Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-05-26
THE WHITE MANS RIGHTS.
Judge Clingan Takes Issue With
Captain Jackson.
CHELSEA, 1. T. MAY, Ii 1892

. cFlt Il itN lhNdo III iN5 50iN " WV
white adopted portion of our ma
ton to the soil. | have noticed ar
guments of William Jackson and
II. Clay Dean on the subject, and
must say Capt Jackson handles
the subject extraordinary well to
have no foundation. as | perceive
except a distant scent of the ex-
pected sale of the Strip; IN such an
event, if ne was correct, a bonus
of several hundred dollars would
be realized. The manner and
way he spoke of Dean as regards
his supposed Ignorance of the con-
stiiution would rather create an
unfavorable impression, even if
the Captain was right in his views.
| do not attempt to decide this
matter only desire to present it in
It's true light without prejudice or
expected favors. In this | take
opposite sides to Jackson who
harps upon defending the Chero-
kee constitution; | cannot think
that any enlightend person claim
ing allegiance to our country would
attempt knowingly to violate it.
Now Capt. Jackson, you are a
lawyer and expected to be well
posted, did you ever know among
civilized nations where they were
governed by a constitution, that in
their constitution a bonus was
given a foreigner by authority of
the nation, or in other words there
are $4,000 shares in lands of the
Cherokee nation and p, 900 people
own them; does the constitution
authorize one of those individ-
uals, on account of marrying for
eigner, right to dispose of por-
ton of every share in order to pur-
chase he or she a partner for
life? What constitutes a right to
soil ? First by compensation. by
will or gift, by discovery and by
power. Now Captain have you
gotten the right claim By either
mode, did you ever pay the Cher
okees for land, did they by will or
gift give you land, did you first
discover our country and hold by
such discovery, or are you trying
to arbitrarily holding a right to
soil, or are you trying TO bulldoze
a right? Constitutions are not
framed for the purpose of taking
away the property of another and
giving it away without cOmpensa-
ting the owners. You can become
4 citizen of nation with all free
rights without requiring individ-
uals to divide their inherited
rights with you. Captain, your
marrying in the Cherokee family
only gives you the right to handle
your wife's portion of this nation;
unless you think you deserve boot
you should be satisfied. The ma
tional council have said you had no
rights TO the soil when they
passed a law allowing whites to
buy rights for 500, several years
ago, when Joe Bennett bought in.
Council seeing our country would
be over run repealed the act; by so
doing they have said you lad no
rights to soil and that they did
not want you to have. The Coun-
ell is the only authority to act for
the nation and their acts are the
nations, same as the United States
congress acts for the United States.
Our constitution, like that of the
United States, gives all citizens
equal rights, civil and political and
allows you to rustic for a living
without giving it to you. The
white adopted occupy a different
status to the Delawares and Shaw
nees, they paid for an interest in
the soil and with a specified un-
derstanding between the Chero-
KEGS, the United States and them
selves. The freedmen, by virtue |
Of the treaty of 1866 has set apart |
100 acres Of land for each person, |
complying with the provisions of
The fourth article. No record |
ever names white adopted as be-
ing Interested in soil. If VIM.
Jackson's view of the constitution
was correct, how long would we
have a home, virtually offering
about $1,000 to any one who will |
marry a Cherokee by blood. The
women could see no peace for
such men as Jackson, suppose all
Cherokees would marry whites
and all part and remarry, would
we not have a fast time giving
away our land for nothing? Only |
buying white husbands and wives
we would get so poor soon We
would be unable to buy. Can you
not see it is not the constitution of
the Cherokee's you are defending
Jackson, nor to the interest of any,
one but self? You ask Mr.. Dean
what he gave for his right and see
if you understand it; he gave up
his home in Georgia for this; if
that is true Mr.. Dean gave his in
terest in that home and soil for his
interest IN this home and soil.
Different to white adopted he
does not sell his lands or exchange
them as did Dean for an interest in
this soil. Indians inherit their
land from their forefathers as the
whites inherit their relatives es-
tate. The white man who comes
in as Capt. Jackson to the Chero-
kee nation is similar to a foreigner
becoming a citizen of the United
States, who takes the oath OF allie
glance to the government and re-
linquishes all right of protection
from any other nation. In con-
if the adopted whites be-
lieve their rights are being tramp
led upon there are chances for re-
dress, and no Cherokee vii. think
less OF them for contending, as the
Delawares, Shawnees and Freed
men. That in my opinion would
settle the matter for ever and sat.
Before saying more