Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-02-11
WORDS FROM WASHINGTON.
By The Editor of The Atoka
Indian Citizen"

Much thought is being bestowed
upon the condition of the Indian
Territory at this time, and more
especially by people who have any
connection or association with
public life, and much more espec-
tally since the president called pub
lie attention in his last annual
message to the anomalous eondi-
ton of things down there Of FIVE
Independent governments within
the limits of the United States.
On the point that there ought to
be a change and radical change
in the relations of the five nations
to the United States all have
agreed.
On the one other vital and all
important point of how to bring
that change about there is neither
conclusion or agreement. They
are yet searching for legal way.
They are searching their librarie es
and histories for precedents. They
are taxing their ingenuity for
reasons. In the absence of all of
which they will abandon the hunt
for a legal way, and content them
selves with a way, holding in re-
serve that heather and extreme
resource which the Anglo-Saxon
has always been known to possess
in such abundance as TO serve the
purpose of an emergency. If the
Indians of Indian Territory had no
land there would not be that solic-
itude for them and that anxiety
to make business partners of them.
The people of the United States
are always offering to trade with
Indians for their lands and yet if
there is a single instance where In
dians received full value for their
lands, or for the uses of them we
would be glad to have some one
point it out. In all of these cases
the universal law of trade loses its
force. The demand for Indian
lands does not increase their value.
The Anglo-Saxon race always fur
nishes plenty of volunteers in any
expedition for conquest, so when
they get ready to move on the
five nations-having agreed upon
A WAY, the volunteers will be
forthcoming Already people high
est in public and official life here
and connected with Indian legisla-
ton tell the representatives of the |
five nations they had just as we'll |
make up their minds to it, that |
christian civilization and progress |
have left their christianity at |
home; that prepared or unprepar-
ed for il as some of the Indians may |
be, the march of events cannot be |
stopped; that land is severalty, U |
S. citizenship and being placed |
within some territory or state of |
the United States, and under its
laws, and owing allegience to the |
United States are conditions which |
the Indians of the five civilized /
nations of the Indian Territory /
must accept and not be too long |
about it. These conditions 60 to
the Indians down there as an un-
written and unofficial ultimatum,
and this radical ultimatum does
not seem to have coupled with it
any promises to pay the Indians
what they owe them. This is a
queer state Of things as presented. /
The Indians have to fight to keep /
the United States from taking their /
lands, and after they have been
taken then the Indians have to
fight to get the money for them.
They always get too little, and yet
have to give part Of what they are
allowed to get the balance.
A hearing on Delegate Harvey's
bill TO include the Indian Territory
along with Oklahoma Territory !