New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-09

WOVVTTTITeWU TWL0TN8T,
more land is sought or needed. On the contrary, |
as will appear, the government will be largely the
gamer in lands. Then on the score of sound
policy and humanity, what IS the true course to |
pursue Does the United States wish to prolong |
The scene of misery, strife and blOodshed which I
has called every day for quarter of century for
our interference and the separation of the tribe
What object can we have in compelling this whole
people to live within the same boundaries when |
peace and order can be obtained by placing par
tition boundary between the discordant clements
To do so would be to make the government itself
pggttoeDS crineiniS in the murders and violence |
which will certainly follow.
But it is said that John Ross means no harm in
the future to his enemies, to those whom he has |
spent his life in marking for destruction. He and
his partisans being the most powerful IN the ma.
ton are engaged now in making fair promises for
the future If these promises could be believed
those whom we represent would be most happy to
go again to their pleasant homes, and trouble the
authorities here no more. But long and dread
full experience makes such promises sound W orse
than moekery in their ears. 1t is the same old
tale of deception and in the light of the past it is
puerile and idle to rehearse it now. 1t will de-
ceive no one. If the government refuses to give
q separate home to that portion OF the tribe
known as the Southern Cherokees,n there will
be some eight thousand Indians turned oRbphome
less wanderers in the land. They would prefer to
| perish in the desert Of famine and restitution,
than to be again surrendered to the tender merces
of John Ross and his followers. This is strained
| statement. 1t would be the actual effect of the
| refusal of the government to make a separation
But what peculiar claim has John Ross that
would induce this government to crafty the ambl-
ton he displays to rule over the whole Cherokee
nation? Has he not been annually at the seat OF
| government professedly to settle Cherokee dim.
culties, but in reality to secure personal ends and
aims? Does a wise and faithful chief find himself
forever embroed with his people Strife and
disturbance seem to have been this mans natural
element. He has never had peace in his country,
and never will while he is permitted to have the
shadow of authority there. He has been con,
slant trouble and nuisance to the government, ana
ought to be abated at once and forever He now
appeals to the treaty OF 1855. He does so as It he
expected others to forget that he opposed that
treaty with all his powers; and that because OF
their defense of that very treaty he had the "
Ridges and BoudinOt murdered in 1889. But he
claims favor here because of his superior loyalty
Let us see how far such claim should avail him.
At the commencement of the late civil war he was
the executive of the Cherokee nation. On the
9th day OF October, 1861, he sent a cool and de-
liberate message to the national committee and
council in national council convened" After dis
cussing the policy of neutrality long as it
seemed to him probable that the Union would be
restored, he proceeds to disclose the calculating
and faithless spirit which appears to have guided
his whole life. But" says he, when there
was no longer any reason to believe that the
, Union Of the States would be continued, there was
nercause to hesitate as to the course the Cherokee
nation should pursue. Our geographical position
and domestic institutions allied US to the South,
as to the purposes of the war waged against the
Confederate States clearly pointed out the path Of
interest" He then explains that it was thought
T proper to raise a regiment OF mounted men, and
tender them to Gen. McCuloch, and says:
at is now in the service of the Confederate
States for the purpose of aiding in defending their
homes and the common rights Of the Indians about
us. = And it is hoped that our
people will spare no means to sustain them but
contribute literally to supply any want of com
Portable clothing for the approaching season. In
years long since passed our ancestors met I'M
daunted those who would invade their mountain
homes beyond the Mississippi; let not their des.
cendants of the present day be found unworthy Of
them, or unable to stand by the chivalrous men OF
the South, by whose side they may be called tC
fghtin self-defense,"
! under duress? Is it not rather the result of 8
crafty, calculating policy, which had waited anG
watched until the results OF the earlier battles o.
the war had convinced John Ross that it was safe
and to his interest to betray the government, anC
lead his people into treason and rebellion Ant
when he had reached that conclusion, with wha
enthusiasm he seeks to inspire his followers in up
/ holding the cause in which he had embarked He
appeals to their ancestors, to their present inter
ests and future hopes. And yet this man come
here now and pleads in the ear of the government
= that he was forced to utter all this
But how far did this duress extend? How muci
did it require this man to say? We have before
us declaration of the causes which led him ant
the chief officers of his council to advise war
: Was he compelled to SANDER and libel the Unitet
tates to the extent we here see it is one of thu
, most shocking documents to which the names o
responsible men were ever appended. We quote
a single sentence as specimen:
Foreign mercenaries, and the scum Of cities
and the inmates of prisons, were enlisted and or
ganized into regiments and brgades, and sent int
Southern States to aid in subjugatng people
struggling for freedom; to burn, TO plunder, ant
: to commit the basest outrages on women"
! This declaration, filled with such atroeiou
raj Il yV n
the national committee ; Josh Ross, clerk of tn
r same Lacy Mouse speaker of the council, an
= approved by John Ross. These men are all wei
o known as prominent members of the Ross party
some Of whom are now here assuming that the
are the only friends of the United States in tn
a Cherokee country. When the government needle
friends they were its most scurrilous enemies i
council and its bloodiest foes in the field. Thing
are changed now, and so are they.
d But it is said that John Ross and his party de
serve well at the hands of this government, be
cause after their alliance with the. sc-caled Coz
n iederacy, they were faithess to it, and once NOR
,, broke their treaty faith and again sought frendl
e relations with the United States. We may lik
= the treason which aids our cause, but we despis
q the traitor When it seemed this mans interes
as he plainly says in his message. to commit tres
J. son against the government, he did it, H thre1
}. himself into the of the rebel authorities re
n ceiyed from them $3.50 O00 alenated lands at hig
rs prices to them, made all he could, slaughtered an
scalped Union soldiers at Pea Ridge, and then tn
i. moment he saw or thought he saw the fortunes q
" his new allies on the wane and their cause goin
= down, true to his instincts and true to the av0we
e. principles on which he had so recently deserte
q the United States, he again violated his solem
If engagements, and comes here with such
2 record as this to be endorsed as a loyal man
d There is an old Chinese proverb as follows; ~
= you deceive me once, it IS your fault; if you de
lie ceve me twice, it is my FAULT Apply this prir
d. clple to Ross and the government will cease t
" have its annual troubles with him.
" As to the Stand Waite and Boudinot party Their
IS no resort to false pretenses on their part. The
went into the rebellion under the lead and guidanc
10 Of the authorities of their nation, When once en-
" listed they remained with their fatal cause to tn
le end. This is their sin and no more. 1t is on
10 which they share in common with millions of tn
civilized and intelligent citizens of the Unite
III States, But shall they therefore be deprived {
l.: home and country? Are they to be marked OF
ID for more cruel policy than is to be applied
,Y anybody else? All they ask in the proposition
is submitted by them is a place of security in whc
he to live, and no one but one who like Ross wishe
e. their total destruction would deny it to them.
I'd is mere question between their preservation an
III destruction. This, John Ross well knows, an
hence his arts to induce this government ono
)e more to give him his much coveted power oY(
lie his enemies
e. But allow me next to call attention to the a.
le vautages which are offered to the government
the propositions on the basis Of which we ask
ii treaty to be made
1r We make four distinct propositions, all Of whic
in are very desirable to the government.
G, First. The sale of the neutral lands
w. a1, E IL, I,