The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-25

these the white defendants number 2lS;
the negro defendants number l49, and the
Indian defendants number %. Number
tried for murder, 80; number sentenced to
be hung, 9; number OF persons injured by
assault, 10; number OF Deputy Marshals
killed since 1856, IL; number OF murders
reported in the last thirty days, %. A
table prepared by the jallor of the pris-
oners in the United States Jail for 1883
from the Territory, shows: Total number
of prisoners incarccrated for 1883, 602. OF
these the white men numbered 34i,
the negroes numbered 200. OF these the
Indians numbered l39. The Indians (l30)
were about equally divided between full
bloo1s and miXed-boods. Number charged
with murder, 50; number Of prisoners in
Jail Mt present, ll3 A paper published
in the Indian Territory by citizen OF the
nation estimates the number of murders
in the Territory in 1883 at 800. 1t is evil
dent that crime is on the increase in pro-
portion TO the influx of the whites into
the Indian Territory. The policy of the
United States Government has made this
Territory a civil rs well as q criminal asy.
lum. No remedies for the enforcement
OF obligations or property rights between
the whites exist, and whites from the
States seek refuge there from both civil
and criminal processes. A criminal from
the State fleeing TO the Territory cannot be
reached by extradition or other process.
The land tenure OF the Indian tribes is in
secure. They hold IL as subjects, not rs
citizens Of the United States, and in COM
mon, not as individuals. Though
the tribes own their lands they
do not own them Sin the sense OF prop
erty'' las was said by the Supreme Court
in Cherokee Nation vs.. Georgia., but have
an exclusive right Of occupancy alienabe
only tO the United States, which has the
ultimate title. Experience teaches the
uncertainty OF such tenure. II the lands
were held by them as individual citizens
| OF tie United States their title would be
secure. Another evil OF this tenure OF
lands in common is the inclosure of large
bodies OF land by few citizens, prnci-
pally whites, 10 the exclusion OF the full
blood and more ignorant Indians, which
inclosure gives the occupant ownership.
These landholdcrs and the whites. who
have q monopoly Of the trade and farm
ing under permits, and the refugees from
justice are the true opponents of all
measures for the opening OF the Indian
| Territory, aud by arts Of guile attempt to
create q sentiment against IL among the
more ignorant classes. While there
il n strong sentiment among the In
dians approving the opening Of the
/ Territory, IL is not safe for citi-
zen 90 express such an opinion, as
II would place his lie in jeopardy
/ The Commissioner of Indian Ailairs saws
That under thetrihal relations the progress
Of the Indian toward civilization has been
disappointingly SLOW 40 long rs tribal re-
| latiOns are maintained and individual re-
/ sponsiblity, the weaker, less aspiring and
more ignorant OF the tribes will be the vic
| Tins OF the more designing. shrcwd, sell
/ fish and ambitious men. The tribal re-
lation and the present form OF Indian gov
| crnmcnt cannot bc maintained. The waves
of civilization are beating against H. and
sooner or later Il must sink, 10y foul means
or fair, and the longer Il is delayed the
more disastrous the consequences to the
| Indian race. Good policy should teach
| friends Of the Indians that the only sure
| way 10 protect their rights is t1 Weld TO
the inevitable aud act before their enc
mics have oycrshadowcd them in their
| homes, when II will be too late to stay by
moral sentiment the demands oi civilizd-
ton; therefore, be Il
Resolved G). That the existence OF
this harbor for criminals il q blot upon
public morals and disgrace 10 our gov.
crnmcni; aud that the political status OF
the Indian Territory is a stay 10 the pros
] pcrity OF the Southwest, and that It's per
I pctuity is detrimental 10 the interests oil
| the Indians.
'2 That the Indian Territory should be
admitted as a State into the Union and
that the Indians be made citizens Of the
United States, and that their rights 10 all
lands belonging to them be projected aud
their ownership bc made absolute, either
by alloiling the same in scycraliy or allot-
ting part and selling the surplus for their
| benefit.
80. That a copy Of this preamble aud res
olulions be prcscnledto to Congress as amem-
orial."
The following were appointed q com.
mittcc on resolutions. Ex-Governor
Fletcher, 81. Louis; T.. L. Bryant, Fort
smith, !. l.. Sniycly, Chotopa, Kas; j.
W. Clapp, Memphis, Tenn; T.. 4. Rus
sell, Indian Territory; Gen. Thomson,
Van Buren,, Ark; Col. H. u. Williams,
Little Rock; Judge Mcsscryc, Baxter
Springs, Kas.; Jones Adams, Springfield,
Mo.
A5p.m. recess was taken until pm.