The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-01-11
The Four Indian states.

L
the Indian tribes occupying Territories west
of the States will soon bring up new ques-
tion for the decision of Congress What
shall be done with the Indian governments
or States that are now fully organized p
Are they to be finally admitted into the
Union? Is a new removal, at some future
time, to be made of the tribes civilized and
Christianized to make room for the Cauca-
sian wave rolling west? Or are foreign
Governments to grow up in the, very heart
of the territory of the United States?
The Cherokees organized a regular gov
ernment as early as 1889, copying the pc
cuiar features of the Constitution of the
United States. The forms of Legislation
and the arrangement of the courts of JUS
tice so nearly resemble those of the States,
that, but for the tawny skins around him.
the traveller into the Cherokees territory
would scarcely find any indication of hav-
ing passed its boundaries.
This tribe has improved in all the arts of
civilization to such a degree that many of
its principal men would grace the refined
society Of any nation. In respect for the
law, regard for popular education and pub
lie morality, and the adoption Of all the
elegancies and advantages of civilization,
the Cherokees have taken position which
forbids any forcible interference with their
rights to the territory they occupy, to suit
the conveniences or obviate the anomaly
which the existence of their state now pre-
sents.
The Choctaws formed their government,
taking the institutions of the United States
for their model, in 1884. Initiating their
more pogressive white neighborS, last year
they revised their constitution, and adopted
even the most minute forms of government,
and the names of officers which prevail in
each of the States of our Confederacy.
The Chickasaws, lately separated from
the Choctaws have also followed the two
examples of the two tribes mentioned, and
thus the third government, with Institutions
identical with our own, exists on the bord
erS of the southwestern States occupying
territory ceded to them by the General Gov
ernment.
The Greeks are taking steps to cteate the
fourth independent organization of a State
form ofgovernment, and will soon present an
example of the influence of civilization in
subverting the customs and traditions of the
race indigenous to the continent.
These Indian States are a strange anoma-
| ly. They are not part of the Union, nor
are they known in law to exist. The white
man cannot pass through their territory
without permit, nor can he take with him,
when he is allowed to enter the Indian do
main, certain articles of merchandise, even
! though the packages are unbroken and are
simply designated for the New Mexican
market. This singular state of things can
not exist for many years without forcing it.
| self upon the attention of Congress.
The tide of population is steadily rolling
! Westward. In less than ten years it will
beat against the barriers now thrown up
1 againts its invasion of the retreat of those
civilized aborgines. Even now the emil
grafton must cross these Territories These
Indian states cannot exist when the Cauca-
sian race presses upon them as independent
governments. These people, civilized and
attached to the soil they have improved,
| cannot be removed to remOter wildS, nor,
without aerious discontents, is it likely the
United States can subject them to the con-
dition of other territorial organization, by
an abrogation of the constitutions they have
established for themselves. What, then, is
to be done with these Indian states 1t
cannot fail to give greater interest to this
question that each of these Indian States
7 has adopted the social institutions of the
South The Indians are slaveholders.-N n
o. PieoyuHe.