Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-08-16

ating A nation, an organized
government of thousands Of peo.
pie, holding all its lands by a title
as sacred and as binding in the
eternal principle Of right as can
be conveyed, to cringe toa corrupt
ing and whisky.introducing cor
roration Of dozen men, is worse
than lumiliati on. If our right to
that country can be embarrassed or
unsettled by such as they, by rea-
son Of complications that yet re-
quire the test Of validity, our title
is indeed worthless and all the de.
cisions in support Of it by the
highest tribunal on the continent
will 60 for naught. To compound
with a lot Of men who have disre-
garded every principle Of hon esty
in trying to secure possession Of
more than half of our entire coun-
try, and have brought disgrace on
our nations name, for fear they
may put us TO heap Of trouble,
should they decide TO question
our right, is loss ofindependence
and national honor too humiliat-
ing to think of. To reconcile ma
tional honor and sense Of pride to
a reconciliation, on such terms,
with such a proposition, there is
no compensation in any amount Of
money to be secured by such a hui
initiating submission.
There is less safety in such an
argument than there is in a manly
resistance to all such probable
threats Of trouble. If we sacrifice
principle to avoidtrouble we need
never expect to be in a condition
Of acknowledged security, but be
continually compelled to yield TO
some demand for fear there IS
trouble in resistance.
If there are any serious encumb-
RANGES on our western lands, the
sooner we know it. aud the sooner
we remove them, il possible, the
better il will be for us. Fmbar.
easements never become less en-.
iangling. in cases Of this kind, by
leaving them undisturbed. If the
government Of the United States
claims a lein on those lands by rea-
son of the $500, 900 payment, it is
folly on our part not to be willing
to know the fact as soon as posi-
ble. If there are any unauthoriz-
ed engagements, demands or prop
ositious committing the Cherokee
nation to any obligation, we should
not remain in ignorance of them.
All should be known and prepara-
tion be made to meet them. That
this may be done, nothing better
can happen to bring things to an
issue than If it eau be done in that
way and no other TO provoke the
now in'possession Of the
lands to question our right TO ex-
clude them by force.
At the distance he is and was
while the council was in session,
Mr.. Boudinot, for want Of person
al observations, has fallen into
error in speaking Of Mr.. Henry
& Co., in the way he does. He
SAYS "That the other company
the one that offered the slS5, 600
does not propose to give what
the privileges are worth, but only
raises the bid slightly in order
seemingly to furnish an excuse TO
reject the bid Of the other compa-
nies, besides being unwilling to
take the responsibility Of situation
on themselves, but want to throw
it entirely on the nation, thus
making their bid almost worth
less in my opinion"
Why Mr. Henry & Co. only
increased their former bid by
$4,000 can easily be accounted
for. The committee that had the
management OF the matterin hand
had disregarded the methods Of
competition, and had offered an
insult to Henry & Co.'S. company
by permitting the old company to
offer the same amount for the lease,
and by accepting it. If Henry d
Co.'S. bid OF s175 ,0O0 was not sal
most worthless, +" neither was not
"almost worthless" their bid OF
s1s5,00O. The same valuation APP
plies TO both, and the committee
are reprehensible for using an al
most worthless bid IN requiring
the old company to bid the same
The only way out Of
the dilemma is an honest acknowl-
edgement that Henry & Co. are
as far as this point in
controversy goes.
The bid Of only $1,000 more
can be accounted for in another
way. 1t was on account Of the