The Van Buren press., 1871-08-29
FROM TIE INDIAN COUNTRY.
DsLxwASR DISTRICT. Cherokee Nstion.l
august 18th, 1871.

/
EDITOR OF PREss:-
From the limited returns Of the election
held on the first Monday of August, for chief
and legislators Of the Cherokee Nation. 1t is
supposed In this section that Col. Downing Is
reelected: he carried this district by about
the same majority As four years ago. ] con-
slider Col Downing's reelection great pub
lie calamity; his administration of public af.
fairs has been marked by ignorance and pref
udice. Although the revenues Of the Nation
have been largely increased from the pro
ceeds Of the sale of the Neutral lands, our
magnificent and costly Semnaries are erum-
bling to decay; no effort whatever having
been made to resuscitate them. ! am sure If
part of the money which has been spent to
support large delegation at Washington and
to pay attornies who have done more harm
than good. had been used to repair and revive
the Seminaries, the Cherokees would have
been benefited: it is hard to see what sub
stantial service the delegation has rendered
for the past three years. In the great tobac-
co case which has sealed the fate ofall Indian
nationalities, they absolutely refused to assist
in getting the question referred to the Attor-
ncy General, or to take hand in the contest
before Congress; they even permitted their
principal attorney, "a meddlesome, peevish,
broken down political hack, named |. n. Nor
ris, to print 81 eech and frank Ii over the
Nation; the only merit in which, was the
ISLANDERS and abuse it contained concerning
your humble servant.
| understand that Coils, Adair and Vann re-
tly IL. a. f,I.l s.. A.
purpose of indicating the delegation from
! the attacks made upon it, and that they ex-
pressed regret that was not there to an
swer them. That regret can pass for what
it is worth. Neither Adair OF Vann dare in
yite fair discussion Of the actions and do
ings OF the delegation while at Washington !;
they both know that begged them to assist
me in prosecuting the tobacco question, as it
involved aprinciple Of far more vital impor~
tance to the Nation than to. me, and that they
reused.
They know too that after being instructed
by the Council to employ special counselthey
uilly -dallied until at the eleventh hour--too
late-thcy got hasty argument out Of Ben.
Butler.
They know that the peoples money has
been squandered, by the thousands of dollars
in n vain attempt to ratify Il treaty, which has
been practically dead for four years.
They know that it is now contrary to law to
make any more Indian treaties, and that all
future negotiations must be effected by legis-
lation.
They know that q territorial bill in some
| shape will certainly pass Congress and that
their efforts to prevent it. have heretofore on
| ly led to more radical propositions.
| They know, too, that the Cherokee treaty OF
1865 expressly gives Congress the right to
adopt territorial bill ifit deems such meas
ure necessary.
Col Adair Is reported as saying that
charged the delegation with having nc
sense" did not 50 charge. | am willing
however, to say here, that it is very unwise
to send any person, however sensible OF
worthy, as delegate TO Washington, who
does no, understand the English Language
thoroughly. did give Coils. Adair and Vann
credit Tor being men Of more than average
ability and talent. and tor that very reason
contended they were inexcusable ioI not in
| forming the people of the true and actual
condition of the country.
| As for myself ] am willing my views
should be perfectly understood. and feel able
to sustain them by unanswerabe reasons and
cordially invite a discussion of them from
any quarter
| They are reduced to points, as follows
An act of Congress which will secure to the
| Indians ofths territory
lst, l60 acres of selected land for every
man, woman, and child the same to be in
alienable for 20 years.
2nd. The balance Of the land to be sold to
actual settlers at appraised value, not below
tho minimum price of government land-Sl,-
| 25 per acre
| 3D. One million of the Cherokee fund to be
devoted sucredly to education and support OF
| orphans insane and blind.
lth. The interest on the balance, which bal
ance would amount to not less than ten mill
| ions of dollars, to be divided per capita every
year.
5th, U. S. Courts in the Indian country and
juries of Indians to try Indians.
| 9th, A delegate in Congress to take the place
! OF the expensive delegations and thus save
| to the Nation 10 or $4,000 per year.
| All this Congress has the special authority
| Of the treaty OF 1866 to do, and | am in favor
oft.
| There are many good white men in this Ma
| ton who have become citizens by marriage
| but it is a notorious truth that the most med
dlcsome and mischief-making people we have
are of that class. One of that ilk has Travelled
| up and down the Atlantic and Pacific rail
road, representing that he has great influence
| in the Nation, and received subscriptions for
the Cherokee Adrocdte, which he appropriated
| to his own use he is a common swindler and
confidence man ofno standing, intelligence
| or influence, yet capable of making trouble
| by slandering Others.
| Another of the same kind Is the private
| secretary of the chief; whose intelligence can
be guessed by his compilation of the laws OF
the Cherokee Nation, In which he omitted as
a thing of"no consequence +" the Constitution
of the Cherokee Nation. These are the men
who talk loudsst Of traitors and Indian gov
ernmcnt. +. G. BoupINoT.
vpn~s Ny,y,r ,rtyv,