The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-02-06
A oHERoKRR oHIEP,


hallHs-TerrItorlal HolOa'
| Il In. ~, Louis Posi- .DIrpatch,
Chas Thompson and y. II. Downing, frcs
thd Chorolpo nation. nro among tho latO II
, rlyals NJ tho Plantern' house. The fOrmO
waa Qhlef0f tho trlbato which he belonged M
w tho last election, whsn liushyheul wa
mnde tho presiding chief Of tho Chcrokooa
and MIR. Thompson retired W private life
This morning u representative Of tho POst
Dispatch called on oH'Chicf Thompson, ant
found him 10 DO u man about seventy yonr
old, with u defined opinion on NIL important
matters In tho territory, and with no hnsIta
ton IN expressing himself concerning them
Tho conversation waa carried on by means al
Mr., Downing who OBLIGATED M Interpreter
Aftor referring 10 tho faCt thal there wgu
three political paltles In tho fold nj tho
election which occurred In August last md
resulted In tho election of Chief Bush,hcnd
Tor n term Of four years, Mr.. Thompson said
That NJ present lhoro woro but two parties,
known M tho Smith ind Downing parties,
lilo stated that they differ very lIttla from ono
another except In tho men which they sup
ported for tho position Of chief
Tho reporter then asked him what ho
thought Of tho move 10 make the Indian Ter
rIiory part of tho United States Government.
lilo sad ~ think the people Of tho Ia
dian Territory aro universally opposed toMch
u move"
"Why are they opposed to it| continued
tho reporter,
"Bcc0usc,' said tho cx.chior after the qlcs.
ton Ind boon translated 10 him. "the nnIor
part of tho inhabitants OF tho nation nre not
NJ present sufficiently civilized 10 successfully
compete with tho whites in the various de-
pnrlmcnts Of trade, which would become
necessary IN case tho nation WIS mNde OlSa-
homn Territory or State, rs IL now talked
about"
llo continued; 81 know of but one native
Cherokee who Ia in fNyor of such movo and
TINT Is Colonel Boudinot, who hns always
advocated IL, There ARE few whites in the
nation who have been adopted, 80 to speak,
by the Chcrokccs aud madu citizens OF tho
Indian Nation, who now favor coming under
the Federal Government
WOULD NOT IMPROVE THE NATIVES.
When asked if the Indians would not be
improved by an increase of the white popu- !
lation, be snil: 81 don't think IL would i'm. |
prove the ful-blooded Indians, but think il |
might be of benefit 70 tho hnlf-brccds. NV |
reason is tho same rs given BEFORE that tho |
are not able TO cope with tho
white men, but the hall.brecds IRE posted in
the English language, tho ways of business,
and arc better prepared TO compete with tho
people who would flock 70 the territory in
case il was admitted as n State"
DO you experience much trouble in keep
ing the white emigrants from invading your
.oritory~
mo, not great deal of trouble, except
'long the Kansas border line, where the
Whites como into the Nation and settle Last
summer an effort was made 10 take what we
erm the western outlet by large number
If invaders. The prompt action Of the Fed
'ra Government stopped it. hear it ru-
nored that the leader of tho invaders is or
,anizing another band, who will try the same
hing next summer 1t is only rumor, AS
know nothing definite about It,"
GOVERNMENTAL. TREATMENT.
When asked as to tho manner in which the
General Government Ind treated the Indian
nation, he said: "ln tho treaty of 1866 we
greed to cede to tho United States the west
I'm outlet Of our lands under certain condi-
ions. The government was to pay us GER
am sum of money and was to
'laco on the cedcd territory only Western
indians on friendly terms with the nhabi-
ANTS of the Cherokee Nation. The govern
nent has placed few friendly Indians on
he reservation, but has not yet pad us the
mount agreed upon. We have delegate
Washington for the purpose of arranging
lch matters, and it is expected the affair will
c settled at the present session of Congress"
THEIR SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT.
In concluding the conversation the Chcro-
GO representatives. stated that the government
the Indian Nation was very much after the
yle of the States. They had the Head
hief and the Assistant Chief, corresponding
} Governor and Lieutenant Governor
he Nation was divided into nine districts or
,unties, each district having two Senators
nd Representatives depending upon the pop a
lation. They had n Supreme court and :
inc District courts, after the style of
ircuit courts of the United Statos. !
he Nation also had asylums for
10 blind, deaf and dumb insane and for Q
'ippes. They also had pententiary, and it U
equently contained n number of white per- a
ms sentenced for various crimes. The
hool system, under the charge of both ]
lite and native teachers, had eighty schools \
lroughout the nation, in which the English
nguage was the chief subject of instruction.
e said: 1--WE are trying hard to perfect
lrselves in the language and ways of the
vilized people, and if we are only allowed
Efficient time, we will soon be able to enter
10 Union with credit to ourselves and TO the
nited States"