Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-03-23
PASSING AWAY.
Anomalous Condition of the Five Nations
OF Indians-Aa Address Issued By In
dian Delegates

Anomalous Condition of the Five Nations
OF Indians-An Address Issued By In
dian Delegates
MCALEsTER, I T., March 16.-Some
days ago a Washington dispatch re-
ferred to circular letter addressed to
the five civilized tribes by the delegates
lately convened in Washington. This
letter, or a copy of it. is now in the
hands each of the principal chiefs OF
the five tribes and viii soon be made
public This is the letter:
Hon C ]. Harris, Principal Chief of the Chero-
kee nation; Hon William Jones, Principal
Chief of the Choctaw nation: Hon Legus G
Perryman, Principal Chief of the Muskogee
nation; Hon John F. Brown. Principal Chief
of the Seminole nation Hon Jonas Wolf.
Governor OF the Chickasaw nation:
WASHINGTON, Feb % lS93-Gentlemen:
We, the undersigned delegates and citizens by
blood OF the nations you represent, and other
Indian people doniciled in the Indian territory,
after repeated conferences and organized meet
ingS, wherein full discussions were held have
by an unanimous vote resolved that 1t
solemn and sacred duty 10 advise you. the
principal chiefs and heads Of governments
and through you our people, Of grave dangers
now threatening our political and property
rights Heretofore We have been threatened
with bills in congress, violatiye OF our treaties
and it was only necessary to prove the conflict
with treaty rights
Now we find new condition in that our
=
edged, we are told on every hand even from
men who have always been our friends, and
who are yet our friends, that the congress of
the United States has the legal right to take
away our political rights Indian nations;
that the supreme court of the United States
has decided that political rights granted by
treaties may be repealed by act Of congress
They do not contend that congress may interfere
with our property rights and even declare that
congress will not deprive US of dollar
In property, but as we know that our property
rights depend in q great measure our polit-
1cal rights, under our system OF laws any inter
ruption eStrucEion Of these political rights
Indian nations by federal legislation will cause
the most serious disturbance and possibly the
greatest INJURY to the property rights OF our
people The reasons alleged in congress for this
great and sudden change of sentiment here is
stated by the senate committee on Indian af-
fairs in a unanimous report the Cherokee
strip agreement. to-wit:
THE anomalous condition of the five separate
independent Indian governments within the
government of the United States must soon, in
the nature of things. cease When these gov
ernments established and guaranteed to
the extent that they were guaranteed by the
United States. they were in a remote section of
the country, far removed from other settle
ments, with modern means of travel and COM
munication unknown, and without the slightest
anticipation of the condition of things
which now exists. To-day they surrounded
by settled states and territories; white
citizens by the permission of the Indians
ritory until now the white people domiciled
within the borders of the five civilized tribes
outnumber the members of the tribes, and are
rapidly increasing, and the general idea con-
tinually advanced that the conditions under
which the treaties were made, and the condi-
tons they were TO meet by the United States
and the Indian nations no longer exist; that
then the Indians were uneducated and unified
for civilized life; that now they are educated
and prepared for American citizenship
1T was isolation then, but isolation is impos-
sible That then the Indian people desired
to avoid contact with the whites, but now they
invite the white people, under permit laws by
tens Of thousands TO work and live among
them That the Indian laws then were equal
to the protection OF the life and property Of
the Indian people but under the changed con-
ditions the Indian laws no longer apple
| able to protecting properly the rights Of the
Indian people, much less the whites, and that
! outnumbering the whole of all the people Of the
| Five Nations, that a stable and satisfactory
government is necessary to protect both classes
| of people in Indian territory
The discussion has been brought up by the
numerous agreements with all the western In
dams coming before congress changing the sta
| tus of the other Indians west of our people
| to-wit; The Pottawatomies, the Sacs and
| Foxes, the Kiczapoos, Cheyennes and Arapa-
| hoes, Kiowas, Comanches, Caddas. Apaches,
| Pawnees, Tonkaways, Wichitas and
| others, and when the Cherokee agreement
| came up asking the reiteration of former
| pledges of self government it is refused and a
| bill to make a miSdemeanor of intruding the
| Five Nations, although earnestly and siren
| ously urged with abundant time and oppor-
| tunity pass ii, and although it is the bounden
duty Of the United States under the treaties
| and intercourse law to pass such measure is
| still not exacted with apparently no chance
| whatever to become q law.
| 1t is in pursuance of this sentiment that this
| amendment has been added to the bill to satisfy
| the Cherokee outlet agreement directing that a
| commission be sent to negotiate with the five
| civilized nations for a change of their govern
| ment and method of land holding to allotment
and territorial government with view of form
| ing state.
| The details will no doubt be furnished by the
| delegations now in the city in their respective
/ parts but the secretary of this convention OF
| representative Indians has been instructed &c
| send you marked copies Of the principal rec
ords, reports and other documents showing the
| facts so briefly alluded to. We have not deemed
| it wise to recommend any method by which &c
meet the danger that threatens, leaving the
| question OF remedy and defense to your wis
| dom and that Of our people.
| ROBERT L OWEN,
Chairman
| The address is also signed by W. W. Hast
| ings and NJ. v. Beng. of the Cherokee delega.
| ton; P. P. Porter and A. P. McKellop, Greek
| delegates: Overton Love- Chickasaw dele gate:
j. S STANDBY, h c. Harris, D. w. Hodges and
Green Curtain Choctaw delegates; J. B. Jack
| Leo W. Beng Gideon Morgan, ]. W. Duncan,
/ worth, Peoria delegates
L