The evening times., 1897-04-15
!NTRUD[Rs MAY Be 0UsTEO
An Early Decision in the Chero-
kee Cases Expected.
CIVIL RIGHTS OF RED MEN
Half-Breeds of Cherokee Descent
Demand Citizenship and the En-
Joyment of Communal Rights.
Their Claims Denied by the In-
dian Authorities.

The Indian Bureau expects final de-
the intruders into the Cherokee Nation. The
Specification of the term ''intruders' in
the Cherokee Nation is peculiar. Under
usual circumstances an intruder in the coun-
try of the Indians IS a person who has no
rights and claims none by reason OF his re-
lationship to the tribe. While there are
many whites in the Cherokee Nation vino
do not claim rights on the ground of rela-
tiolship, still the great majority of persons
charged withintrusiol in the Cherokee Ma
tion maintain that they have ri ghts in that
nation by blood or otherwise equal to those
enjoyed by the full recognized citizens.
These people are known as claimants TO
citizenship. They declare that they are
descendants of Cherokees who were citizens
of the nation, with all the rights OF such,
and that, therefore, they have right 30
live in the Cherokee country and enjoy the
benefits arising from the communal prop
erty Of the nation.
This claim is denied by the Cherokee 3u-
thoriues, who have urgently, and Commits
sioner Browning thinks, consistently, de
manded their removal.
On DeceInber 10, 1891, an agreement
was entered into between commissioners
on the part of the United States and the
Indians, which provided for the re-
moval of intruders IL set forth that all
persons resident or who might become
residents in the Cherokee Nation, and who
are not recognized as citizens of the
Cherokee Nation by the Cherokee authori-
ties, shall be deemed and held to be in
truders and unauthorized persons within
the intent and meaning of the treaties OF
1885 and 1865.
The obligation of the United States to
remove intruders takes date from the
treaty of 1885. Indeed said Com
missioner Browning, 1.-The Government fol-
lowing the policy adopted in the royal
proclamation 1863 has always by its laws
prohibited intrusionb by unauthorizedpersons
within the limits of lands set apart for the
use and occupancy of Indian tribes, and
has directed the removal of such intruders
by the proper officers The agreement OF
1891, therefore, imposed nonew obligation
on ntheGovernment. The only new provisions
it contains with respect to this question are
those defining the terms 'intruders' and
unauthorized persons. "
It has been decided by the Supreme Court
in the case OF The Cherokee trustlands, that
the Cherokees in North Carolina and other
States east of the Mississippi, who re
fused to move at the time of the migration
of the main body OF the tribe, had severed
their connection with the tribe, and il
recognized the exclusive right of the au-
thorities Of the nation to admit or To re-
admit TO citizenship such Cherukees in
accordance with the laws and consti tuition
of the Cherokee Nation.
Commissioner Browning thinks that an
authoritative decree 10y proper tribunal
OF the Cherokee Nation, denying the right
is sufficient to fix the status of such appli-
cant.
IL was further provided by the agreement
Of 1891 that before any intruder whose
occupancy antedated the 11th of August,
1886, shall be removed, the value of his
improvements should be approved and
paid for out of the treasury of the Cherokee
Nation
A great many of the alleged intruders
were gotten rid of in this way, but
many refused to accept payment for
their Improvements, and these cases are
still pending in the Is. II is the de-
cision in these cases which the Indian Bu
reau expects soon.