The Van Buren press., 1869-11-09
From the Cherokees.

4
Monday 1st day of November. Tn
Senate WAS organized the same day, an'
ARCH. ScRArER was elected President
The House was completely organized tn
ensuing day, by the election of SrASl
WHRLwINp, Speaker Of Council, THos
b, WoLrE, Clerk, and STEPHEN SMITH
Messenger. The Downing men are great
ly in majority asd his administration il
popular. Work has commenced but goes
on slow just now, and the full time o.
thirty days allowed by law will probably
be consumed. Much business is before
the Council Of great importance, and il
may be that acts of greater moment thar
ever before passed, will 90 through this
session; acts securing the rights of cti
zens, estates and property reaching for.
ward to changes which the Cherokees
know and feel are coming on. But OF
them You will hear when such acts arc
passed All or near all the members arc
present, and quite number of outsiders.
There are some cases of contested or il
legal elections which will come up for in.
vestigation and decision
There are several distinguished Chero-
KEGS here as visitors, among whom are
Gen. STAND WAITE, WM p. BouDISoT,
Esq, Maj. t. c. BouDlSoT, GLEN VAYS,
Esq. and Gro RoGERs, Esq There arc
no visitors from abroad with the eXcep
ton Of Judge Baker and DIR. Robertson
representatives Of the South Pacific Rail
road, and when ! say South Pacific, here
or elsewhere, mean latitude and no local
railroad name. There is quite a deal OF
talk in this country about railroads and
some among members and attendant citi-
zens here; but what shape this talk may
produce, or what, if any, action may be
had by the Council on railroads, no one
can tell You will know when Council is
over, But that the Atlantic and Pacific
Road, the governing road of this cont
nent, will be built is as certain rs sun
shines.
This is the first time have seen Tah-
lequah since 1862. / expected to see il
in much more ruinous condition than il
is, but the renovrtion it has received since
the surrender" gives it perhaps an ap-
pearance now much more cheerful than il
bore directly after the cessation Of war.
The town is improving, and the farms
around, like all other parts of the Nation,
are fast regaining the proportions and
fruitfulness they possessed before the
war, and the people are industrious and
advancing. They are feeling more and
more every day the value and necessity
of being united, one nation, and the old
feuds aud bad blood are fast dying out
Their leaders all foster this spirit and il
is producing beneficial results, and is a
matter Of rejoicing to all who are in any
wise concerned in Cherokee welfare
In Tahlequah they are building capi-
tol. 1t is a parallelogram Of brick, "A
hy "a, two stories, well ventilated, well
built and resting on solid hcwn sandstone
1t will be an elegant and commodious
structure, and credit to the projectors,
builders and Nation; n far superior
building to many a Court House in the
eastern haunts Of Civilization. But there
could have been found more beautiful
site, where the capitol would have been
imposing. Still it is very pretty State
House and long may the Councils of the
Chcrokces be held therein, each year
growing wiser Tahlequah is situate in
the lovely valley Of the Illinois, that val.
ley so rich in lands, prairies, forests,
salines, oil springs, and mineral. And
here let me say that that part of the Hi
nois above the mouth of Usage, in Wash
ington county, ought never to have been
so named. 1t is an inferior stream, mud
dy and slow; while Usage possesses all
the features Of the lower Illinois, C lear,
beautiful and swift. The real source OF
the Illinois is the head Of what is called
Usage, in Benton county,
All is peace and quiet here and the
deputy-deputy u. S. Marshals won't
find rs much bread and butter here as
they would if they were on somebody
farm splitting rails, But across the Chero-
kee border, in the Creek Nation, | hear
that their Council adjourned to the 23rd
inst, when it was thought some brewing
trouble might again be stayed The
Sands imbroglio, ended as some suppos-
ed, has again sprung up threatening dis
order and mischief The government OF
the Creeks is, however, certainly strong
enough to maintain tsclt, and it certain
ly ought to exercise that strength and by
law eiiectually silence these agitators and
disturbers. j. w. w.
TAHLEQuAn, G. n, Nov. 3D., 80.
+, S.-After finishing this letter an
event occurred which l must chronicle
After dusk, at the School House. free
entertainment was given by the pupils to
the members ofCouncil and ofthe officers
of government and visitors in town. II
was a creditable affair, both to the pupils
and their teacher, Spencer Stevens, Esq
Superintendent Public Schools. The
scholars proved that they had been under
skillful tuition, and, what has often beer
demonstrated, the capability of the Chero
kee mind. While there one would not
know he was not among " white folks y
were it not for the olive now and then
and once in awhile the copper. The Ia
dies and girls were graceful and need nc
mention--for Cherokee beauty is pro
verbal. j. w. w.