The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-07-26

1.-The Indian population Of the
United States numbers 100000. This
does not include the Indians of Alaska,
who number about $4,000. These In.
dams are scattered. About 5000 OF
them are In the Indian Territory, where
we find five civilized nations. These
are the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws,
Chickasaws and Seminoles. They num-
Der about $4,000 in all, and they have
a civilization pretty well advanced.
Each tribe has government of its own,
modelled somewhat on the government
of the United States. There Is an up
per and lower house of the Legislature
Senate and House of Representatives.
Both are elected by the people. The
Senate they call the house of kings,
and the House of Representatives is the
house of warriors. This congress
makes the laws for their government,
and the only restriction on these laws
is that they be within the laws of the
Congress of the United States. There
is also an executive branch of the gov
eminent to carry out these laws, judges
and courts to pass upon them, and
sheriffs and cOnstables to impose the
punishment prescribed IN them They
punish by death certain criminals, but
they shoot rather than hang the Offend
ers."
"What crimes are punishable by
death ?"
"Murder, horse stealing and rape, "
was the reply. 1.-The first and last for
the first offense. Horse stealing is pun
ishable for the first offense by impris-
onment, the second by whipping, and
the third by death"
show do these tribes dress ?''
'Just the same as the white man.
Some of them are traders, s ,me farm
ers and stock raisers, and some are en-
gagged in the various trades. They are
mechanics, shoemakers, blacksmIths
and carpenters. Some of the business
Is done by whites but white man
who wishes to do business in Indian
Territory must first get license from
the Government at Washington and
from the Indian Nation. The Indians
are somewhat careful whom they admit,
and they charge the traders either a
certain percentage on their sales or a
license fee. The Creeks charge two
hundred dollars for each white business
house. Native Indians, however, pay
nothing, as do also whites who have
any Indian blood in their veins. If a
white man marries an Indian he can
live in the Territory, but he has no.
thing to do with its laws or its govern
ment. His children, however, by an
Indian wife have all the rights of a
full-blooded Indian 1t is a principle
among them that the least bit Indian,
all Indian. If the thirty second or
sixty-fourth part Of man be Indian
he is entitled to equal rights, property,
and otherwise with the Others"
''ls there much intermarriage among
the different tribes and races ?"
''Yes, among the tribe great deal,
considerable among the negroes, and
some among the whites. The different
tribes ningle TO certain extent, and
trade together. At the time of the
breaking out Of the war there were a
great many negroes in the Territory
owned as slaves by the Indians. When
the emancipation proclamation was
sent forth the Indians gave these ne
grOes rights co-equal with themselves.
Since then the two races have been in.
termarrylng more or less according to
the tribes among which they are located.
This intermarriage has been most
among the Seminoles and least among
the Cherokees. Since this time the ne.
gro has been increasing more rapidly
than the Indian, and he will eventually
Outnumber him.
GLOW do the Indians manage in re j..
gard to their land ?''
"They are located. you know, on re-.
servatiOns, the limits of which are care
fully defined. There is an abundance
of land for each tribe and the civilized
nations average about six hundred
acres of good land for each family
Each tribe holds all of its lands IN COM
mon, though the Indians have their in.
dividual personal property. The land
rs divided into farms, at least great
part of it is, and much OF it is fenced
and bullded upon. An Indian can i'm
prove a piece Of land, fence it and build
houses and barns uponit. He then has
title to its use and he can sell this
right to its Improvements and its pro.
ducts to others. Many of these civil
lied tribes are good farmers, and some
Of thn fni.r,nn .,.r. ,,n,,r ln,..n