Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-02-25

citizen and nation are used alto
gether in the Constitution-citizens
of the Cherokee nation. The citl-
liens Of the Cherokee nation are
not defined by the shades of a
mystery, but clearly defined in
the Constitution. Amendment,
Art, 3, Sec. 5, defines who a citizen
is, in conformity with the treaty
made the 18th day of July, 1866,
and says all native born Cherokees,
all Indians and whites legally
members of the nation by adop-
ton and all freedmen who have
been liberated by voluntary act OF
their former owners or by law, as
well as free colored persons who
were in this country at the COM
.nencement Of the rebellion and are
now residents therein or who may
return within six months from the
18th day Of July, 1866, and their
descendants, who reside within the
limits of the Cherokee nation,
shall be taken and deemed to be
citizens of the Cherokee nation.
Now any of the before named cit-
zens have right to settle on the
lands anywhere, providing they do
not intrude on any other citizen,
and have exclusive and indeieasi-
bic rights to their Improvements,
the same as a Cherokee by blood.
In the proposed sale of the Strip
in 1866, to friendly Indians, and
the land that was sold to them, the
proceeds went to all 1t was in
vested in United States securities
and placed to the credit of the ma
tion for the benefit OF all, without
any exceptions.
| have quoted the Constitution
to show that those who framed and
adopted it as their own, also in the
spirit and meaning OF the word
adopted, made the adopted citizen
their own and gave him all the
rights they themselves possessed,
and took him in as part of the
family according to the definition
of the word by Webster, after de-
manding that he should give up
his own country and swear allie.
glance to this, one exception only,
Cart. 3, sec. y, "No one but a nat
ural born citizen shall be principal
chief"
The Constitution was lived up
to and no difference between the
native and adopted citizens was
made until there NNas a divi-
sion of what was called the
lease fund, and then it was
discovered by some wise men that
there was a difference. 1t cost
this nation several thousand dol
lars to have the law explained to
them by man named Wallace,
and the money paid out to those
who We're denied, and the ex-
penses were charged to the Chero-
kee nation, and number paid
money who were not citizen.
No intelligent and we'll informed
person will deny that we hold the
same title to the Strip we hold to
the home tract; all in one patent
and similar in every respect; in
fact, a part of the common prop
erty of the Cherokee nation, and
if il had been sold to friendly In
dians would have been invested
for the benefit of every citizen of
this nation, as was agreed on in
the treaty of 1866.
Now it follows that if that was
a part of the common property
sold to the United States the pro.
ceeds would also be common prop |
erty and belong to all the citizens |
of the Cherokee nation, and should |
be invested for the benefit of all, |
or equally divided between all her
citizens. | claim these lands were
the common property and were
held by the Cherokees similar in
every way that the home tract was
held, and if the adopted citizen
has no right to share in the pro-
ceeds of this sale, he has no right
to any land whatever in the Cher
okee nation. The land that his
home is situated on is held by the
same title by which the Strip is
held and if no one but a Cherokee
by blood has any right TO the land,
the sooner the adopted citizen finds
it out the better it will be for him.
To reasonable mind it must be
seem that it was the intention of
those who made the treaties and
adopted the Constitution that be-
fore any man became citizen of
this country he must take the oath
of allegiance to this and give up
all other countries. He then be
came a citizen with all the rights
and all the responsibilities of any
other citizen. They hoped that
this country would always remain
as the Cherokee nation, and that
the citizens would be united, pros
porous and happy, and every cit
lzen would enjoy the same rights;
but when the difference was made
in dividing the Strip fund it
brought about a feeling of uneasi-
ness and dissatisfaction among the
citizens, and il continued
will inevitably undermine and de-
stroy one Of the best governments
ever made by man.
All men are born free and equal
and whenever the government that
be owes his allegiance to makes a
difference between him and some
other citizen, he fails 10 have that
love and respect that the loyal
citizen should have Tor his coun-
Try and will certainly seek some