The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-03-31
Our 0liu.
THE INDIAN NATION.

THE INDIAN NATION.
Anna Ldmens Dares, IN Hnpo's Magazine
Between the broad and fertile acres of
Kansas and the broad and only less fertile
acres of Texas lies wild and beautiful
region known as the Indian Territory.
The imaginary lines which divide it from
the neighboring States have been strength.
ened by national law into strong walls,
which, if not actually impossible, have yet
proved substantial barriers. Even the in
habitants of the contiguous States have
little personal knowledge of the people or
the land beyond strong hatred of the one,
born of an undue lust for the other. The
eastern part of the Territory is inhabited
by what are called the Give civilized
tribes Cherokees, Greeks, Seminolcs,
Choctaws and Chickasaws. Each of them
lives life absolutely separate from the
rest, with its own peculiarities, its own in
stitutions and its own national characters
tics, for each-let it not be forgotten
each is a nation. But certain things are
true of them all. Common circumstances
and common needs have wrought upon
common traits of race and character to
produce like results. The Government of
each nation is republican, with frequently
recurring elections, legislatures, executives
and systems of Judiciary. Each nation
supports common schools and high schools,
provides charitable institutions and fosters
churches. Whether Choctaw or Cherokee,
these Indians carry on large business inter-
ests, and live intelligent and valuable lives
The traveller who leaves St. Louis at
night wakes to find himself in the prairie
country, strewn thick with villages of the
peculiar, uuthrifty, hRddled appearance of
Southwestern hamlets. He has scarcely
breakfasted before, on "a sudden, he dis
covers the prairie roll away before him,
unvexed with hut or herd, and mile after
mile the railway strides on through the
luxuriant acres, past the fertile bottoms.
The mysterious silence and space explain
themselves. This is Indian land, and
the Cherokee people have as yet found no
better use for this northern country than
to keep an unoccupied strip between them
selves and their white neighbors. When
at last town appears, it is still a Sonth-
western town, but it is brick and mortar
city, with shops and newspapers and a
busy life of its own. 1t is a considerable
tax on credulity to discover that this town of
Vinita is alse Indian, and altogether Indian;
that its business life is full and active and
reaching out widely; that its citizens have
private interests in many other regions, and
affect the public affairs of two nations,
moving sometimes the destinies of an alien
and mightier race than their own. Its
men and women have their life in books
and thoughts and music, brave men marry
fair women, and children play about the
streets, whose future holds happiness and
prosperity.
This is the most commercial town of
this nation but not its most representative
settlement. "Have you seen Tahlequah ?"
is the instant question asked of him who
processes a knowledge of the Indian Terri
tory, and not without reason. Located in
the interior of the country, among the
mountains, the approach by the all-day
ride among tho wooded hills, over the
grassy uplapds, and through the forest
glades threaded everywhere with rushing
creeks, serves to heighten the effect.
Tahlequah first discovers itself afar off,
across one of the most beautiful Of these
prospects, in a large and somewhat impos-
ing brick building, anding out alone upon
a swelling height. Unneighbored, and yet
requiring considerable population to fill
it, IL seems something Of mystery and
when the winding road comes face to face
with its simplicity and its size, it proves no
less mysterious, although in different way,
since It is a public college for Indian boys
and young men. Three miles further ride,
still in-t the open country, though no longer.
through an altogether uncultivated region,
brings the traveller suddenly into the long
main street of large town. Here sits IN
serene and selfcentred isolation the cap-
ital of nation, containing in itself every
element Of such capital except those
metropolitan products which belong to
crowded centers of the worlds life.
In the very middle of Tahlequah is its
capitol, large brick structure surrounded
by an open square filled with locust trees.
The size and relative importance of this
building mark the feeling that this is a
nation. Here meets legislature cnmpos
ed of two Honses, retaining traces of the
common Indian and white influence over
their origin, in their titles of Council and
Senate. The Council is presided over by
Speaker, and the Senate by the Assist
ant Chief. Bills must pass both Houses.
and require the signature Of the Executive.
This officer possesses much power, and is a
man of many titles, since he is actually
President, and is better known as Princi-
pal Chief, while in common conversation
he is usually addressed as Governor
Under him is an assistant chief answering
to our Vice President, Secretary Of
State, Treasurer, Superintendent Af
Public Instruction, and several other
officers All are elected directly by the
people, and for terms of four years.
These hotly contested elections occur every
two years, when half of the Council are
chosen, and in August, a month of agricul-
tural vacation, thus marking the chief oc-
cupation of the people All the affairs of
the nation-very literally nearly all of them
are debated and settled by this Legisla-
turo. The establishment and support of
schools, questions of finance, permissions
or licenses to railways or telegraphs, the
admission of religious teachers to the pri-
yileges of the nation-all these matters
! are decided as of old in council; but Meth