Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-03-10

States grouped toScta,r nn this portion oil
territory Was it II matter Of accident i
Were these Indians strata the deposit made
Nv the shifting and drifting of some chaoa in
human ntfiirst Was it " spontaneous or vol
unturv movement of their own, tn;.t lifted
them from their native soil, and planned them
by natural attraction, on that 1plt Neither
OF them. 1t was the result oi Il plan long dis
cussed and warmly disputed, but finally act
tied ns the measure of the Government # Il e
[ Lntied States In 1929, General Jaqk
commisernting the wasting condition Of the
Indians, proposed II plan Of removal. lie
thought 1t too late to inquire whether they
were Justly or uniustly included within the
limits of States. lie wished to save them
from further depression.
a. mean' Of cfccting this end, ! suggest the
proprcty of setting apart an ample district west Of
the Mississippi and without the limits Of any State
or Territory new formed, to be guaranteed to the
Indian tribes as long as they shall occupy t.
800.
1t should be kept in mind, that the avowe d
and doubtless the real object waa to secure
them from destruction, which he believed was
pending over them. In pursuance Of his plan
treaties were made with a number of tribes.
In his message Of 1880, he calls the attention
OF Congress to these treaties
" In negotiating these treaties the Indians were
mnde to understand their true condition and they
have preferred maintaining their independence in
the western forest to submitting to the laws Of the
state where they now reside These treaties being
probably the last that eH tps5 be made with them,
are characterized by great liberaity the part Of
Government."-p 39s.
Here are marks of design, apparently be-
neyolcnt design, to take them out from the
State lines, and place them where State lines
should not lplln surround thpm
The intent of the President is plain. Was
it 50 with Congress In the third section of
an act, passed the ensuing May, for the ex-
change Of lands with the Indians, 1T is enacted
" That in making any such exchange exchanges,
it shall and may he lawful for the President solemn.
ly to assure the tribe nation, that the United
states will toyeor secure and guarantee to them and
their heirs, or successors the country exchanged
with them. Vol. 4, 4l2.
Let us now see what guarantees were made
to the Indians. can rccte but part. With
twelve OF the nineteen transported tribes trea-
ties were made during the administration of
General Jackson, and they were all made in
accordance with the spirit of his messnge and
the law Of Congress.
In the second article of the treaty with the
kickapoos, is this guarantee -
alt il hereby agreed, that the country shall be
assigned, conveyed, and torever Secmed and is here
ny HsslHltu, conveyed, ana secured by the nlteu
States to the said kickapoo tribe us their perma-
nent resience.--Ioi I, p. 3gl.
The guarantee to the Cherokees--article )
is:
"The United States hereby covenant and agree
that the lands ceded to the Cherokee Nation, in the
foregoing article, shall in future time, without
their consent be included within the territorial lin
its or jurisdiction of any State or lerritory.-v Vol
7, p 4sl.
The ninth article in the treaty with the Otto
was, (rol. Z, p. 36I,) and the tenth article Of
the treaty with the Shawnees, tool. z, p. 356,)
are in exactly the same words, and the words
are these:
"And the United States guarantee that said lands
.hall never be within the bounds of any State or
Territory, nor subject to the laws thereof"
That utle is absolute and complete it is,
consequently, exclusive, conveying not only
the soil but the sovereignty. and shutting out
ali others from the powers here conveyed
Three OF the Indigenous. and one of the othe
tribes, have an lndlun tltlc ; twelve have their
lands by treaty IN perpctulty. four by patent,
one by treaty, and two BY purchase. There
are the treaties. DO you need any lnerpreta
lion. If so, President Jackson will give it
After recitlng the pledge Of the United States
to the Indians, he says, in 1885:
"a county west of the Missouri and Arkansas has
been assigned to them, into which the white settle
HcLl5 are NOT " De pusHtu. 4NO pOtNtCW commune"
tts b, formed that eItesiue Tsgion eIotpt those
otich are established byne Indians hemStluss, by
the United states for them, with their
barrier has thus been raised for their protection
against the encroachments Of our citizens"
Here we hive the plan. aud the execution of
that plan No man but General Jackson could
have carried It through. The indians feared.
respected, loved, and trusted him. They look
ed up to him as the great father of great ma
10 Ill "a a.,
new abodes assigned in the West they should
there remain unmoesled forever. The Indians
believed the word Of General rckson, lcked
by the pledge of Congress and the assent OF
the people There Is the solemn covenant OF
thus nation; her honor is pledged to keep thai
covenant. 1t seems degrading to ask viii YOU
do T.: If so, now is the time to do it. VIII
the same Congress that sends medals Of gold
to Captain lngraham for the rescue of kuszta
of rou5tiul citizenship, crush the poor luiinr
We have sworn to protect; You took up these
tribes from out the old States, because you
could not allow them 10 have Il govern ncnt o
their own within another government: yOt
planted them there, and told them TO govern
themselves. lou took thcm tIun the midst o
the whites, because you sald they were cheat
ed and besottcd. and corrupted, and placed thea
there, In be beyond the reach ot degrading "n
tccHen,, you tore them away ton all tina
was "ehgh'iu' IN me present. mn" "''I'd nn'
glorious IN tue re oII"rt'""S "l 'h' past II
yon now thFo" 't"uh" ,"''h '@"ln ''e lines
Ioc'l government, ana expos. 'heh' he'in L
the uubrldled raplcly # the Wil'e man: Nov
Is lnc tl g for decislou
But, may be asked, II ""uld forever kee
tlmt large Doly oi 'rrTi'nfS open on account q
these Indians ana wll' answer tha' ""uI'
at al events, and all hazards Keep my word.
would run a llne north "i ,'o'e Indians lfo'
the MlSsoufito me kocHy M"uh'"IiS' ana max
all territory son'h oi II sAtfe" 10 ''e re-" 'hHI
Ordaln and execute laws To protect MN Y"
can do thAt peacefully II ho'' Keep your iAl'
with the helpless aud do II oy i"rcei plant
line ol soldiers, "a double or 'rlpie me, II meet
ed, around the whole Donhdirj' u ihht VI
not do, Keep your word ana plant hlne'
wall around It, and Jet ha'hihg sword glea
over every gateway,
Can 1t be believed tlat ms government Is