Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-06-04


were placed on described tract ard the
act provided that 20 cents per acre OF
Pawnec money might be used 10 pay
for t.
This act was also without authority
of treaty and conveyed nothing. An
other act appropriated $4,000 To pay
for Il small tract for the Poncas. OF
which sum $iS,3S9 AZ was put 20 the
credit of the Cherokee nat on, n pro-
test being filed against { by the Chcrc-
kee representatives. This conveyed no
title. Harassed and unjustly treated
by these arb trary proceedings. the
Cherokee national council at last in
structed her two delegates to obtain. if
possible. even the appraised price. Had
congress appropriated the money AT
that time, and the Cherokee council
given authority TO execute deeds ia re
for, the United States might have re-
ccved the benefit of its I'm uSt and arbi-
trary acts but this it has in every case
persistenty refused 10 do. holding that
it was in no sense bound to purchase or
authorize TO purchase save occupied
tracts. In 1SS! $500. 900 was approDri- d
atcd. Our delegation again en-
deavOred 10 secure n se;tCm"n mt In
response Secretary Kirkwood wrote a
letter Feb. ~, 1882, taking the ground
that the settlement Of the Chcyennes
ArapahoeS. KiowaS, and ComancheS
had never been effected, and that the
United States could only pay for occu-
pied lands He admitted that the title
is in the Cherokee nation, and suggest
cd that steps be taken for acquiring the
LEGAL title from the CherokccS 10 the
occupied tracts.
These deeds were the first formal
or binding action of the Cherokee ma
ton on these lands west of 9G degrees
since the treaty of 1866. They covered
all the occupied tracts, which were the
only tracts the United States WAS au-
thorized to buy or that the Cherokee
nation WAS under any obi. CATION to sell.
After the completion of these
transactions the Cherokee nation had
no unsettled account with the United
States in reference to any portion OF
these lands. There was not then and
there is not now an acre OF these lands
tha, the United States is lawfully en-
titled TO purchase. Some parties
made the mistake that the lands had
been coded which was not true. Some
of the officials made the mistake of sup
posing that because the United State,
could settle friendly Indians on certain
parts thereof the United States could DO
what it pleased with them. If the Cher
okec nation had held lis land by oc-
cupancy title. and had their reserve
been q detached portion of the public
domain ii would have been subject to
executive orders and congressional dis.
position. 1t was and is the property Of
the Cherokee nation. and can only be
disposed of by it.
1t viii thus be seen that the Chcrokees
claim all the land in their territory. in,)
GLIDING the Cherokee strip, Oklahoma
in fact. every part or parcel OF land
within Cherokee country. 1t will fur
Their be observed that Chief Bushy head
asserts that no tracts of lands were con-
veyed to the United States other than
that occupied by divers tribes of In.
dians.
Meanwhile everyone is watching the
legislature rs if to CLEAN from its pro-
ceedings some hint of the policy to be
observed in staying the tide of immi-
grafton which is ready to pour into the
Cherokee country the moment con-
greSNional legislation will admit il.