The Van Buren press., 1867-10-04
WASHINGTON COUNTY

lullpn.
He was listened 10 attcntiyely for two
hours and half, and his speech seemed
to give general satisfaction lie gave a
history of his connection with Cherokee
affairs from the surrender Of the South
ern forces to the conclusion Of the late
treaty with the Cherokees, aud thorough
" exploded the stale SANDERS of bribery
and corruption, which had been put in
circulation concerning him To the peo-
pie of this county who have known Mr..
b. for l3 years, such reports were incred-
ible they have long known him as one,
who, whatever his faults, would not be-
tray his friends He read letters from
the Commissioners Of Indian Affairs,
who made the treaty Judge Wright and
General Ewing, the attorneys for the
Ross party, which completely yindicated
him from all charges Of colusion with
the Ross party, and gave him credit for
more zeal for the Southern Cherokees
than duty or justice demanded I
Judge Wright said in his letter that he
had been charged with selling out to
Boudinot to defeat the Ross party, but
he had never head it intimated before that
Boudinot was not true to his party.
Mr. b. asked if it was possible that he
could nave compromised the interests of
the Southern Cherokees, without the
Northern Cherokee Delegation knowing
something about it ? And then he further
asked if such men as Daniel Ill. Ross, and
John b. Jones, who of all men in the
world had least cause 10 love him, would
tell lie to screene him from such a
charge. Yet these men were prominent
delegates ofthe Ross party who made the
late treaty, and if he had been in collu-
sion with their party, they must have
known it. Why then he asked, do some
men persist in believing this mean libel,
without taking any pains to enquire
whether it be true or false
lie spoke kindly of his associate dele
gates with the exception of Ridge, to
whose jealousy and envy he attributed
the origin of the ISLANDERS; he said he
could no longer call Messrs Adair, Scales
and Fields his friends, and could there
fore with the more sincerity testify to
their zeal and ability, which he said had
never been cxcclled by any delegation
the Cherokee people had ever sent to
Washington, - -. ...,.....
Mr.. Bondinot spoke of the great ad-
vantages Of the organization of the In
dian territory, under the bill now before
the Senate Indian Committee ; it gives, he
said, the Indians United States Court in
their own country; instead Of being
dragged to Van Buren for every magma
ry violation Of the Intercourse laws, to be
tried by strangers--the Indian would
have a court in his own country and a
jury Of his own people; instead Of hay,
ing q horde of spies and informcrs and
United States Deputy Marshals roaming
over the Indian country hunting up cases
to make fees on, they would have officers
of their own people, whose interest it
would be 70 do their duty without op-
pressing the people, the bill would also
give the Indians representative on the
floor Of Congress, who could exercise
more inhuenccfor the welfare ofhis con-
stltucnts than all the agents, and special
delegations ever yet appointed. In ad-
dition to all these advantages he showed
that if the bill passes, it will restore to
the control Of the Indians every foot of
the territory ceded to the Government by
the late treaties; and he demonstrated
that two thirds Of all the Indian country
was ceded by these treaties All these
advantages were to be gained without af
fecting the rights or condition of any of
the Indian nations--thcy will all retain
their separate nationality as they now do
Mr. Boudnot went on to show what
the ChcrokccS and all the Indians of tho
territory might expect if the Indian bill
did not become a law: lie read extracts
from the bill of Hon Mr.. Lawrence O,
Ohio, TO organize ancgro territory out Of
the Indian country to be called "Tht
territory Of Lincoln;' the boundaries O.
this sable government include every foo
Of Indian soil from Kansas to Texas, anf
from New Mexico to Arkansas and Mis-
souri it is provided in the bill that ever,
officer in the territory from Governor
down to Justice of the Peace shall be
"an American citizen ofAfrcan descent