Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-07-08
OUE STATUS AFTER JANUARY 1898.
A General Dissertation Of Cherokee Az
fairs Under the New Regime.

il was mounted, Is now a law; i
goes into effect on the first day o
January next. That is the day o
doom for our Cherokee courts
Also after that date, our Cheroke,
, legislation is to come under th,
supervision of the president Of tn,
United States.
When this measure was frs
broached, it was recommended up
on the floors of congress as 9
scheme which would be likely tC
goad up the delinquent Cherokees
and drive them into an early agree.
ment with the Dawes commission.
Senator Berry, of Arkansas, in de-
bate upon the merits of the bill
previous to its passage, said; "Mr.
president, the proposition made by
the senator from Tennessee, (Mr.
| Bate, to knock out the provision
which refers to the jurisdiction OF
the courts of the five civilized
tribes was thoroughly debated
during the last session of the last
congress. If that provision is
knocked out of the bill, / firmly
believe that it will defeat all the
efforts that have been so earnestly
made for the last four years to
bring about an agreement. If that
provision in the pending bill
stands, I believe, and all those
who are familiar with that country
believe, that before another year
has gone by, an agreement will be
reached"
These words of the honorable
senator are remarkable. for two
reasons at least: They are, first
SO peculiarly suggestive of the ugly
scenes of the prize-ring; again,
they are so thrillingly regardless OF
the ordinary claims of reason and
Justice. The most friendly mind
finds it difficult to concede to them
that degree Of respect to which
they might otherwise be entitled
by the exalted position from which
they were uttered The bill was
simply a proposition to commit
the government to an act Of bad
faith with the Cherokees, and this,
strange to say, (for so the reason
ing goes,) as an expedient for
courting their confidence with a
view to drawing them into new
agreements, hazarding additional
trusts. Nothing imaginable in the
nature of human conduct could be
more absurd. OF course the meas
ure, regarded as a movement in
the game Of diplomacy, was
great blunder 1t was a serious
mistake to imagine that the Cher
okees could be brought to engage
in any desired line of action more
easily by means Of unjust and
pinohing legislation than by fair
and benign methods of dealing.
The labors Of the Dawes COM
mission in this country during the
first period Of its mission, were
rendered abortive mainly by the
cool manner in which their ap-
peals were addressed to the fears
Of the people, instead of their rea-
son and sense Of right. But after
it became reconstructed and began
to shape its action according to
the suggestion Of more enlightened
views, that honorable body found
no difficulty in becoming immense
ly popular with the people. In a
diplomatic sense, they had we'll
nigh an absolute control Of the
field; and there was but little in
the way to hinder them from
bringing about at an early day,
an accommodation to the entire
satisfaction of the government.
But Just at this auspiciou, moment
the wisacreism Of congress became
irrepressible. II had not discern
ment enough to see, or else it in
tentionally ignored, the practical
difference between a compulsory
inducement applied and acting
from without, and tree rational
motive prompting from within;
and on the assumption that the
Indians were, by nature, equally
dull upon questions Of manner and
method, this bill was brought for
ward and pushed through the
forms Of legislation with the vain
hope that il might act ulteriorly as
a gentle lash to impel them along
the highway Of governmental de.
sire. But the results have proved
to be quite the reverse Of what
they were expected to be. The
act was an intraction Of plighted
faith so ruthless as TO shock tie
moral sensibilities Of the people;
they were appalled,. The effect
was to destroy utterly their conf
dence in the promises Of the gov
eminent; il caused the most sol
emf engagements with the United
States to assume, in their minds,
the character Of mere empty form
alities, without sincerity and alto.
gether delusiye. 1t thoroughly
quenched the spirit of amicable
negotiation. They said, "it is Of
no use; il the agreements which we
have already made are to be kick
ed out Of the way just whenever it
becomes inconyenient TO observe
them, it is not likely that we shall
ever be able to make any that may
attain to a better fate. There is
nothing that we can do, but simply
to sit down and let the storm blow
on as it pleases."
The result is, Uncle Sam has
got a balky horse on his hands.
He is not a vicious animal; but he
= -..-.-.. - .l.nn........I 4 -