The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-12-08
THE GEORGIA HUM0RIST
FURTHER INTERESTING HISTORY OF NO.
TED INDIAN CHIEFS.
Discovers Existence of Old Books Thfeh
Throws Light Upon the subiect.-An Old
lady in Texas Writes Letter to the Gel
ebrated Philosopher.

Now here IS DOOh tAat 10 VIZ W.
having. 4 book that is 24xls inches
and weighs twenty-five pounds. 1t IS
sixty-one years old, and has 100 large
size plates of the most notable Indian
chiefs, each plate covering apaGe and
being accurate and graphic likenosses
and all done in colors, with the fuss
md feathers and tribal ornaments and
as finely executed i'll face and features
as oil paintings. I did not know that
there was such q book or that such
work could be done in those days.
Each plate has n biographical memoir
accompanying, which IS in large type,
so large that 1 can read it offhand
without glasses. This work seems
have been compiled from the records
in the Indien gallery Of the war de-
partment at Washington by Thomas
VI. Mckinney. The book [ have Is the
property of Mr.. David Black, Of AT
Ianta. and as it has came down to HIM
in the family, I did not suppose there
was another in the state, but my friend
Joe NJ. Brown tells me that his brother
Elijah has it, and also another volume
which I wish to see, for this one has
neithor Ross nor Osceola. 1t has Ridge
and Mcintosh and other Creek and
Cherokee chiefs, and Paddy Carr, the
lannon's interpreter, whose father was
Scotch Irish and his mother an In
dian. For many years he was in Cen
eral Jackson's service and IN govern
ment service, and got rich and invest
ed his money in land and negroes, and
owned eighty slaves when he died. A
warm friend of his had beautiful
daughter named Ariadne, and when
Paddy's wife gave birth to twin girls
he named one AIRY and the other Adny.
This book has charming biography
Of Major Ridge, and makes him q very
strong-miuded and noble man. His
likeness shows as much force and de-
| cision of character as does that OF Web
ster or Calhoun. Indeed. some OF the
speeches made by the Indian chiefs IN
their long protracted discussions with
the government are as pathetic, elo'
uuent and unanswerable as II they
came from Patrick Henry or any other
great orator. 1t is touching and tear
full to read the pleading, poetical elo-
ouence of Black Hawk and Keokuk
and Tustenuggee and Major Ridge and
Big Warrior. Mr.. Mckinney was the
governments agent in all these trea,
ties, and declares their oratory to be
q natural gift, and no race Of people
could excel them. They speak with.
out art or effort, and most of them had
q low, soft, sweet and musical voice
that gave fit expression to their earn
est pleadings.
The account given of Major Ridges
greatest embarrassment in contendlne
with John Ross is very amusing Ross
was bitterly hostile to Ridge and his
policy, and in order to alarm the In
dams he got half-breed named
Charles to pretend to come down from
some far-off mountain with message
to them from the Great Spirit. Charles
said: "The Great Spirit is angry with
you. He tells me that you are follow
ing the customs of the white people
that you have already gotten mills anc
clothes and feather beds and books
and cats-yes, cats and, therefore,
the buffalo and other game are fast
Disappearing. The Great Spirit is an
cry, and says you must cut short your
frocks and kill your cats and give up
your mills and quit living in houses,
and then your game will come back, "
This excited the Indians very much.
and they cried ont that the talk was
good. Ridge arose with anger in hi'
ace and voice and said: ''The talk i
not good. It is false. 1t did not CONF
from the Great Spirit" The Indian!
rushed upon him with fury and wilt
tight ensued, and some of his friend
were stabbed, bat Ridge was yer:
powerful man and defended himse
with great courage. The tumult wa
9uieted after time, and Jesse Vaul
and John Harris and some old mel
brought about q reconciliation.
There was much trouble all alon.
those years. I have q long lette
from Mr.. R. NJ. Edwards, a venerable
lawyer of Cleveland. Tenn He saws
'Tn my youth [ spent many happ.
days in fishing, hunting and playing
with the Indian boys of the Ocoee dis
trict in east Tennessee and among th
many sad scenes of an uneventful life
one of the saddest was to see my little
play fellows start or their long an,
weary journey to the west. They lief
the most beautiful country I ever be
held. It resembled more magnifi
cent park than forest, owing to thei
tribal custom of burning the woods t.
keep down the undergrowth.
1t is singular that so great concours
of people--fourteen to sixteen thous
and-could be gathered up by force a
it were aud removed, going through
Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana an,
! Missouri. They crossed the Tennes
see at Blythe's ferry, just below tn
mouth OF the Hlawassee; then crosse
the Cumberland range at Pikeville
then to Sparta, Lebanon and Nashville
then crossed the Cumberland river
and next the Ohio and Vincennes ;thel
on to the Mississippi, which they foun'
frozen over. and had to wait mont
for the ice to break, ana finally reach
Tallaquah in April, 1889.
'Tn the debates in congress grea
opposition was made to this treaty b,
John Q. Adams and Henry A. Wise
and it was stated on the floor by on,
| of these men that John Ross wec or