Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-08-27
JACKsON,s POSITION ATTACKED.
The White Mans Status From the In
dams StaudpOiut.

The White Mans Status From the In
dian's Standpoint.
EDITOR OF THE CHIEFTAIN:-An
article in THE CHIEFTAIN under
date Aug. Goth and over the sigma
ture of VIM. Jackson is too char
acteristic to be trusted as sound
argument or sound law; nor would
its soundneSs be helped at all even
though it should happen to be
founded upon a decisions of the
supreme court of the United
States; yet We are compelled 10
"agree that a decision of the su-
preme court of the United States
is a strong and durable founda-
ton to build legal argument on"
1t is strength, great and irresis!-
able strength, that Mr.. Jackson
relies upon for the success of his
argument. He seems to be of that
class who never stop to inquire af-
ter the justice, the moral sound
ness, of a courts decision; the
main question with him seems to
be, us it strong enough for prac-
tical purposes?"
1t is not our purpose in this ar
ticle to enter into a careful analy-
sis of Mr.. Jackson's argument, but
simply 10 take a birdseye view of
it. 1t is useless TO reason against
overwhelming numbers, moneyed
and disciplined organizations, and
swarming lobbies made up of cor
ruptionists and professional man
ipulators of legislation. This is
piece of wisdom that the Indian
was set to learning many years
ago, and by this time he under
stands it full well. He knows
there is no such thing as answer.
ing the white mans "strong" ar
gument. So we make no attempt
10 do it now.
Things have been going quite
curious with the Cherokee people
of late-say the last half century;
and while we have lad no hand
in directing affairs, We have been
by no means an idle observer of
the way the tide has been drifting.
The association of white men
with the Indian tribes is a phe-
nominon in the social world which
has a curious and very interesting
philosophy. 1t commenced at a
very early day, and was practiced |
mainly by those who felt the need |
of an asylum where they could en-
Joy at least brief rest from the
burdens and penalties of civilized
life. AS far as the Cherokees were
concerned these men were kindly |
received and entertained as desir-
able guests, but they were not re-
garded as having any political
rights. They were allowed to till
the soil, raise stock, possess prop
erty, to grow rich and marry the
Indian girls; that was all of 1.-THE
whole of it. The time is now
within the memory of the writer
of this article when the idea of
white man holding office under the
Cherokee government was deemed
to be quite ridiculous; and 10 men,
tion a white mans name as a can
didate was always an effectual sig
nal for an outburst of merriment.
1t was never considered that a
white man, though married to an
Indian woman, could possibly
have any vested interest in land
or property of the nation. But
change has been wrought some
how-strangely wrought. We now
hear these same men, these for
eigners, these strangers, with not
a single drop of native, Unbeatable
blood in their veins, claiming to
be Indians, actual members of the
Cherokee family, and insisting up
on their so-called Indian rights,
lust as though they had been born
genuine red men of the forest.
Where, when, and how did this
change take place? That is the
question.
Mr.. Jackson explains the matter
ma makes it easy to be under
stood. The supreme court of the
United States has put him onto
he key of the whole problem. The
Cherokee body polite is to be a
communism, according to the ut
erance of the honorable court, and
lie, being a communist, of course
s to have the same chance at the
bounty with all other
Anybody can be a
without regard to
blood, right, sense, or justice; all
you have to do is just to pull off
md go in with the crowd and you
Ire all right. Mr.. Jackson's solu-
ion is certainly very strong"
but we shall not be able
o follow it further at present.
Before We close, we desire to
all Mr.. Jackson's attention to the
rue legal status Of the white man
n this country. The white man
5 nowhere mentioned in the laws
Il lllC SnClOACC hdDOll CANCpt III
he section of the constitution '
1hich he has quoted, and the act
elating to lntermarriage with
1hite men. Now the latter act
must. of course, be construed in ,
he light OF the preamble by which
| is prefaced. 1t is the office of a
'reamble always to give, and linn
t, the sense in which the act to
which it is attached is TO be inter-
'reted. Now by consulting this :
carefully 1t will be seen "
hat it was not the object of the
legislature, in enacting tn. inter- s; w
marriage law. to give the white
nan citizenship; but to bring him, i i
" his own consent, under the D
Jurisdiction of the Cherokee laws !
n order to secure his good behav-
Or during his sojourn in the coun- +
rv. That is all that can be made a
t it. "