Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1894-02-01

Cherokee constitution by saying
that the court is of the opinion
that all citizens of the Cherokee
nation must be regarded in the ad,
ministration Of their constitutional
rights, civil, political and personal,
as Cherokees; that the national
council is in effect prohibited by
the constitution from making dis.
ordinations concerning the com
mon property Of the nation be.
tween different classes of citizens,
and is without power in the ad
ministration of its trust to perceive
difference which only exists in race
or blood. That so much of the
acts Of May Is, 1888, and Novem-
Der 25th, 1890, as restricts the pay.
ment of funds which were derived
from the public domain, to citizens
of the Cherokee nation by blood
are unconstitutional and void, and
that the plaintiffs in this suit are
entitled to participate in those
funds as it, no such restriction had
been enacted.
This is the decision of the court
of claims. Mr.. w. p. Ross. in his
famous speech made before the
senate committee in 1879, said: 81
have always borne my testimony
in defense of the great majority of
the white citizens of the Cherokee
nation against the sweeping charges
made against their character,
knowing them to be as honest and
law-abiding and as regardful of the
rights of the Indians as other citi-
zens." In The same speech, in re-
ply to the evidence OF K. Poe Har-
ris, he SAYS, speaking of the white
adopted citizens: 1.-THE Cherokee
nation, by the liberal provisions Of
her laws on the subject Of mar
riage, they who receive the pro-
lection of her laws, who partici-
pate in her funds, who educate
their children at the public's ex-
pense, who cultivate all the soil
their aversion to labor allows, who
vote at elections, should be salts
fed" thus showing that Mr.. Ross
did not deny the white adopted
citizen any of the rights of native
born.
From the day the white man
fled from Marion's and Sumpter's
troops in Virginia and the Caro-
linas because he would not take up
arms against the mother country,
and came and married and settled
among the Cherokees, he has been
regarded as one of them, sharing
their responsibilities and partak-
ing of their bounties, until 1886
1t was then discovered that he had
no right here, only to vote and
cultivate the soil, and when they
dared to demonstrate by petition
signed by near 500 voters and
asked that their rights should be
defined, it was not deemed of suf-
ficient importance by the present
council to be read, after being sent
to them by the chief, aud when
Judge Gunter tried to bring 1t be-
fore the senate it was buried in the
rubbish and sweepings of the SEN
ate by George Benge, the aspiring
candidate for the next chief. He
may have paved his way for the
nomination on the National ticket,
but through the campaign ihis act
of his will not down, but like Ban
quo's ghost, it will rise before him
and before he gets back to that
capitol again he will think he sees
one hundred Richmonds in the
field. | have found however,
among the Nationals, some friends.
The Hon. Richard Wolf made a
very good and sensible speech on
the Shawnee bill and strongly ia
vored the unity of all classes and
cementing them together with
equal rights for all and special ia
vors for none.
Now what shall we do? think
we ought to have a meeting of the
adopted people by delegates from
the different portions of the coun-
try and provide a way to bring suit
before the court of claims as the
Delaware, Shawnee and colOred
citizens have done. If you are in
earnest you will attend t. this very
important business and not leave
everything and throw all the re-
sponsibility on a few. | have
found but few white men but what
are in favor of this thing, but like
the wedding feast, when the time
comes they have something to do.
| will call a meeting for the white
adopted citizens and invite all
adopted citizens to meet in Vinita
on the 10Th day OF February, 1894,
and do earnestly insist that you
send delegation to represent you
from every precinct. We have
business of importance to attend
to and ! hope to meet a gond rep
resentation. Respectfully,
WM. JACKSON,
President White Adopted Citizens
Association.
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