The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-05-12
A FORGOTTEN EMPIRE.
A Gallant Frenchman Organized the
Cherokees In Georgia.

Cherokees In Georgia.
Few persons of to-day are probably
aware that up among the Georgia
mountains a daring French adventurer
once founded an empire with a capital
city, an emperor, acourt, grand officers
of State, an army and thousands Of
subjects that the imperial design Of
the founder only came to grief through
an accident that checked the further
growth of power which, developed,
might have changed the d~estinies Of
the continent. The story Of this
purely American sovereignty, which
died a~-borning, is peculiarly interest
ing and romantic.
In 1876 the French had settlements
at Mobile, New Orleans and a few
scattered points along the Gulf coast
and a short distance up the nayigable
rivers in what is now Alabama, Flori-
da, Louisiana and Mississippi. SINH
larly, the English had their posts and
settlements on the coast of the Caro-
linas and Georgia. The colonies of
both nations were few in number,
weak, scattered and feeble. The vast
country of the interior between these
rivals was inhabited by a number Of
powerful and warlike Indian tribes.
Principal among these were the Chero-
KEGS, the Creeks, the Choctaws and
the Chickasaws. In 1900 the Chero-
KEGS alone possessed Ga inhabited
towns. Later, in It'll, the single
Choctaw tribe mustered nearly 5000
warriors. In 1777 the town popula-
ton of the Creeks was $4,000.
These tribes were far in advance of
the wild Indians, who lived in tempo
rary wigwams and depended on the
chase for subsistence. Their towns
were collections Of well-built log
houses, fortified with palisades or
walls Of logs placed end to end and
encircled by deep bitches. They cul-
tivated the soil and raised peas, beans,
squashes, corn and fruit. In the
autumn they stored away their crops
in granaries and put up cured meat
for the winter. From a mixture Of
the inner bark of trees and fax they
made cloth.
The government of the tribes was
Democratic, and the very essence Of
home rule. In the centre of each
town was a large open square, in some
cases 500 to 900 feet long and Of pro-
p%ortionate width. This area was ex-
cavated to the depth of 2 or 3feet and
was perfectly level. Around it rose a
terrace, sometimes two, one above the
other, built from the dirt Of the ex-
cavation. Around the square were
the houses of the chiefs and big men
of the town, and also in every instance
a large building for the use Of stran-
gers. In this square the leading men
met every day to drink black tea made
from the cacina plant, to smoke, to
talk news, to discuss public and do
nestle affairs. Here all complaints
we're entered, heard and all wrongs re-
dressed. Once a year in the month
of May all national affairs were settled
in a grand legislative assembly in the
council square at the principal town
of the nation. The delegates were
the wise men.
This was the condition of affairs
when the king Of France sent n NJ.
Pribus-his first name has been lost
: an officer in his majesty's army and
a maj of great sagacity, to proceed
through South Carolina, to give an
account of that colony and thence to
journey to the Cherokees and seduce
them from the British to the French
interests.
Without molestation Pribus went
through South Carolina and arrived
among the Indians. He professed to
be 50 charmed with his new acquain-
tances that, though possessing all the
qualifications Of an accomplished gen.
tleman, having passed his life amid
the r%efnements of the most polished
nation in Europe, he exchanged his
clothes for the Indian dress, gave
away all he brought with him save
his writing material and weapons,
made friends with the warriors and
became a member of the tribe. He
ate, slept, danced, dressed and painted
himself as an Indian and looked like
one. He married an Indian girl and
took her to his house. His retentive
memory and strong understanding
enabled him to shortly master the
dialect. Never hastily, but by gradual
advances, he impressed the tribesmen
with a bad opinion Of the English
colonists, representing them as avari-
cious, fraudulent and encroaching ;
then, having instilled a proper dislike
of them among the Cherokees, he i'm
pressed the red men with a high opin-
ion of their own Importance in Amer
lea, the situation of their country,
their martial disposition, the great
number of their warriors. 1t lay
within their power to check all efforts
of the ambitious British, but they
must have organization, be taught the
proper development of their possibili-
ties. The Indians listened and APP
proved.
He formed a government, a kind Of
constitutional monarchy. He was
careful not to shock old traditions.
The head chief he crowned as emperor
of the Cherokee nation with ceremo-
MES and forms, invented by himself,
pleasing to the savage mind and eye.
A court was established with high
sounding titles, a council of State or
ganized and his majesty's cabinet APP
pointed. NJ. Pribus became his i'm