Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-19
ADDRESS TO THE FREEDMEN.
Advised to Make no Compromises with
the CherOkees.

As trustee and attorneys of the
Freedmen in their suit against
the Cherokee nation we feel it our
duty to answer the Ike Rogers call
for a convention to confer with
Chief Harris, Sept. 18th. This
suit was instituted by Act of Con-
gress. The Cherokees submitted to
it and are bound by its judgment.
The decree of Court of Claims take
the Wallace roll as a basis of num-
bers and directs commissioner to
investigate this roll, striking off
such as are dead and adding such
as have been born since it was taken.
This commissioner is appointed
by Secretary of Interior. When
this roll is corrected the judgment
near 81 600, 0,000-is to be equally
divided among this number. From
this decree the Cherokee nation
has appealed. The Freedmen were
given by it much less than the
Cherokees per head, but they were
willing to accept it to end the suit.
AS the nation first appealed, we
felt it just to file cross-appeal, and
shall ask the Supreme Court for
as much per head as the Cherokees
got, and we are sure it will be
given. The Supreme Court will
never look into the finding in favor
of the Wallace roll. Chief Harris
knows this, and this is a cunning
way of trying to avoid. its effect.
No agreement, such as Chief Har-
ris proposes, can avoid the effect
of this decree. If any one Of the
Wallace roll was left off by this pro-
posed agreement, we could at once
ask the Supreme Court to enforce
his right. The nation has kept the
Freedman out of his money for
years in courts, and now that it is
well whipped, is trying its further
knavery. If it wants to end this
law suit, it can stop its appeal and
the Freedmen will abide this de-
cree. If it goes or with its appeal,
so will the Freedmen, and we are
confident of winning $50, 900 in
crease in the Supreme Court. No
agreement such as it proposed can,
or will, ever be recognized by the
Freedmen The nation has had ~
years in which to offer comprom-
ise and do justice to the Freedmen.
If Mr.. Harris had so much SYM
pathy and friendship for the Freed
men, he could have shown it by Of
fering to compromise before he lost
his case. Now that the Freed
men have a judgment, the nation
seems willing to take any step that
will prolong the payment of the
Freedmen their just rights under
the decree of the Court of Claims,
but all this houndering about only
shows the strength of the great
victory which the Freedmen have
won. The Cherokees will not be
able to obtain any concessions or
compromises from the Freedmen
UTILIZED bllCN Sill W III lnNlu ~ Jug
ment in the Supreme Court OF the
United States. We advise all
Cherokee Freedmen to stay away
from the convention called for the
10Th of September, and to have
nothing to do with Mr.. Ike Rogers,
nor the Cherokee nation in this
matter, but leave it to the court
where they are sure to win.
r. ii. KERN,
H. ID. LAUGHLIN,
J. MILTON TURNER,
WELLS II. BLoDGETT,
FRED LEHMAN,
Attorneys for the Cherokee Freed
men.
MOSES WHITMIRE, Trustee.
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