Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-10-26

 From tho Et Smith T;,
ITUH Ilt I [. NmlJIl llneS. The eculiarity as an Indian Tribe Their Language Alphabet Manners and Customs.

iHOe-- Ihelr language Alphabet
 Manners and Customs.
 Perhaps no race of people on earth are more peculiar in their language, habits, manners and customs, than the CherokeeS, and as an Indian tribe, they resemble but few of the Indian tribes known in the United States. Pickett, in his history of Alabama, says that all of the southern Indians came from the west, except the Cherokees, and that they came from the east. And this ac- cords with their own tradition. They say they came from toward the rising sun We have been intimatcl acquainted with them for many years, and we are of the opinion that they are like no other Indian tribe on the continent of America In the first place, they apply the name of Yv-we yah to themselves, which, in it's literal sense means the reaI people Their language is peculiar in its construction, having no sound of b, i, P, orv, in 1t, and mol syllable ending with a consonant. The language has scarcely ever been learned by a white person after years of maturity; and owing to the peculiar construction of the lan- guage, the lips are seldom used in speak ing 1t; and Cherokee Indian can talk all day, without ever closing his mouth, or pressing his lipse together
 The al phabet was invented by an old In dian*, who was mixed blooded, being half white, but who could not speak a word of English The characters are syllable hav- ing but one consonant, in the whole all phabet, which consists of 5S letters, or characters. Each syllable ends with vowal sound The language is hard to learn because it has such number of afIixes and suffixes and an unusual numberof oftenses. We might say, that the number of lenses is incredible. The late Rev. Mir. Worces- ter, missionary of Park Hill, Cherokee Ma tlon, who spent great many years Ill trans lating the scriptures into the Cherokee an- guage, informed us that he followed one verb up to seventy lenses. This seems almost incredible; but coming from the lips of such man, we had no difficulty in believing 1t. The language is harder to learn than the Chinese. As one instance of the impossibility of learning it, we will mention that John Ross, now over sixty years of age, having resided in the Chero- kee Nation all his life has to use an inter- preter when he makes a speech to his peo- pie. This is true, for we have seen 1t seve- ral times ourselves, with our own eyes, His father spoke the English, and he learn ed that language first, and failed, when child, to learn the Cherokee language; but he speaks 1t, so as to converse tOlerablv we'll but connot speak it we'll enough to make speech in it. It Is so with all those who speak the English first, they sel- dom, if ever, acquire the Cherokee, hence | the cause of many of the Cherokees being unable to speak their own language In l fact the Cherokee language is fast dying out in the Nation. The English is becoming the prevailing language, and in few years, 1t will be matter of curiosity to hear Cherokee speak his own language. The present generation IS growing up mostly English scholars, being educated in Eng fish schools, which are free, and in every part of the Nation supported by fund created by the sale of their lands east The fund Is out on interest, and is so dis posed of that the interest alone can be used.
 But the manners and customs of these peo- pie are fast passing away, as the older DOT tion of the tribe are passing off the statge of action. But few of the old Indians are Ielt, anu WlIu lneln alOne IS known the tfa- ditions of the tribe, and in fact many of their customs have become obsolete and are forgotten. We have known many of their peculiar traits, but have forgotten them
 It is the opinion of many eminent divines, that the Indians are part of the lost ten tribes of Israel, who were carried into cap tivity shortly after the reign of Solomon into Asayria. The reason why they are suppos- ed to be Israelites, Is because many of the customs of that people are found to exist among the Indians of North America Many of these customs were once to be found among the Cherokees, and one of the most remarkable was the existence among the Cherokees of cities of refuge, where man-slayers could flee and be secure from the pursuit of the llinsman of the slain.- | The Cherokees had three of these cities when they inhabited the lands known as the eastern nation. Tellico, (Tahlequah) as it is called by the whites, in Tennessee. | Is one of the old cities of refuge, and anoth- CT place in the same State, Chota, is anoth- CT of the cities of refuge, and the other we have no knowledge now of its locality.- But these places, or cities of refuge. have long since passed away with the old con- iprers and warriors of the tribe, and they are only talked of as things that once ex- isted.