New-York tribune., 1879-01-01


1t may be remembered that at the last session tho
Senate Committee on Territories was instructed TO
ascertain. first, whether the railroad companies to
which conditional grants of land in the Indian
Territory were made have issued bonds predicated
on said grants. and if so, "in whose
possession the bonds are and for what purpose :"
second, whether the school funds of the Indians
have been mlsappropriated by them, and how much
money the several tribes have paid to keep dele
gates in Washington to look after their interests !;
and third, whether a civil form of government
not be organized over the Indian Territory for the
better protection of life and property, and whether
the lands now held in common by said Indian tribes
cannot be divided i'll seveTalty among the Indians
without confirming the conditional grants Of land to
certain railroad corporations
One can hardly suppose that the interested rail-
road companies are really anxious to help discover
way to defeat their own purposes and it is hard to
believe that they should go to the expense
of special trains, and other cOurteses, for
the sake of saving off the limb on which
they are seated. Yet they did all these
things, taking the members of the subcommittee
appointed to visit the Territory, Messrs. Patterson
and Grover under their tender care and minister
ing to all their wants with most earnest solictude
So faithful was this care that it is reported that
deputcd to represent their people before the COM
mittce and oppose the partition of their country,
found great difficulty in gaining access to the COM
mittee on many occasions. Perhaps the fact that
the securities of the Missouri Kansas and Texas
Railroad have advanced on the mere whisper that
the committee would report in favor of dividing
the lands and transferring the Indian Territory
into Territory Of the United States, may account
for the liberal behavior Of the representatives of the
railroad interests.
The subcommittee devoted two days to taking
the testimony of Cherokees at Vinita in the Chero-
kee country, and three in hearing Cherokee and
Creek witnesses at Muskogee, in the Creek Nation.
Senator Grover departed at that point and left
Mr.. Patterson TO continue the investigation alone,
which he did. regularly meeting and adjournng
himself at Eufaa. McAlister, Stringtown, Caddo
and Colbert Station in the Territory, and at Fort
Scott, Kansas. The indefatigable industry of the
subcommittee after its functions became concen-
trated in the person of the South Carolina Senator
challenges admiration. In one day, November 21,
after session at MuskOgee. it held sessions at
Eufala, where eighteen witnesses were examined,
at McAlistcr, where four testified, and at String
town, where fourteen all white men not citizens Of
the Territory, gave their evidence. The testimony
of these thirty-six witnesses occupies fifty-fiye
printed pages; and taking into account the nearly
hundred miles of railroad travel required to visit
all these places ii will be seen that the committee
had indeed busy day. No testimony was taken
except at railroad stations, and official visit
paid by the subcommittee to any place off the rail-
road, though Senator Patterson did spend few
hours at Fort Gibson. and Senator Grover did the
same at Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee
Nation, where he addressed public meeting of the
people. An earnest effort was made by prominent
III, c,,1,o ia.
Tahequah where the National Council was in
sion at the time and where some 900 Cherokees had
assembled TO meet the committee but the condi-
tion of Senator PattersOn's health, while rugged
enough TO permit him to do a large amount of
work on the line of the railroad forbade that he
should undertake carriage journey of twenty
miles.
The testimony taken in the Indian Territory
covers little less tEan 400 printed pages. About
100 ChcrOkeee, forty Greeks, half-a-dozen Choc-
taws and ChckaSaws, nine ChOctaw and Chicka-
saw freedmen. and twenty or more whites, resident
in the Territory but not belonging to either of the
tribes were examined. Among the CherOkecs there
seems TO be n considerable sentiment in favor Of
an allotment Of lands in scyeraty, provided it can
be done without disturbing present tribal laws and
relations. Otherwise, there is general sentiment
in favor of establishing a United States Dis
with treaty stpulatons; and far as the
real Cherokpcs are concerned with perhaps Il half
dozen exceptions there is a completely unanimous
opposition TO any scheme for Territorial Govern
mcnt all such schemes being looked upon as
intended not only 10 destroy the autonomy
of the tribes but certain in the end to de-
privc the Indians of their lands. The allotment
Of lands would be more iavorably looked upon if
il were not for the belief that it will somehow
suit in disaster TO the present owners Some of the
Delaware witnesses who now enjoy rights as citi
Zens among the Chcroces, related their experience
i'm Kansas aud do not desire TO have it repeated.
AMONG the Greeks, CA0ctaws ard ChickaSaws the
committee found the sentiment stll more strongly
against the proposed measure. While The commit
tee talrcd at MGskogee, the Cherokee CAPT
tai Tahlcquah, was throngcd with hundreds
of Cherokccs. called together by u proclamation
of their principal chiefs to give expression to their
views on the subject the committee was sent to i'll
vestigate. ballot was taken and 40 votes were
cast for, and none against, petition setting forth
! the desire of the Cherokees that treaty stpula-
tons shall be adhered to. and that the allotment
| of lands shall remain under the control of their
National Council and protesting against any change
| III the form of government. Like petitions were
| sent to the committee by the Creeks signed by
over 900 Of that tribe and Others are said to he on
their way to Washington. The Choctaw General
Council unanimously passed, and sent to the COM
mittee a series of resolutions strongly protesting
against any allotment of lands or change III the form
of government The Cherokee National Council
also unanimously adopted, December ., series
of resolutions declaring opposition to any allot-
ment of the lands except when requested by the
National Council provided by treaty. and ITO any
form of United States Territorial Government" by
Congress- and resolving to petition Congress to re-
peal all raroa land grants which affect the Terri
tory and TO cancel any bonds or mortgages issued
upon any of said lands by any railroad companies"
II frn,n tbe nrintad tcstlmOny that the