The Delta independent., 1886-11-23
An INDIAN CONFEDERATION.

Hon. ID. w. Buslghead, Principal
Chief of the Cherokee Nation. has pre-
| sented his fourth annual message to
| the National Council which met ut
| Tahlequah on the 2d instant. In this
message he strongly urges the forma-
! ton of Il confederation of all the LII
dian tribes now inhahitiItg the Indian
Territory. His purpose in this is to
guard the interests of the Indians
against possible encroach.nents by the
whites, and particularly to prevent the
organization of territory in NO
Mans Land ard in parts of the In
dian Territory now occupied by In
dians.
Upon this point he says. Thus an
insiduous scheme for invading and dis
memherng the territory is sought to
lie carried ont. which. in my opinion,
could he defeated in advance by ull-
ion of the tribes in the confederation
through which they would stand to-
gether on all questions involving the
interest of all. Such IN organization
would not only conserve the interest
of the whole territory, but it would
command the respect uf the people and
government of the United States. The
danger and power of the white man
lies chiefly in his combination of for
ces. 1t behooves us TO profit by exam
pie. The Indian Territory, occupied
by thirty tribes. each. as in olden days,
distinct from others. invites invasion
OF their rights from the selfish ald un-
scrupulous. The Indian Territory,
with her thirty tribes bound together
by constitutional! compact into one
federal body polite. would in my opin-
ion. he able. by virtue of the moral
force such union would exert. and by
tile combined wisdom and united act
Ion vi all, TO resist all sciIeMes Tor the
dlsipernOefnieDt OF our country and
lie INVASION OF our political and other
rights"
lie Is right in.thinking that such II
confederation would command the re-
Spect OF the people and government Of
the United States. Indeed. IT would
seem 10 Ue the part OF Wisdom fUI tho
government tu encourage Tits move
nIsnt toward "a union Of the tribes.
Oue OF the strongest impulses toward
civilization Is that which is born OF
the responsibility Of self-gOvernment
Colonies can rarely thrive 81 we'll as
Tie same countries would if they we've
clothed with the power aud charged
With the responsibilities of self-goy-
eIng,eut. IL is just SO with half civil
ized people who lave before them the
example Of civilized neighburs. If tile
blanket Indians OF the western part
of the Indian Territory were brought
in contact with the civilized Cherohees
and ChOctaws in the government of
all the tribes, tnpy would inevitably
derive great benefits from it. Their
whole tendency would he away from
barbarism and toward civilization.
Bat the etfvrt tosbring the tribes in
to union with eachother should not he
confined To the tribes which inliahit
the Indian Territory. AS the Indians
advance in civilization they need less
land for their accommodation: and
therefore. although the whole of the
Indian Territory is occupied by tribes,
there is room within its boundaries for
all the Indians in the United States.
There is. doubtless. II few Indians, like
the Purblps and Ncz Perces. whom it
would not he advisable to remove to
the Indian Territory; bat all lie other
tribes should be renewed thither. TO
do this woi,ld require the consent of
the tribes nav occupying that terri
tory. hut there would probable not ~.
great difficulty in securing .tliis con
sent.
If all ,he-Indians. wit, few excep-
tions. wore brought together in TIE
Indian Territory they woill eventua
" all hfrnine civilized. After II II.
, Years their country would a,lyanrp -,
far as to lie oieanized intou trrritor
Ike Dakota. and ultimately IT wtul
i,e admitted into the Union as u stata.
II would ie in j, peculiar SENSE the hn,.
of the Ind;,n, and then the Indians
Character could develop, whatever ca
pa:ity they may possess for ciivliza
tion. That tue Indians would reaci,
high stage ~ civilization NAV he I've.
yond reasonable hope Bnt however
far the I'dian race may fall short IN
its development Of the position attai-.
ed 'ty the white rare. we know HAT
only throufh, ciyili7stion can. II he
presrrved from extinction. = Denver
Tribune.