The New York herald., 1872-08-23


Cherokee nation, and about twenty miles east from
here. Fort Gibson is situated an elevated ridge
rising above Grand River, couple OF miles from its
junction with the Arkansas. The post Is at pres
ent occupied by troop OF the Tenth cavalry,
oolored. It's of1cers are Colonel Grierson, who Is
IN command Of the district; Captain Van dc Wiele,
Lieutenant Beck, quartermaster; woodward, ad-
1utant, and Myers and DR.. Kibourne. To those
gentlemen the members of the committee, its at
taches and your correspondent are under deep
obligations for their graceful and courteous hosp
tatty and uniform kindness
TAHLEoUAH, THE CHEROKEE CAPITAL,
does not present any striking evidence Of the prog
sess OF that people in wealth and refinement. Its
architectural glories restricted to about score
OF rickety dilapdated dwellings, couple or stores
and plain brick building for the use Of the Legis-
lature and the courts. This last was erected about
q year ago, and occupies the centre OF public
square, fenced with rough boards, and which was,
on the day that the committee arrived there, the
bivouac ground OF some two or three score Of the
Indians and half breeds who constitute the nation.
The cause Of this unwonted assemblage was the
TRIAL OF A FULI-BLOODED CHEROKEE
Tor horse stealing. The fellow had been convicted
once before for the same offence, and had received
the stipulated penalty of 100 lashes on the bare
back, and the Cherokee laws provide penalty OF
death by hanging for the second offence strolled
into the Court House; but in the motley crowd Of
Indians and half-breeds lounging In every attitude
that laziness and listlessness suggest, wearing
30Ose painted calico hunting Shirts supplemented
with revolvers, ! could not for the life of me
MAKE oa' 'ne 'uage unu onoeis u 'ne 0o%,. mr.
which the prisoner and which the jurors. The
upshot OF it oil was that the prosecuting
attorney failed to make out his case, hav-
1ng omitted, among other things, to give
proof OF the previous conviction OF the accused
,not tho nrv rai,a1 ~ arree ond that tho Court was
that the jury aheu W aeiee "nu 'na' 'e ooui' vas
adjourned for fortnight. There are no regular
stated terms Of Court but it convenes from time to
.,rno 1vhnnnvnr thoro 10 crn,no, 10 ho tr,od Th,s
Nhe whenever 'here Is acrim'ha, W oe '''eu' .nis
Is made necessary by the fact that the Cherokee
e thH IN S
ali or pepitentiary and that the keeping of an ac
cused person involves the expense Of. a couple Of
trial imnrisonmenf is not one Of the nenaifies Of
the Cherokee criminal code iIorging and hanging
heing sunnosed To answer ail needfiI nurnoses
Theere Was another case Of unnsnal commotion in
Tahlequah during our stay there. That was the
c0nyening of the scnOOl teachers or the nation to
comnare notes. interchanSe ideas ana make suS
0estions for the imprOyenent of the e(lucation9I
There ARE sixty , schools IN
and about 1000 pupiis The system is maintained
out Of certain interest payable by the United states
FUND 1t amounts to some $4,000 a year. There is
no tax collected for that or any other purpose in
traders have to nav license, and 1 that trine % of
head money ia raised on the cattle from Texas
ar e aor tns Whole Nde eeve ss
fory. which is paid proportionatey to the Cherokees
revenn,e rom these misceuaneous sources is about
"a 600 Resides this and the school fund the ftlnd
for general goysrnment purposes derived from
This 0oes 70 the payment of the executive oficers
fhe Legislature, &c
The School Teachers, Convention was held in n
small frame building lighted at night by talow
candles. with a few exceptions the teachers were
more or less appropriate discussed by the meeting
was the question as to the relative merits OF
Ibciieve Il was decided in favor Of the former. AT
one of the night meetings, the members OF the
Congressional ommitteeeNessrs. Shank, Burdett
SsVng the s ha oasn s hall
esy so na fse% the good aaee
by the speakers aid not reach the ears Of many of
eose or % whom II Was cey enc ~ 81 may
Cherokee AdrOeate-in English ana Cherokee-in
which a sketch Of the speeches is to be printed.
The testimony taken by the committee at Table.
auah and Port Gibson shows that the wholesale
gains between delegates and lawyers is not con
an extent one Instance of this Kind will be sum.
cient to give. For a couple OF years past there
have been negotiations going on between the
United States government and the Cherokees for
the sale of the lands belonging to the latter
which lie west OF the nincty-sixth parallel.
They have not been SURVEYED but are
eetimated to contain 100000 OF acres within
the limits recognized by the government
and thirteen million acres within the limits as
Claimed by the Cherokees. by an act of last Con.
rress tile President was authorized to appraIse and
dx the price OF these lands. Not satisfied witt
leaving the matter in the hands OF the President,
the Cherokee Council sent a delegation to Washing,
ton composed OF Mr. Adar, Mr.. Vann and Mr.
ROss-three prominent members of the Nation but
with little indian blood In their veins have seen
the latter named gentleman, and should not sus-
pect that he was descended in even the most re-
mote degree from the rcdman. THESE delegates
went to Washington and made O bargain with one
& s. Smoot-one of the
PEsrILENT LEGION OF CLAIMS AGENTS
who pervade the capita-to the following cfrect:-
He was to use his influence with the President to
fnn5s" ona ~ ,mos % ta ,,atr con,in rarntiv as sn,