Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-02-24
Communicated.
THE RED MANS ARGUMENT.
SAD AND MELANCHOLY
HISTORY"
Whether Congress has the Cons
StitutiOnal right i'm view of
Our status, Treaties and cX+
listing laws, TO establish u
Territorial Governments
over the Tribes in the
Indian Territory.
ROANOKE COLLEGE, Va.

To THE ED. OF THE NEWS:
In regard to the Indian Treaties with
tie Government of the United States
| am going TO express my opinions,
and L feel that it is my duty to give
some views, for the benefit of the pub
lie, of what an Indian feels i'm regard
to the violation of Indian Treaties
AS | am an Indian myself perhaps
n,ight bp able to give our objections
more impressively than any other per-
son in this country, in regard to our
position and to show the intelligence
Of the people in this country whether
/ am right or WRONG in my views, and
/ earnestly hope 1t will interest the
Deeple, 1 have no doubt the people
ia this country all are aware that the
Indian race has been treated with in
Justice and more shamefully by the
C:cvernment of the United States than
any other race upon tie face of Gods
earth, We have suffered, NOT only
violation of Nation Treaties, but the
laws of Nations, advantage being
taken of our weak ness. In accordance
with Mr.. Nattles law ofnations power
does aot make any difiereh ce dtBdrf
has as much right as q giant @ small
republic is no less a Sovereignty
than a most powerful Kingdom. ~
According to the law of nations the
Indian Government is under the pro-
lection of the United States. The In
dian Treaties constitute virtual re-
cugnition of Indian Nationality and
no subsequent legislation on the part
of the United States can annul it
It Is fixed by the law of Nations. The
strong power has no right to take adj
vantage of the weak and violate the
national treaties aud laws of nations.
Consequently numbers and power
have nothing to do With Hn abstract
question of right The Indian Terri
tory is a tract OF land set apart by for
mer treaties and acts of Congress as a
place where the Indian, driven from
their original country by the resistless
aud ever advancing wave of civilian
ton, should be gathered together and
protected anti, this removed froi1i
the irratating annbyanCes of reckless
and unfriendly border population, they
should be aided and cherished by the
general government and permitted to
work out the destiny of Aiiieriean In
dams.
When these people We're driven lin
To the wildness they made themselves
there a home, width they now occupy.
They build themselves sehUOi-houses,
academies, churches, and cultivated
fields. They detotet themselves to
husbandry, and obediefit to their laws
became civilized, christian people
After they adopted the plan sof civili-
cation they had struggled hard to re-
generate and elevate themselves in the
scale of human progress Every dol
lar that they could spare and every in
stTumentality in their power has been
used to diffuse the blessing of educa-
ton among our people and to improve
their moral and intellectual condition:
They established republican form of
Government aud became State with
a written constitution and a legisla-
ture of two houses and an independ-
ent Judiciary.
Now / will refer you to Congress
having under consideration the "Bill
for the better protection of Indian
tribes and their consolidation under
civil government to be called the Ter
ritory of Okla Homma. This Ter
ritorIaI question was pending before
Congress during the last session and it
has Been properly discussed and pro-
perry understood and settled in ac-
cordance with the treaties and laws of
Congress of the United States that
G n gress cannot establish the Terrific
rial Government in our country. The
substance of the proposition to estab-
lish Territorial Government for the
tribes occupying the Indian Territory
is to provide for the White officials to
rule In our Territory and to permit the
influx of a white population to rerO-
Luti0Rizc q policy inGUgurdted nnder
the most solemn guarantees maintained