Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-01-21

atlons with the United states com.
mission pfo4idlng for the sale Of
the Strip and ralifying the articles
Of agreement between the two
commissions, is, presume, Of
more concern TO the average Cher
okee and intruderas well than anY
school or other bill brought before
the national council The agree.
ment and It's ratification by the
majority Is in direct violation of
the late chiefs views, and radi.
cal departure from the policy Of
the Downing party, if one may be-
lieye declared principles set forth
IN published political platforms
The dead chiefs battle cry was
'no land TO sell. and the slogan
was iterated and reiterated from
one end of the land to the other by
his lieutenants until the hills gave
back the echo; but no s0anev was
h. dead and the earth closed over
him, his party had iand to sell and
lots OF IL.
make these remarks, not in
any manner depreoatory OF the
Cherokee commission in making
the contract, nor calling in lues.
tion the wisdom Of the agreement
In general, but to show what per-
sistent, determined man may DO
for good or evil by 'sticking to it, "
andto further show that the great
majority Of US are sourvy towards
politically, and Tor place and pelf
hold our peace, when we, in duty
should speak out No one ac-
quainted with Judge Mayes be-
lieves that had he lived any agree
ment about tire lands would have
been reached Whatever he may
have been in other matters, he was
sincere in his belief that the land
ought not to be sold aud. that the
government would not take il.
The opinion and belief came OF
years Of thought as a Cherokee in
the first place and a lawyer in the
second He held, whether right
ly or not, al the innate preiudices
about land and country we usually
attribute to the lull-blood Indian,
and although born, raised and ed
ueated white man, these senti-
ments were la him, aud grew with
his growth, and strengthened with
his strength until they became
passion, and no sacrifice to him
appeared too great TO sustain them.
Whether he was correct in his es
innate OF the strength of the right
and the power OF the law, or
whether we are right in yielding
Ia what we believe TO be the ne
cessily OF the hour, the future
alone can determine; and now
since we have sold Tor what he
considered "mess of pntlage,
we may indulge the hope, without
doing him injustice, that he was
mistaken,
Now that the negotiations are
ratified. aud the Cherokee nation
is bound to the agreement rs nom.
mated in the bond, good or had, il
will be OF httle avail to find fault
with them, but we may discuss
them in the hope that il we ever
have any more land To sell we will
be bette informed in such dealings.
One provision in this agreement,
supplemented by the aol oi the
national council in It's ratification,
SO Senator Wolf said On the Aoor
al the senate when the matter was
under consideration, gave twelve
hundred white men (adoplcd ciii.
zens) the same standing as to right
to participate in the money dis.ri-
button as native Cherokee. He
argued that the bill provided for a
white man adopted TO pay for any
land he might 6e entitled to un-
der section five OF the articles Of
agreement, aud The act OF the coun-
ell, out Of his share Of the money
coming 10 him from the sale of
the Slrip. Now, section five was
not SO clear as to the adopted citi.
zen ; rights, but to make "assny.
ance doubly sure the Cherokee
commission in drafting their bill
puts the whole matter out OF dis
pute by providing that the nation
retain one hundred and twelve |
dollars out of his share. The man |
must have something in the hands |
OF the nation before anything could /,
be retained, and If one has "A share
why not the other Ii there be a !
job or steal as has been intimated !
IN some OF the papers this must be |
it, for the majority steadily refused !
to modify or qualify the provision |
in the least.
Should our white citizens sue
ceed in getting a landing on this
vantage ground thus exposed, it I
will involve directly 4 sum of I
money out OF the eight and one
hall million equal to three hundred /
and fifty thousand dollars, aud ul-
tlmately a full share in the paru
lion OF the lands east. As a Sc.
luence to the agreement, should
congress raliiy 1t, the council pass
ed a law declaring void all sales
)r conveyances of whatever nature
u improvements upon the public
ionain held or claimed by any
person not a recognized citizen, to
,itizens of the Cherokee nation.
lhls was necessary, SO it was ar
gued, in view of the fact that if the
agreement passed. the United
states agrees To give the labor to
he nation.
II we are Christians we are in
luty bnund to believe that every
hing is for the best, if not, we