New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-25
4 FORGOTTEN EMPIRE.
A GALLANT FRENCHMAN ORGANIZED
THE CHEROKEES IN GEORGIA.
from The PHILADELPHIA Times.

| THE CHEROhE ECO IN prsOrpiA
From The Philadelphia Times
Few persons Of to-day are probably aware that up
! among the Georgia mountains a daring French ad,
venturer founded an empire. with capital
an army and thousands Of subjects; that the i'm
Erough aeS an accident that checked the further
growth Of power which, developed might h have
Of this purely American sovereignty which died
a-borning is peculiarly interesting and romantic.
| w-Oreans and a few scattered points along the
Gulf coast and short distance up the naysable
on d the cd Enf 81 fd ta s
| iinas and Georgia. The colonies OF both nations
were few in number weak scaterea ana feeble.
walls was inhabited by number of powerful ard
warke Indian tribes Principal 2m0ns sne o1d wG ere
Chickasaws. In 100 the Cherokees alone possessed
Single ShocnW be 300 Warriors
In I'M the town population OF the Creeks was loW
indians Who lived in temporiry wigwams and
depended the chase for subsistence. Their towns
with paiisades or walls Of logs placed end TO end
ard encrcled by deep bitches They cultivated the
| fruit In the autumn they stored away their crops
and put up cured hank ea Of TOR se AND s
| they made cloth.
AN INDIAN DEMOCRACY.
| The government of the tribes democratic.
and OF the very essence of home rule In the
centre of each town was large open square IN
width. This area was excs9ated to the depth Of
two or three feet and was perfectly level Around
other built from tho dirt OF the excavation. Around
inc sG9afs the houses s Of e o
| large building for the use OF strangers. In this
black tea made from the caclna plant to smoke.
talk news, to discuss public and domestic affairs
wrongs once Year in the month Of
May, all national affairs were settled in grams
| legislative assembly in the council square at the
| principal town OF the nation. The delegates were
the wise men. the chief and great warriors Of the
! tribe
This wa, the condition of affairs when the King
Been iostan am" officer in Ills Majesty army and
man OF great sagacity, to proceed through South
thence 70 journey to the Cherokees and seduce
from the British pr to the wsG en hoH sost
| Carolina and arrived among the indians He pro
ances that though possessing all the qualifications
| OF accomplished gentleman. having passed MS
| nation in Europe he exchanged his clothes for
| the Indian dress, gave away all he brought win
friends with the warriors and became a member
OF the tribe. He ate. slept danced dressed ,t, and
| He married Indian girl and took her 10 his
Standing enabled KIM shory 10 master the dialect
Never hastily. but by gradual advances, ne m
Ergish c oI S TePresentns them as avarico
fraudulent and encroachng; then, having instilled
impressed the red men with high ornion Of their
@ IN hmGs the the srsa Of nm
Der OF their warriors II lay within neir power
| they must have organization be taught the proper
development OF their possibilities The Indians
| PRIBUs'S GOVERNMENT.
He formed government, a kind Of constitutional
monarchy. He was careful not 10 shock old ira,
dtions The head chief no crowned az emperor OF
the Cherokee Nation with ceremonies and forms;
invented BY himself pleasing to the mind
| ing titles, council OF state organized ana MS
cabinet appointed NJ Of pregs he
government formed. Prbus began to organize e., us
| in vast deposits He knew OF iron ore ready for
| the smelter; Of great resources that time and pa
Meanwhile the Cherokee Naqn a heap az to Look
up smaller ,sOHS ana & repa mnder the m
pera aegs The empire was 6egnning 10 fo rn
onists. Angry letters OF remonstrance were sent
up into the mountains to All Of which pri6 9ls
was no business OF the English ever subscribing
% the 6T.hds OF So as ad 5s hsw s
the colonists followed up the letters by sending
Ps ndan. as RSy to B
Unmolested, the commissioner made his way
| to the great council square. There. was Pribus.
surrounded by all the dignitarles Of tho nation alton;
snde up TO tne and m or he
the me reasons thereof to the Indians. Before he
had finished warrior arose, and interrupted him,
| the man whom he seeking TO enslave was the
best beloved OF the nation, one Of their own peo-
lied. History has it that Fox dessted then and
| there Then the secretary made a speech In
tho Cherokee dialect. which was translated to the
| impotent commissioner as 1t was delivered. me
ans stranger and In peaceabie manner that he
| had grown TO love them as brother; that seeing
bsrT be Sa d"G and in
! tended to further seek their advancement: thar he
also intended In pursuance Of this purpose TO open
waterway to New orleans; that the distance
his motive good ana ns nesdeS bS TO So
| teach tho Indians how to make their own guns
| and powder how 10 improve their appliances for
| o
| the land abounded. He concluded by saving that
fTesd m the ha
come among them no was never accused OF having y
must be the things he had done for MS red broth
| THE ENGLISH AROUSED
Tho secretary's position was impregnable Colonel
Fox was in danger the man whom ne sought l., to
gave cav him passport insuring safe return fur
hea ben fs he Wa about q to eav wshsd
English coionists became more seriously alarmed
| as they began TO comprehend what the formation
| OF this new power meant. II meant wall In the
west that would forever hem them In The wisdom
| in such man Pribus. whose sasacty had d.
the mountains impregnabie to attack wher. he
forming an empire by sure ana i0W gcf n
the attention Of the Alabama tribes the Sreeks,
| OF Pribus was beginning TO work for the amalsa,
nation Of al no 299 ws eady 10 Grow into S 6e
| niant when accident happened.
In the firth year of the empire the secretary set
| out for New Orleans escorted by few CherOkees.
| He travelled by land until he reached an Indian
| town an the TalIapoosa named Tookabatche, which
| was at the head of navigation. Now this Tooka-
| hstche was outside the sphere OF Cherokee nflu-
ence and there several English traders there
| who had gained prestige with the inhabitants.
| Thesa traders had heard OF Pribus. and telling
| their Indian friends that the newcomer was
| dsnrerous man, they oyerpowered the Cherokee
| escorf and took monsieur prisoner BY forced
marches they at once took him TO Frederick, In
| Georgia and delivered him to the Governor there:
That official placed him In close confinement. not
| with folons however. as he was foreigner and a
| gentleman For nearly a year Prbus bore his inn
orisonment with great fOrtitude and constancy, bu:
| Confinement began TO tell on him. ne was taken
| sick and died The Cherokees way up In the
| ccnroia mountains, never again saw their beloved
| hrother who had never told them lie.