, 1889-12-05

| deem IL necessary to submit the agree
ment to congress for atihcation, put "
formation, This agreement 1 releases lea 10
the United States about 1900, 900 acres
of land.
rHr CHEROKEE COMMISSION.
The commission provided for by sec,
tion IA OF the Indian appropriation DIN
to negotiate with the Cherokee lndlnns,
and all other indians owning g,sixth or c,a,i
degree of longitude, for the cessiol 70
the United States of all such lands,
was constituted by the appoint.
ment of Hon. Lueius .Fairehild OF
Wisconsin, Hon. John F. HartTaMM' ,.nd
Wilson OF Arkansas, and was organized
on June 20 last. Their first conference
with the representatives of the Chero-
KEGS was held at Tahlequah July %,
with no definite result; General John
vented by III health from taking part in
tho congress. His death, which occurred
recently, ~ justly and generally Iamented
by people he had served with conspicu.
Gus gallantry in war and with great
fidelity In peace. The vacancy thus ere,
Hon. Warren g. Sayre ot indianapolis
A second con ference between the com
mission and the Cherokees was begun
November 8, but no results have yet
been obtained, nor is is believed that q
conclusion can he Immediately expected.
The cattle syndicate that Is now occu'
py ing the lands for grazing purposes Is
clearly one OF the agencies responsible
for the obstruction OF our hegotia.
tions with the Cherokces. Inc
large body of agricultural lands
constituting what Is known as the cher.
okce outlet ought not to be and can not
long be held for gruzing and for the ad'
vantage of fcw against the pubic m
terests and the best advantage OF the IN
dians themselves. The United States
rights in these lands. These will not
be used oppressively, but 1t can not be
allowed that those who by sutierance oc-
cupy these lands shall interfere to defeat
the wise and bcneficent purposes OF the
government. can not but believe tnat
The advantageous character of the offer
made by the United States to the Chero-
kec nation for u full release OF these
lands, as compared with the other sug'
gestions now made to them, will yet OBJ
tain for 1t favorable consideration.
THE OPENING OF OKLAHOMA.
Under the agreement made between
the United States and the Muscogec or
Creek nation, on the 10th day ofJanuary,
1889, the United States came into pos
session of about $500, 600 acres OF land,
Section 12 of the general appropriation
act, approved March ., 1859, made pro.
vision for the purchase by the United
States from the Seminole tribe of a Ger
tain portion Of their land. The dele
ates of the Seminole nation, having
| first duly evinced to me their power TO
act in that behalf, delivered a proper re
lease and conveyance to the use of all
the lands mentioned in the act, which
was accepted by me and certified to be
in compliance with the statute. BY the
terms of both the acts referred to all the
lands so purchased were declared to be
| part OF the public domain and open to
settlement under the homestead law
But most Of the land embraced in these
purchases being in the aggregate about
3, 500, 900 acres, mad already under the
terms of the treaty of 1896 been acquired
by tho United States for the purpose of
settling other Indian tribes thereon
and had been appropriated tothat pur-
pose. The land remaining and availa-
BILE for settlement consisted OF ], 1887, T0G
acres, surrounded on all sides by lands
in the occupancy Of Indian tribes. Con.
gress had provided no civil government
for the people who were to be invited by
my proclamation to settle upon these
lands, except as the new court which
had been established ut Muscogee, or the
United States court in some of the ad-
joining states, had power to enforce the
general laws of the United States. In
luctant TO open the lands to settlement;
but, In view of the fact that several
thousand persons, many OF them with
their families had gathered upon the
borders OF the Indian territory, with a
view of securing homesteads on the
ceded lands. and that delay would in.
volve them In much loss and suffering,
did on the 23d day of March last issue
a proclamation, declaring that
the lands therein described
would be open to settlement under the
provisions of the law OH the 22d day OF
April following, at ~ o'clock, noon:
Two land districts had been established
and the offices were opened for the
transaction of business when the ap-
pointed time arrived.
1t is much to the credit of the settlers
that they very generally observed the
Limitation as to the time when they
might enter the territory. Care will be
taken that those who entered in viola
tion of the law do not secure the adj
vantage they unfairly sought. There
the strife tor locations would result in
much violence and bloodshed, but hap
PLY these anticipations were not realized.
IT is estimated that there are now in
the territory about $1,000 people and
several considerable towns have sprung
up, for which temporary municipal gov
crnments have been organized. Guthrie
is said now TO have population OF
5000; eleven schools and nine
churches have been established and three
daily and five weekly newspapers are
published in this city, whose charter and
ordinances have only the sanction of the
voluntary acquiesccncc of the people
! from day to day. Oklahoma City has q
| population OF 5000, and Is proportional
ly as well provided as Guthrie with
, churches, schools and newspapers,
Other towns and villages, having popu-
latioiIs of from one hundred to thou
sand are scattered over the territory.
In order to secure the peace OF thi:
new community, In the absence of d
civil government, directed Genera
Merritt, commanding the department o.
the Missouri to act in conjunction with
! the marshal of the United States, TO pre-
serve the peace, and upon their requisi
, tion to use troops to aid them in exc
5 cutting warrants and inquieting any riot,
, or breaches of the peace that might
, occur. He was further directed to use
his influence 10 promote good order and
to avoid any conflicts between or with
the settlers, and believing that the in
; PRODUCTION and sale OF liquors where nc
legal restraint or regulations existed
would endsnger the public peace, and In
view OF tho fact that such liquors musi
first be introduced into the Indian resor-
walton before reaching the white settle
: ments, further directed the general com
manding TO enforce the laws relating Il
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