i've thousand. There
hundred OF them engaged in these hostile depredaiions
and terc never was at any period hive hundred OF them
assembled ia body, except those who were assembled
fhqa
hosties Their acts repudated by the council of
the naton and there was nothing 10 justify anything like
The assumption that there state OF public BY
that do not that there should have been declaa
ton OF war; for all know that never make such a
declaration with Indian tribes but what mean is that
the tribe, or majority OF IT, should have concured in
that the council OF the nation should have acted upon IL
and that TIE council OF the nation should have sanctioned
these hostilities and deny that state Of war exist
when the executive authorities OF the United States de-
MED that any such war did exist. and when much the
largest portion oil the troops employed in suppress
ing the insurrection There a few bands OF half.
starved Indians, and Of them were driven far
desperation thai the woods actually filled with them
hung 10 the grape vines having committed suicide in or
der 10 avoid starvation. They depredaors in every
OF the term, and nothing but depredatos; and
ask now that you shall do TO simply what you have
done 10 every other State that has made application TO
you-pay for the property so destroyed.
have wish to prolong this discussion. regretted
yesterday that there so much said about this cues
ton as there was think all OF us have understood it
and unless becomes necessary, shall say nothing
about it,
Mr. CASS | have here a letter OF Governor Clay on
this subject, from which | will read the following ex-
tract:
must say, in reply hap. pcr,Ona knowledge Of
facts which to found opinion the subject which
you allude. am not aware that have had any
nicaton, personally by letter, with any Individual who
have been impio nted in the excitement OF hoses
50 far as am able to Judge from the communications OF
individuals, or from indications OF public sentiment
pressed at public meetings and Otherwise, seems
tbcoptnon prevails extensively IL not almost universally
that the auds and orgeres practsed upon the Indians TO
deprive them their lands the principal
canses which excited them to hosities."
Mr. BELL. Who is that letter from'
Mr. CASS That is from Governor Clay, then gov
ernor OF Alabama who says expressly that the opinion
OF the whole country that the frauds practised upon
the Indians amongst the principal causes which ex
cited them to hoslities. Mr.. President the period when
these things occurred has so long passed away that it is
hardly known 10 what extent the excitement prevailed
The great body OF the State OF Alabama much
cited and as much opposed to this as any could be
There was most heathful public sentiment there !;
and as Governor Gayle says, there was Indignation
felt throughout the whole country against the state oil
things. The War Department overloaded with
remonstrances from Alabama against that monstrous
state oil things; and | assure the honorable sena-
tor that | had not the most remote idea OF saying
word about these claimants as being concerned in the
frauds ALI that spoke OF those persons who had
gone into the Territory, not only from Alabama and
Georgia. but from other neighboring States, to make
system oil deraudng the Indians. | alluded 10 those
persons who made system of cheating the Indians. A
spirit OF indignation was excited against them in the
State OF Alabama, and do not believe they could have
made their appearance there at all No sentiment could
have been heathful than that OF the State Of Ala
bama on the subject repeat, il would be exceedingly
IN ta epata naIc