, 1869-05-31
THECHER0KEE LAND QUESTION.
An argument frosn the settlers
Standpoint.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, May 90, 1859.
r, tht E1iter # The Chieaso Tritunt:
My attention has Just been cal!cd to On editorial
IN your Issue OF this m0rutng, In which reported
0ut1nRea, said to be perfetrnted By the settlers on
the Cherokee Neutral Lands, arc commented ur-
Oh, perhaps justly. Ioa, naturally enough, take
sides with tlle Iuouopulsts, Of which, "a business
transaction, no one has any right to complain.
a Apsiucely CAUSE never lacks advocates, but to
take siuca With the poor and oppressed, who are
not even able TO subscribe for o newspaper, much
less control QUO, would be- To say the least Of IT,
Improbable. The reports to which sou
refer are, suppose, those Of small
journals on the border. which, ewing 10 their
limited local patronage, may be In some way un-
der ohltgat!ons to 'A!E. Joy anl his associates.
There are certainly no newspaper men IN Chicago
who 10 not understand how great wealth, great
family and social Influence, aided by very sk1ful
AMI not Oyer scrupolous counsel. may rersest
justice and securc reports damaging ia tho pros
poets OF those Of ignoblc blood who arc unfort,1-
nate enough 10 be In the way Of pet schemes and
fat jobs.
| Heretofore, In Kansas, when Lane assisted
romerpy In manipulating "kansas affairs, It was
not d!t1cult to put damaging reports in clrcula-
tion about anI fellow OF set Of fellows who hap
| rened to le In the way. And when It vas neces-
sary that two or three Should he "lonc for, :"
| In order to incttc the rage OF their iuno-
|
! rncEts or courage; and, whenever they were Ia
| need OF pecuntafy aid, commtssarJ supplies
| ShaIpe rtf1ea1 or other necessaf1es, they always
| prepared the Inhabitants Of the city or town upon
| whom they contemplated making q draft with
suitable sensation reports and newspaper artic1es
| do not refer to ttese things now having any
| poeitivc knowledge thar they exist OF have been
saetsseA since tho downfall Of the infamous tnstt-
tuition Of African slnycrs, but simply with the hope
| Inducing the readers OF -FOUR excel1ent journal
rceerte their yerlct IN the case Of the settlers
on the Cherokee Neutral Lands unt.l they have
heard all the testimony. Ia their behalf desire
to say single word, having reccntl5 travelled
over mos, OF the territory they claim ns sheti
| homes. and visited them In their humble Cabins
Two-thlrls Of the adult males living on the5t
lands and recognized as settlers, whom sou stylt
mere land. .stcattrs, served honoraly In the CnIor
plny, and are as certain to be on the side OF 1us
ticc, humanity and good government, nnh as tnca
pabe Of doing wrnDg, IS were the patriots whs
eervet with George Washington during the var 0
: The Revolution at Valley orge.
repudIa,c. altogether, the idea that they hav,
been guilty Of crime, and am not prepared to be
| 1eyc that they can justly be charged with an
outrages reported to have been committed on sat'
! lands. That they have courage to defend them
| selves I admit, and Il 1t were proper faz nc T.
give thieves and robbers advice Without bcin
first well paid therefor, 1t would be to seek boot
In Alaska the unrec0nStfOcEcd SlaleS1 or I1r1Qc
= out among the Wild Indians Your deciars
ton that the settlers have "notoriousy ut
t,c,i and resisted the forms Of law" by which tn
!. pablo domain may become tho property Of Ind
5 <iiuals, Is not sustained by anf proof, nor ca
D | tt bc.
0 You suggest that those who sow to the win
= must reap OF the whrlwtnd. &c. Now, there MI
i lie question whether the 5000 settlers (al heaA
l. OF families, eowed TO THE wind, on the onk n.a
&c who, you say, paid $4,000 for the "good titlo
4 to the valuable tract Of land which included IN
homes Of the three thousand Of which, you ~
l. nit, they cannot be dspossesscd without the q
n Of the military ann Of the government
'e you profess in your closlng paragraph. to haI
heretofore advised fu fayor Of the poor settler
n which ,hey afe no doubt duff grateful, and *
le Say:
rs honest and Nsccabe settler on the Che4pk lanaa
not pay tcr Ms farm wttheas being nsassnaied. 4,
~ "a pu1ev that ot land e III hrspcrado elemes
rebellion than that
Which, amended to suit the case under co
stderatton, will read as follows: When II bccom
j., known TO the people OF the countt5 that patriot
~ ~ honest and pcaccah1c citizens, settlers On I
-! Cherokee lands, cannot hold the farms wh.
~ they have made nor entoy their homes With th
- wires and children nor the fruit OF their lab
~. without 1rxt complying with the terms aietas
~ By the creatures of an Infamous sHtndle,
=" mouaschy, short, shatp and decisive meth
Will be found TO purge the country OF tht
-. despcahfe creatures. The people hare successtu
-. ealt with at least TWO cases quite IS agg7ava
~, as this one. ...
IN lsesrectfu1y, etc, HCGH CAMERON