The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-09-01
THE MISSISSIPPI INDIANS,
From clasb0rne's History Of Mississippi.
TCoNTTNTFn-l

were divided into three beats or district
each under charge of head chief, WI
never exercised their authority, in Impor
ant Junctures, without the counsel and cor
sent of the sages and warriors. Govern
ment, In all unciviiiZed communities, Is la
and OF precarious tenure. If the chief b
general In war and judge in peace, he
general only from dread of the enemy, an
because submission TO the one best quail
fed becomes the interest of all. He
Judge, because even the most untutore
| communities know that a common arbitra
/ tor Is Indispensable. But when matter
| concerning the society and public we
| fare generally, can be debated and de
| termlned, the power of consulting and de
termining is exercised by the heads Of it
different divisions. As one of the society
the chief has right and Is expected To b
present, and he asserts and Is allowed tn
right of presiding over the deliberations
But his power is really no greater than an,
OF the other parties III consultation, excep
from the moral influence mis- fame for yalo
and wisdom may and doubtless does exert
When one man exercises all the power o
a community, that Is despotism condI
ton that never existed among the southern
tribes. Their governments had many o
the characteristics of the feudal system
and had they been found in Germany, We
SlOuIu nave traced them 70 iuAt source o.
modern civilization.
The Indian organization tended to an
oligarchy. The warrior considered himself
in peace, the peer of his chiefs. They Were
not his vassals or bondsmen, but like the
Norman leaders, were the Counties, or com
panions of the conqueror, and equally nos
BILE.
The names of the chiefs in the three
Choctaw districts, at the removal west,
were Ne-ta-ca-che, for the lower district
Ma-shu-la- ub-bee, for the central, and
Greenwood lie Fleur, for the northern.
They were independent Of each other,
and, with the cooperation of the head men,
were supreme in authority in their respec-
tive districts. They consulted and acted
in concert only in external matters, when
the whole nation assembled to decide on
peace or war. In latter times the whole
nation assembled to receive their annuity,
the goods, on the occasion, being delivered
to the chiefs or captains, and by them i'm
partially apportioned to the people. These
captains were taken from the respective
villages in which they lived.
In each of the districts, there were sub
chiefs, or captains, called in the Choctaw
tongue, mingos, who were the leaders in
their respective towns or beats. Their
Jurisdiction and authority embraced all
In the event of war, the sub-chief or
mingo, leads the warriors of his village or
town. The Choctaws, for long period, had
no regular wars, until Pushmataha joined
Gen. Claiborne against the Greeks or Mus
cogees. But their hunting parties often
went west of Red river and into Arkansas,
and had many bloody forages there
The Choctaw orator always proudly boast
ed that their nation had never shed the
blood of white man.
Occasionally, a general council of the
nation, or of the district, was called. The
mead chief of the district, or if it be a
council, the three chiefs, send out
runners to the subordinate chiefs, giving
% each runner bundle of sticks, CORES
bonding to the number of days to intervene
between the time of despatching and the
laws of meeting. The runner every morn-
ng, throws away stick, until he reaches
he chief to whom he has been sent. He
hen delivers the bundle, with the remain
Ter of the sticks, and the sub-chief throws
way one every morning, which brings him
o the place appointed when the last stick
las been thrown away. This was the prim
tive method of transmission between the
indians, and was long adhered to, after they
lad become more civilized, out OF respect
o the ancient custom.
On the day appointed the Chiefs and
dingos assembled in the square or open
pace of the town. and the common people
make it a holiday and engage N ball play
ng or dancing.
The council square was generally central,
nd about 60 feet long and 40 wide. On
ach side were two rows of posts, the outer
ne filled in with mud, about six feet high, !
nd the whole rooted over with straw or
boards. There were two rows of wooden |
of
ane, or white bark on these benches the |
>hefs and Captains take their seats and |
moke their pipes, slowly passing them from |
ne to another. The Indians are very de- |
lberate, and are slow in reaching conclu- |
ions The Speaker or Orator of the district |
r nation las the case may be- usually opens |
nth a speech, explaining why the assembly |
as been called, and discloses the views of
he Chiefs. If the Speaker be absent, the
'hief himself opens the assembly, and |
ometimes does so whether the Speaker be
resent or not. The Speaker is a salaried
fficer, and his share of the annuity is only
Inferior to the head chief Any sub-chief
r Mingo is then at liberty to give his opin
on Ample time is allowed. After the |
ebate has ceased, ana the pipe has been
assed all around, the Head Chief, or the |
speaker, by his orders, gives the Big Talk,
ollecting the decisions of the council from
he opinions that have been expressed, and
living his views as to how the conclusion
rived at is to be realized. He speaks
cry deliberately, and at the end Of each |
if what he says be approved, the
Iingos exclaim Ma (yes) in loud voice.
There is seldom any collision between the |
chief and subordinates. If the superior be
man wise in council and bold in war, the
ounselors usually decide in consonance
With his recommendations, and if he be
nan of tact he generally recommends what /
le finds, from their debates, is most agree
bile to them The Southern Indian is a
,orn politician and diplomatist, and usually |
.arries his point.
The Greeks or Nj usoogees from time i'm
memorial, were divided into two districts /
n parties, the Upper and Lower Towns. |
uIing Chief and over them, and over the |
Whole nation, a Supreme Chief, or King. |
With this exception the government of the |
hree tribes was about the same.
When the Greeks meet ia council they |
moke and have what they call 'sthe black |
lnnk.n It is made of the leaves of the |
caves of the Cassina fapon, a tree resem-
bling the haw-bush. They put the leaves |
n basket and deposit it in a long earthern |
oct and boil them over fire made in the |
middle of the square under a scaffold. The |
OF drinking the Dldck uTlHk,
avs Gen. Dale, is this When they are all |
Gated around one of them takes the gourd,
kept for that purposel holds it over the |
rot, poqrs into it she liquid and continues |
pouring in until it foams and runs over. |
he then takes the gourd to the Head Chief
md begins making long note, drawing out
lis breath longer than one would suppose
he could; he then draws his breath second |
inc, giving another long note, but in
liferent key. He then carries the gourd to
he qthef chiefs, giEiHg eaeh Of them a
,runt as he presents it. There is no fixed
ime for the latter to drink by; the head
hief drinks during the making of the tw"
UNL II
loues 1ney urInk quart at time. as hot
s they can bear it. Some Is minutes after
Yards they yomit the drink without any |
fort or artificial means. The virtue Of |
he drink is exhiliration and warmth to the
ystem
The Choctaws, Greeks and Cherokees |
IL believe in Deity, whom they call
The Great Spirit, the Oliver of Breath"
nut they have no particular notion of his |