The Van Buren press., 1859-10-14
FRIDAY, OCTOBER IA, 1859.

reach, while those who slay their fellow
men escape entirely, when by ingenuity or
corruption they show palliating circumstah
ees enough to bring their crimes below the
denomination of wiifui murder The nu-
merous acts of violence and ruifianism we
have in our midst, the loss OF time in hold
inc and attending courts for their trial and
the heavy expenses entailed upon individu
ais and upon the public treasury by these
causes may be abated, If not removed, bv
modifying our criminal laws SO as to rec
ognise different grades of crime, aud until
prisons can be provided to assign penalties
proportioned to the degrees Of criIninaIity,.
at hard labor OF some work of public util-
4tss. 4Nisile on thissr eaic sray gata tliat
IN compliance with an act passed last sess-
ION OF the National Council the Principal
Chief sand the Executive Council have
caused an examination to be made into the
practieability and expeliency OF convert
ing one Of the stone buildings at Ke-too
wah into National Jail. The result is
it cannosbe done without incurring expense
enough to build new jail entire that
would be better adapted to the purposes OF
such structure
Tho Financial affairs Of the county
should receive early and mature corrsiie.a-
don. For ray eiews on this subject, be-
sides tlte remarks here made. respectfully
refer TO my last annual message to the Na-
tional Council and TO preceding ones. The
leading objetas to be accomplished are the
payment of the National debt and the per-
manent increase Of our Nationa fdnd School
and Orphan funds The National debt as
you know, was incurred during the anon
alous and trying state of things that exist
ed among us, prior to the date of the Trea-
ty Of 9th OF August 1916, and the consc-
quent adjustment, and is in the form of
warrants drawn on the Treasury in con-
formity to appropriations .ade by the Ma
tional Council chiefly in the years 1S4G-7
s. No debt has accrued since the year
49,, the annual receipts into the Treasury
since that time, by a reduction of salaries
and other public expenditures, having been
sufficient to meet ana defrav all governmental
expenses. The amount of the debt with
out having the means ofprecise information
at hand is believed will not excel one Lun-
dred thousand dollars, as it has been grad
ually lessened by receipts into the Treasury
from sales of stray property, lots and
buildings at Ke&oo-wah and from law and
Ferry licenses. The obligation to pay this
debt is unqueStionei. 1t was incurred by
competent authority, in defence of the COM
mon rights and comm on interests of the
Cherokee people it has always been recog-
nizcd by the same authority anla way devi-
sed for it's payment, as long ago as the year
1851, but which failed to be carried into
effect from causes beyond our control. The
non-payment of these liabilities, which
have passed, to a large amount, into the
hands Of citizens of the United States, has
been owing, not to any doubt as to the Ma
tional delegation III the premises, but part
ly to disagreement in the Legislative bran
ches of the Government on Incidental is
sues, partly to unsuccessful negotiations at
Washington, and to the unfair operation of
the provisions of the act of the National
Council that applied the annual receipts
of money into the Treasury, to the pay
ment of the current expenses OF tlfe gov
ernment. When you look at the means
proposed by the National Council and
sanctioned by the people for accomplishing
the ends mentioned, and which in their
present and future influences rise III magni-
tude far above the petty triumphs Of men,
persons or parties, it is believed there will
be no cause for irreconcilable difference be-
tween yourselves.in regard to the duties you
owe to the country. The National. resour-
ces are abundant if made available, and are
found in resort either to taxation, or the
Of the neutral land to the Uni
ted States. The right to raise revenue
by either means now is clear, and the ext
gency of our condition seems to demand
that it should be done. If taxation will
defray the urrentSexpcnses of the Govern
ment, or pay the National debt and give
such increase to our National and School
funds as will by an economical administra-
ton of the Government prevent a relapse
into, debt, while it imparts efficiency to otfi-
GERS, and provides fund equal to the ma
tional wants of rising generations, without
being burdensome to the citizen, we say let
it be levied fairly and equitably, according
to each mans ability, and be collected with
as little vexation as possible. If, on the
other hand, the :. neutral land - affords the
best method, as it probably does, of provi--
ding for present and future w;aits let your
legislation be so directed as to affect that
end. Ii this measure be decided upon,
doubt rot that the eminent statesman who
now administers the Government OF the
United States will deal with US upon terms
of enlightened justice and enlarged liber-