Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-04-08

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called thy son; make me as one of
thy hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his
father. But when he was yet a
great way of, his father saw him,
and had compassion, and ran and
fell on his neck, and kissed him.
And the son said unto him,
father l have sinned against heav-
EN- and in thy sight, and am no
more worthy to be called thy son.
But the father said to his SER
wants, bring forth the best robe,
and put it on him; and put a ring
on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
And bring hithcr the fatted calf,
and kill it, and let us eat and be
merry.
For this my son was dead, and
is alive again; he was lost, and is
found. And they began to be
merry.
Now his elder son was in the
field: and rs he came and drew
nigh to the house, he heard music
and dancing.
And he called one of the servants
and asked what these things meant.
And he said unto him, thy
brother is come: and thy father
hath killed the fatted calf, because
he has received him safe and sound.
And he was angry, and would
not go in: therefore came his father
out, and eutreated him.
And he answering, said to his
father, Lo, these many years do l
serve the, neither transgressed l
at any time thy commandment;
and yet thou never gavest me a
kid, that l might make merry with
my friends"
Somewhat in the likeness Of the
prodigal son, but without the por-
ton of goods that falleth to him,
and so short of the worlds gear,
there is no possibility that he
should fain fill his belly with
husks, because of having wasted
his substance with riotous living,
many a citizen quits his home to
enter other fields OF industry and
enterprise abroad, and after years
of disappointment retraces his
footsteps to the scenes Of his early
recollections, bafiled by misfort-
unes and broken in spirit. His
most tender and purest emotions
are wrought into ecstasy by the
fond anticipation of meeting with
old friends and relatives, and of
being received in a country his
own by the right of inheritance,
and among a people that are his by
blood. But his elder brother who
is up in the executive department,
on seeing a bill TO re-admit him in
to the common family, waxed an
CRY, and sent it back from whence
it came. that he might practically )
demonstrate the right he main
tains the constitution gives the
authorities TO receive or reject, at
pleasure, any former citizen Of the
nation, who may petition to be re-
admitted to. citizenship. The feel
ing is not any less selfish, than was
the complaint of the elder brother
the returning prodigal, who
had repented of sins, and wished
TO be received as a hired servant.
Il HSiC 10 iuOAp " DC dnlAAiSh dllu
in wicked generosity and
than in narrow, close
listed consistency. If right he is,
in so constituting the constitution,
which is exceedingly doubtful if
the treaties have any force in deter
mining claims to Cherokee citizen
ship, there is enough of barbed-
wire fence look in it to deter any
man from being certain of getting
over the political barrier set up by
the executive, if the council should
prove as selfish.
No argument has been produc-
ed to prove that such position is
correct, but based upon an assump-
ton that such must be the intent
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