The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-24
THE CROCTAWS AND cHIcKAsAWs.

PARIS, Tex, May pa recent article
in st. Louis paper alleged that the
Choctaws and Chickasaws had no title to
the lands now occupied by the Cheyennes
and Arapahoes, and claimed that the title
to the lands in question had been pur-
chased by the government. The attention
of Judge J. r. Durant, formerly one of
the Judges Of the supreme court of the
Choctaw nation, who is now in this city,
was called to the article, and, in reply he
said:
The Choctaws acquired title to land,
limited as follows: At a line beginning on
Red river. three miles below the mouth of
Little Sier. running then due north to the
Arkansas river, thence up said river to the
point where 100 degrees west longitude
crosses the same, thence south along said
meridian to Red river, thence down said
river to place of beginning, by purchase.
The ChoctawS gave part OF their country
in the state of Mississippi for the treaty of
Sept. y, 1880, and according to it
the President of the United States
executed patent in fee simple to the
Choctaw tribe of Indians, and then by
securing guarantee deed to the lands
embraced within the said limits to the
Choctaws to be held in common and every
member have an undivided interest in the
whole. On the 17th day of January, 1887,
the United States made a treaty with the
ChoctawS and Chickasaws, and in that
treaty the Choctaws sold to the Chicka-
saws an interest in their entire country.
to hold in common with the Choctaws
an undivided interest. On the 22d of
June, lS55. the United States made n
treaty with the Choctaws and Chicka-
saws, and in one article of that treaty
the ChoctawS and Chickasaws leased
their common country lying between the
9Sth degree and Tooth degree west longi-
tude for the permanent settlement of the
Wichita and such other Indians as
the government might desire, but the
territory so leased was to remain open to
settlement by the Choctaws and Chicka-
saws. On the 2Sth of April, 1865. the
United States made a treaty with the
| Choctaws and Chickasaws and by the
third article of said treaty the Choctaws
and ChickaSaws were to cede to the Unit
ed States the territory west of the 9oth
degree of west longitude for the sum Of
$500, 900, but the Choctaw general council
rejected that particular article. and
| notified the government through Simpson
| Folsom. who was the nations attorney at
that time and the sale of that territory
| has been an open question until it was
! settled by the last congress. Under these
| facts the government Justly owes the
! Choctaws and Chickasaws for the land in
question and If the government withholds
| the payment of the amount appropriated
! to the ChocUawS and Chickasaws for their
| land. she will be violating the Choctaw
rule of justice and fairness, aud defraud-
ing poor, helpless Indians out of their
| God given right"
Continuing Judge Durant said the
| Choctaws and Chickasaws joined with the
Confederacy as matter OF self-preserva-
! tion. II they had not done so, they would
! have been at the mercy OF the Confederate
| soldiers and would probably have suffered
greatly What they did in the war was
done as a matter of self-preservation. At
ter the war the United States made a
proposition TO the Choctaws and ChIcka-
saws TO allot and accord negro freedmen
citizenship. This they rejected by an
overwhelmingly popular vote.