The Nevada journal., 1857-07-24
THE NEVADA JOURNAL.
BENTON a Falsifer.

across as villainous piece of misrepre-
sen .ation as we ever saw. In order to
justify himself and his party for expend-
ing the blood and treasure of the coun-
try in a seven years unnecessary war
with the Seminole Indians, in Florida,
he makes ga statement of facts as he
calls it, which is so distorted in character
as to render the author contemptible.-
He says that the war was begun against
the Seminoles. because, instead Of re-
moving from Florida, as they had pro-
mosed, they remained in order to muir
der and plumber the whites. He under
takes to show that they agreed to re-
move, by citing facts, which, indeed, are
true enough, as far as they go, but are
not the whole truth.
1t may be well to premise that the
eminoles-whose name signifies THE
Wild Men''-were an of-shoot from the
Greek Nation of Indians, speaking a
very similar language, and that the main
body of the Creek Nation had been re-
moved by the Government to the west
of the Mississippi and located in the Ar
kansas territory.
Benton says that in 1892, the Semi
noles made a treaty with the agents of
the Federal Government at Payne's
Landing, Florida, by which they agreed
to give up their lands in Florida to the
whites, and rejoin the Creek Nation to
the west of the Mississippi, provided
they liked the country, and the Greeks
would consent to have them occupy
portion of their territory. In order to
ascertain whether they could be salts
fed on these points, it was agreed that a
deputation should 90 on from the Semi
mole Nation, see the country and have
a talk with the Greeks, and, if they
were satisfied upon the points necessary
to be ascertained, that then the Semi
noles would remove. He proceeds to
state that the deputation went on i'll
1888, meeting with John Z. Schemer-
horn and two other agents of the Gov
eminent at Fort Gibson, in the Arkan
sas Territory, saw the country and liked
it, and obtained the consent of the
Greeks that the Seminoles should come
and reside within their boundaries. He
then saws, that, according to the treaty
at Payne's Landing, the deputation at
once entered into another treaty with
the Government agents, at Fort Gibson,
and consummated the oriz inal agree
ment at Payne's Landing; after all
which the SeminoleS refused to remove
from Florida, and long and bloody
war ensued.
The facts, as we have said, so far as
they 90, are true But Mr. Benton de-
liberately and wilfully creates a wholly
false impression, by emitting one very
material point in this history, with which
we happen to be perfectly familiar. He
neglects to state that the deput ation, af-
ter looking at the country and consult
ing with the Creeks, expressed their
partial satisfaction with the results Of
their embassy, and a determination to
so report back to their tribe; that the
Government agents induced them to
sign a treaty totally relinquishing all
claims of the Seminole Nation, to their
lands in Florida, with the oral proviso
that it should be Immediately submitted
to the Nation at large for their approval;
and that, in the face of this, the agents
took it straight on to Washington city,
and it was there ratified without ever
having been submitted to the Seminoles
at all.
Benton makes out quite different
case. He would have it appear that the
Seminoles agreed by treaty to remove
and then deliberately refused to do it.
Is such a man fit to write history Sac,
Bee
The instance above referred to is not
the only one in Mr.. Benton's work,
where history is falsifed. They occur
pretty generally in any place where the
great egotist is DESTROYS of making a
strong case for himself and his own side
But one instance sullices to answer the
question, "is such man fit to write his
tory z" Other evidence of different
kind, where the truth of history need
not be debated, may be produced to en-
able one TO answer the question in the
negative. His grammar is often at
fault, and at such times and places when
the wild above rule or art" excuse
will not apply.
He who speaks of the solecisms in
Jackson's language grating on his ear,
and boasts of smoothing the diction of
the old hero, as Benton does on page
1856 of the first volume, ought not to
commit solecisms himself. Here is a
portion of Benton, quoted from pages
$50 and 731 of vol. l:
The passage of the resolution was
announced from the chair. Mr.. Benton
rose, and said that nothing now remain
ed but to execute the order of the Sen
ate which he moved be done forthwith
1t was ordered accordingly. The Sec
rotary thereupon produced the original
manuscript journal of the Senate, and
opening at the page which contained
the eondemnatory sentence of March
2Sth, 1884, proceeded in open Senate to