The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-06-17
INDIAN TERRITORY.
General Council OF the Indian Ma
IiOns.
Discussion of the Proposed COnfed-
eTatiOns
ORMuLGEE, INDIAN TER, June 0, |
ria CHICAGO, June lG. [

, ciG CHICAGO, June 10. I
A correspondent of the Times reports
/ the assembling of the General Council oil
the Indian Nations to consider the pro.
, posed constitution. Enoch Hoag, Indian
Superintendent, presided.
Soon after assembling General Sher.
, man, General Marcy, Colonel Mccoy
and Colonel TOurtelle were introduced
and received with special hOnOrs. In re-
sponse to the request Of u delegate, Gen
eral Sherman made brief address. He
complimented the delegates on their intel
ligent skill in debate, which had been ex-
hibited by them in previous councils, He
described the unsafe condition Of the
Sioux, the Arrapahoes, the Apaches, the
Cheyennes, the COmanChGs and the other
uncivilized tribes, They were in the way
Of the eatthoroughlare leading from the
Mississippi to the Pacific shore, and In
their wanderings they frequently came
into collision with parties oi tho American
people. His hearers clearly understood
how idle 1t was for any power to seek to
stand in the way of the expansion and
growth of the white race Their brethren
had been crowded out Of one State aAGr
another. The SGminoles from Florida,
tho Cherokees from Georgia, the Shaw.
nees, the Osages, and the WYAndottes
from Kansas, and still the American peo.
pie, aided with constant aCCesslOns Of
population from all parts Of the world,
were yet spreading out, and forever de.
manding fresh territory In which to found
homes The delegates he was address.
ing represented tribes who had country
secured to them by treaties with the
United States 1t wRs MS fair and ny fine
u country as the foot Of man ever trOd.
The population Of that territory did not
exceed 10000 persons, and II was fully
capable OF supporting In abundance a
population of 60000,00O. II was finer
country than Kansas; finer country than
Nebraska. 1t was equal in fertility 10 ILL
nois. The speaker believed in the white
race. lie knew the American people To be
aggressive and perhaps violent, but he
would have 1t understood that they Vlndi-
Gated their aggressiveness by their un.
Ceasing industry and energy, and the care.
lul ends to which they applied all that
they acquired. He could see no reason
why the Indian should not be equal TO
the whitemAn; his body was equalIyI 70.
bust, and his brain Us large. Now, said
the General, what are you going 10 do,
you are met In council To adopt n conSti.
tuition TO frame laws for the government
of your territory, and 10 harmOnize your
various tribes under one confederation;
you cannot do this without harmony,
without mutual concession; o willingness
to yield corresponding benefit for every
advantage that Is conceded 10 you. You
cannot all be Creeks, or ChOcktaws, or
Cherokees, each must sacrifice something
for the benefit ol the whole, and
the additional security they could gain by
the confederation of their whole number,
would pay them ten fold for whatever
concessions they might be called upon to
make. In honor of tho social visit OF these
distinguished white braves, the Council
did not enter into the consideration ofany
business, but spent the remainder Of the
afternoon In pleasant conversation, In
which Mr.. William 2. Ross, ot the Chero-
kee, Coleman Cole, Of the Choctaw,
Pleasanton Porter, Of the Muskee, and
Joseph P. Folsom, oi the ChOctaw, bore
prominent part. Gen. Sherman and
party then left for Fort Gibson. The
business session proper opened to-day.
The delegates showed good deal Of
ability and familiarity with parliamentary
laws governing the legislative bodies Of
white men. Delegates informally appoint.
ed or elected, were excluded A delegate
wished to inquire whether the Secretary
had transmitted copy Of the Constitution
adopted at the December session, with the
proceedings Of the Council, TO the various
tribes represented, for submission to the
popular vote. A Seminole delegate said
the above documents had been received
in his nation, and reply had been for
warded announcing that Its submission
had been indefinitely deferred A Chick
asaw delegate informed the Council that
the submission OF the Constitution would
take place In his nation in August next,
and the Government had been requested
10 convene the Legislature in extra ses.
sion, but had declined on the ground that
the matter was Of too great Importance
to be decided by Legislative body A
Cherokee delegate reported that the Con.
stitution had been transmitted to the ex.
ecutive Of the Cherokee nation, but
had been withheld by some unauthorized
Individual, and was not delivered until
ten days ago, with the seal broken; when
II was too late to take action. According
to the delegates belief his nation would
readily ratify the Constitution OH It's sub
mission to them.
The Chair remarked that at the last
session constitution had been framed
and adopted, with great unanlmity, which
he believed, and which they all believed
TO be good one. There was no doubt
then that the constitution should have
been confirmed and approved by Con.
gress. He wished TO impress upon the
minds Of the delegates the necessity OF
harmony and united action. Many Of the
friends oil the Indian race in Washington
and In the United States were anxiouslY
looking for the ratification Of the Consti.
tuition. Ho supposed the delegates
knew, and II they did not, II was fully
understood that they should know
that vast influence, adverse to the inter-
ests Of their people, was at work In
Washington and elsewhere. The rail-
road corporations, and the monopolies,
were casting glance upon that rich and
beautiful territory, and Il by want Of con.
cert of action, and a fair ad dustment Of in.
terests, they failed to provide themselves
with coniederated form Of government,
which should give strength and stability
to their political and social institutions,
the speaker would warn them that they
were placing themselves In great danger.
In addition to the power and capital, the
whole rude border element was striving
10 crowd them out, and already their
northern border was overrun with these
unscrupulous intruders. lie would re.
mind them that in union, there was
strength in their relations as d united peo.