New-York tribune., 1879-12-30
THE LETTER.


of the Indian Territory from its lawful possessors"
The plan has been developed. A bill has been in
troduced In Congress 10 create Territorial Govern
ment over the Indian Territory. A powerful
lobby, aided by their friends In Congress. are
working for this end. The Cherokees, Choc-
tavs, Creeks, Semnoles. Osages, Wyandottes,
Senecas, Delawarcs Shawnecs and other tribes. de-
clare that they will not submit to this wrong. They
are our friends. They have hoped agains hope that
the United States would keep its pghtcd faith.
They say that IL oil pleas of Justice honor love OF
man and fear of Cod will not keep us from this rob-
berry, they will raise that battle cry of the oppressed
Liberty or DEATH" 1t may be that 1t is madness
for afteen thousand warriors TO fight forty millions
of people We may be sure that If this war does
come cry Of agony will go up from desolated
border such as we have never heard. II we take no
thought of the millions of treasure which will be
wasted the precious lives which must be sacrificed.
can we afford to stand before the whole civilized
world as a pcrjured nation Dare we trample every
principle of honor under our feet, and bring down
upon ourselves and children the anger OF righteous
God'
Let us look calmly at the facts. The Cherokees.
whose history was untarnished by any acts of vio-
lence who from the days of Washington down had
been our faithful friends, were forced TO give up
their homes and emigrate beyond the Mississippi.
The United States. feeling the shame OF this in
iquity tried TO atone for it. No nation has ever
bound itself by more rrevocable bond than did
Congress in the creatv of 1882:
Wherens II being the anxious desire or the Govern
meul of The United States TO secure To- the Cherokee
Nation of Indians, NJ well those now living IN the Ter
rtory of Arkansas those who may wish to join their
brothers IN The West, a permanent home, aud which
shall under the most solemn guarantee Of the United
states be and theirs forever, nome that shall
nTcr III all future time be embarrassed by having cx-
tended around It the lines placed it the juris
leliD "A "A e,
the extension in way of any Of the limits OF any
r1Isng Territory or state.
In 1885 affirmed this in words as strong as
could be framed
The United States hereby covenant and thar the
lands ceded to the Cherokee Nation in tue foregoing
included within the territorial limits or jurisdiction Of any
Territory But they shall secure TO the Cherkes
the right by their National councils to make and
into effect all such laws they may deem necessary Tor
the aud protection of the persons and prop
orty within their own country. belonging to their
people such persons rs have connected themselves
with them
Other tribes have been placed in that Territory
with the consent of these Indians. In nearly every
case it was to atone for some wrong which ought TO
make our cheeks tinele with shame. The DelawaIes
have history of fidelity which goss back to the
Revolution. They have fought for us many
bloody battlefield. They have received the
thanks of Presidents from Washington to Harrison.
They have been pledged again and again that
they shall never be removed and every pledge has
been shameessly broken. Who will not say with
Jefferson, =" tremble for my country when l
member that God is just"' The Hon. jeremiah
Evarts the honored father of the present Secretary
OF State. wrote these words almost half century
ago; would that che outpOuring Of one of the
gentlest hearts that ever lived might move Con-
pless to resist this scheme of robbery with such
righteous indignation that no should dare TO
new it,
How would intelligent forcigneI q German. a
Frenchman Euglishman, be astonshed TO learn
that they have never encroached upon the land OF
Othershat their only offence consists IN the posses
are better clothed led and housed
than maly OF the peasantry ~ most CIV
reatons with the whites at different periods from tue
first settlement of tue contiguous territory by Europe
aus that these eatlons have Ipened INTO nfni ana
lasting which has not been broken by single
cemented the subject treaties basis
OF which sovereignty OF the Cherosees limited In
on the part OF the United States Of protection and
inviolate territorial limits; that these treaties
actinonts for the protection OF the weaker
parry, whose title has been pronounced by tue highest
be worthy OF the respect OF
all courts tll IL lie egtmately extingushed that the
Cnerokecs not charged with having broken their
engagements or done anything 10 forfeit the guar
anty which they had received as tho lndspensa-
bic condition of their grants 10 the United stale5;
tna they alway been called brothers aud children
by the President Of the United States and by all otter
public functonares speaking IN the name OF the
iry that they have been managed aided in rising
TO "A state Of civilization, by our National Cow
ernment and benevolent associations OF indi
vlduas: that one great motive presented TO
their minds by the government has uniformly been
the hope and expectation OF permanent residence s
farmers and meonaUics uDon the lands OF their
tors and the enjoyment OF wise laws administered by
theIseives, upon truly republican principles; that
ng upon these guarantees and sustained by
81 n hope, aud aided IN the cultivation OF
stationed them at their own request, aud partly
at ths charge OF Tue uehota e,o'srsn' s' sney nave
poets that they have regular organized Government
c1ecI.ive Go.artments formed by the advice of che
third President the United States and u easy
the l. opie can read their own language that a cons d.
eraba nnmber OF the young and some OF tue older
past unasssted native CnerOkees have been able
to transact puDrc business by written communications
point OF style. sense aud argument with many
communications made TO mem Dy some oi tue
highest functlonares OF our Nati0ral Government
that tnese Cherokees. IN their treatment Of whites IN
their intercourse with each other are mild In their
and bospta0ie III their feelings and conduct and
to tne WHOLE that they are bound TO ia by the
many OF them eKempfy as members OF regular Chris
tian churches.
These are The men whose country TO he wrested
from them, these citizens or the ChcrOkee
nsliou"; these fellow Chrlstaus. regular members Of
MorayIan Preshy eran Baptist and Methodist churches,
feAot citizens uiM ne sai'ts and household OF Gcd.
ljut who are Ine uIcn w1o impose 30 fearful IAN
into existence with the declaration e that all men
crrsed equal that they are endowed by their Cre
tor with certain inaeuabie rights that among these
are lie. liberty and the pursuit oI nappinesS From
Government thus established, TINS udgrant wrong IA
appiehen nded from people who boast nat they are
the frcesI anu most enlightened community eartn,
who mist the right of every community ~ gov
ern itself aud abiure the very idea
of foreign ffctasion II OF the subiinies st
portions OF Divine Revelation the following words are
written: Cursed Dc ne that rem0refh hts Geighbos's
landmark; aud all he people shall say. Amen.
Cursed be ne hGt maketh the blind 10 rander oni
or me trdy; and all the people shall sag. linen.
Cursed b. ne uat perterieh The judgment Of ne stranger
fn,herss and ridOr: and all hs pfOpfe shan s0y Ate
t possible national rulers snail wiling 20
expose themselves and their country TO these
lnttph f.n6f -
people In crcum tancea not altogether unlike
our own. Curses reduced 10 writing by the
.,iro for