Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-05-27

instructed IN negotiating with the
Cherokee nation to exclude from
such negotiations the l57 600 acres
of land bought by the registered
Delawares, or at least TO negotiate
with the Cherokee nation no fur
ther relative to the lands bought
and paid for by the Delawares than
to segregate the same to the Della
wares as proposed by the Cherokee
agreement with the Delawares of
april 8, 1867, and article 4 ofJuly
26, 1856, Delaware treaty. The
reasons for the above request are
as follows.
First-The Cherokee nation sold
such land TO the Delawares April
8, 1867, and the registered Della
wares then and there bought and
paid for such land, and this land
has not been but should be segre-
gated to the said registered Della
wares, now that the survey Of such
country makes segregation practi-
cable.
Second-The Cherokee nation
having sold such land and received
the money therefor should not now
control or interfere with the same
regardless of the wishes of the pur.
chasers, to whom the said Chero-
kee nation guaranteed that, Icon
tinued ownership and occupancy
of said lands by the Delawares so
registered" shall not "be inter.
fered with in any manner whatever
without his consent"
Third--The Delawares paid a
larger price for this land than any
other land then being sold to In
dians; e. g. the Cherokees sold the
Osages land adjacent on the west
for seventy cents an acre; the
Creeks sold land for Indian occu-
panoy about that time for thirty
cents an acre, and the Seminoles
for fifteen cents an acre. Indeed,
the Delawares paid the same rate
for the land they bought of the
Cherokees that the Cherokees at
that time conveyed the neutral
lands in fee simple to the U. S.
government: to-wit: 100000 acres
in Kansas for 81 per acre.
Fourth-The Delawares ask this
instruction because they have been
alarmed by the gross mismanage-
ment Of the Cherokee nation. For
examples: The Cherokee nation
persistently refused for very many
years to recognize the rights of the
DelawaTes, which they undoubted-
ly acquired by their agreement of
1857. Over the veto of their chief
in 1888 they refused the Delawares
their rights, and the Shawnees and
freedmen as well, and continued
to deny them until congress and
the U. s. supreme court intervened
and compelled them to do justice.
Very recently the Cherokee nation
has run up an unjustifiable indebt-
edness of over $500, 900, and in
dulged in other misconduct which
would well justify executive and
judicial investigation; e. g., on the
plea of reducing the number Of
freedmen, as listed on the so. called
Wallace roll, made exparte and
known to be fraudulent to the ex-
tent of over a thousand names, the
Cherokee officials agreed to pay
s400, 600 of the Cherokee fund; but
instead of diminishing the said
Wallace roll much larger num-
ber Of fraudulent names were per-
nlitted to be put upon a new freed
men roll than the entire number
of the Delaware tribe-thus injur-
ing and diminishing wrongfully
the pro rata share Of the Della
wares in the Cherokee tribal fund.
Fifth-The Delawares further
desire this instruction because
Of the grossly unjust suggestion
made in some quarters that the
Delawares should not be allowed
100 acres of land each, as guaran.
teed to them by the Cherokee ma
tion, but that they should be al!
lowed only the amount of land
due other Cherokee citizens, which
will be fractionally less land.
SECRETARY BLISS LETTER.
The secretary OF the interior, ,un
der date Of May 7, 1897, addresses
the chairman Of the Dawes com
mission as follows, on the subjec'
of the Delaware claim:
SIR:-I transmit herewith copy
OF a memorandum filed by r. Q
Adams and John Bullette, Della
ware representatives, asking tina
the commission to the five civilized
tribes "be instructed in negotia
tions with the Cherokee nation, I,
exclude from such negotiations, tn,
157 900 acres bought by the regis
tered Delawares, or at least to ne
potiate with the Cherokees no fur
ther relative TO the land bough
and paid for by the Delawares
than to segregate the same to th,
Delawares, as proposed by thu
Cherokee agreement with the Del
awares Of April 8, 1867, and articl
A, Of July "a, 1866, Delaware
treaty"
l also transmit copy Of a com
munication OF Attn inst, from tn,
commissioner of Indian affairs, Il
whom the matter was referred.
The commissioner refers to tn
decision Of the supreme court
Cherokee nation vs. Journeycake
1856, u. S., 1869, as conclusive a
to the rights Of the Delawares. ant
states that their request is not un
reasonable, and though il woul'
not be competent for tho Unite'
States and the Cherokee nation il
any agreement they enter into Il
abrogate the Cherokee Delawar
agreement on the subject or dis