The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-01-13

Aoii3 OuV Wuo pstiu w Gllo lIodbuFcI VI
the Emigrant Company. Of course
Mr.. Harlan did not, and could not
receive any part OF 1t from him, nor
could any of his family. This COR
respondent is, therefore, in these par
ticulars wholly mistaken. There
was no money used in Washington
with any authority of mine to pro-
mote the passage of the treaty. At
that time we cared not enough about
it to lavish money to acquire these
lands.
As to Mr.. Grinnell's being the act
i've middle-man and lobby agent of
this enormous fraud" l have to say
that he is not now, and never has
been, the agent, in any sense, of my
self or the railroad company, whoth-
er in the lobby or otherwise.
These statements being duo both
to Mr.. Harlan and Mr.. Grinnell, YOU
may make such use of this as you
please.
Yours, truly,
J. F. Joy.
HENRY STRONG, ESQ,
Burlington, Iowa.
True "was in Congress" but not
at the time when any improprloties
arc alleged, and the impression
sought to DO made that / was, essen
TALLY base, as tho second untruth in
this, that 81 was tho middle man in
the dealings with the Connecticut
Company" knew nothing of the
negotiations or of tho sale of the
lands until the contract was anuoun-
ced in the press.
Mr.. joys letter answers the third
untruth that "over $4,000 was paid
into Grinnelrs hands at one time"
and the fourth calumny thata por-
ton "was placed at the control of
Senator Harlan or his family, said to
&c three-tenths' is also answered, to
which l add an indignant denial IN
justice to the Senator and IN regard
for the untarnished honor of State
that has four times elected him to his
exalted position.
The fifth and libelous assertion
which Mr.. Joy refutes is found in the
declaration that "Grinnell is still the
active middle man, and lobby agent
of this enormoustraud on the part Of
the government officials" I have
no correspondent in Washington, nor
have l been in that city for near a
year, and hold nc. pecuniary or offic.
ial relation to any officer, company O,
party connected with the sale of the
Cherokee Lands.
The ignorance as well as animus Of
your correspondent is exposed when
he states that Browning set aside the
illegal treaty of Harlan. That could
not be done by a Secretary since the
ratification was under the Constitu.
tion by the Senate. 1t was simply a
contract under the treaty .that-~"r
tset aside, on tochnlcality, not in
volving reflection on either the in
tegrity or policy of Mr.. Harlan.
--Atmituing a connection with the
SUPPLEMENTAL Treaty, what was my
offe Sc?
uore were the intelligent and once
rich Cherokees, now decimated by
our civil war, remembering their
Southern persecution in years agone
counting fully one-half their availa.
| bic property in the Neutral Lands
for which they paid their gold and
received a patent over thirty years
ago. The government had covenan.
ted to. protect their lands and by the
military had three times driven of
the tresspassers, but the settlers de,
family returned, cut their timber
and occupied the best sites for farms
while the government refused to buy
their land when holding ono hundred
million of acres open to pre- -emptors
as gift. The tribe had no alterna
tive but to sell to private parties, and
if litigation followed the conflict
of titles, they would be the CHIEF
losers.
| visited the squatters on the land
and found the moro intelligent anx.
ious to have the question Of owner,
ship settled that they might gain a
title. The Emigrant Company, pur.
chasers under Mr.. Harlan, composed
Of most respectable gentlemen, were
confident Of the legality oftheir pur.
chase.
The Hon. Jas. f. Joy, of eminent
legal and financial repute was not
less confident, and as railroad man.
ager, desired the property under his
purchase of Secretary Browning, that
he might enhance its value, being on
the line of contemplated railroad
extension from the city of Detroit to
the Gulf Of Mexico.
Every public man of my acquain.
lance in tho State Of Kansas was
anxious that transfer should be
made to Mr.. Joy, to insure the rail.
road.
II was under these circumstances
that, as citizen of Iowa interested
in r. r. extension, and not member
of Congress, J. was chosen to effect
what was done in the preparation Of
new Treaty, the ratification o.
which l am told was moved by the
late and lamented Senator Fessenden
and after full discussion in the Sen
ate secured all the votes Of that body
save four.
The anathemas because of this
"enormous fraud' should not fall up
on Senator Harlan (who made SC
good bargain that after tho lapse O.
year, Secretary Browning could ge,
no more for the land } but upon The
Senate of the United States, as mere
human negations wanting in states
manship and deserving reproach 70,
stupidity or venality. But if TIN.
was fraud let the parties be judged
by the fruits of this transaction al
ready borne and now ripcning.
The intelligent Cherokees, the rea
parties in interest, are satisfied, OBJ
tanning what they asked for theil
land. All the settlers previous to th,
Treaty secured their farms at fall
apprisal, averaging $3.50 to the acre
The occupants since the Treaty ar,
only required after a r. r. is bull
through the centre of the tract, t.
pay from 50 to So per acre, and gran
ted seven years time at Z per CEN
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