The National tribune., 1893-05-11

| 3, 1893 Congress provides for the appointment
| of three Comm issioners by the President TO 90
| to the land of the Five Tribes and endeavor to
negotiate with them for the cession to the
United States of their surplus lands and the
taking of the lands in severalty. In this con-
nection it may be stated that it is expected
that strong opposition will be interposed to
such an agreement. There is, it is true very
strong progressive element among the Indians
which is anxious 10 be embraced within the
citizenship OF the United States--become part
and parcel of the body polite of the country !;
so that this magni fcent empire may be broug bit
from its state of desuetude its occupation as
refuge for outlaws; so that schoolhouses
churches, and law abiding communities of
citizens may be built up, and the country may
prosper. as Kansas, Nebraska, and adjoining
Territories have prospered.
Now. in opposition to this progressive ele-
ment is a very strong sentiment among those
who desire to preserve the present anomalous
and autonOmatic conditions an element which
does not want to yield up it sovereignty or
merge it into citizenship with the United
States. And this is exactly the great ques-
ton which is being presented to-day.
1t is believed that the settlement Of the
Cherokee Outlet by white men will exercise
very strong influence toward the liberal senti-
ment of doing away with this imper um in i'm
perio and that is one of the reasons why Con-
gress agreed to pay large sum Of money
for the mere easement which the Cherokees
hold in the Strip. There ia another question
presented-that of "intruders" There is q
list in the files Of the Interior Department,
comprising some 5000 names of persons who
are declared to be intrudefs OF course some
of them are. But large majority of these
contend that they are Cherokees by blood
have been recognized by previous Cherokee
Governments as citizens; have paid their pro-
portion OF The common taxes. They claim to
have established towns, raised churches and
schoolhouses, built up commerce and invested
much OF their means IN developing the country
and these people exceedingly anxious to
come in as full citizens of the United States
and be go recognized. For this reason, and to
oppose any attempt to invade their autonomy,
the dominant authorities of the Five Tribes
are eager to proclaim them intruders and to
effect their Punishment from the section.
These people are represented in Washington
by eminent counsel. and it is understood that
they will contest to the bitter end any attempt
to expel them from the Cherokee country as
lntrudcrs The question is of course a very
broad and very important one. The President
is said to be deeply impressed with the i'm
portance of the duties to be committed to the
commission lie must appoint TO negotiate in
this matter. Thus will the way he paved for
the ultimate creation Of State or States of
the Union from the lands within the whole
Indian Territory. following the extiDguish-
ment of the National or tribal title to any
lands within the Territory now held by them
either by the cession of the same or the allot-
ment aud division in severalty among the
Indians of the tribes or by some other lust
method that may be agreed upon between them
and the United States.
With Oklahoma and the Cherokee Outlet to
come in as one State, and the Indian Territory
to come in as (probably) two, here are three
new-grown States in prospect of which the
Nation may well he proud.