The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-11-17

| lulbHJ Bldnt, ~ was Iuoot Phoui-
gious child. No sooner had it
seen the light, than it began to
swell with amazing growth Of
body; its strength daily increased
with fabulous rapidity. Soon it
began to realize itself, and, with
unsparlng reach, to monopolize
the surface of the whole American
continent. Coming in contact
with the Cherokees, this youthful
conqueror was somehow induced
to believe that, in dealing with
that redoubtable tribe, policy of
amicable negotiation, as a method,
was much to be preferred to that
Of arms in the open field; and here
began the accumulation of that i'm
mense volume of Cherokee treat
ties, each sealed with the honor of
the United States, dating all along
through the lifetime of the govern
ment, and which, in these last
days, when prudence has ceased to
act as motive to good faith, the
Curtis law has swept SO rrthlessly
from the board of existence.
Among the very first in this re-
markable series of international
agreements, the nationality of the
Cherokees is most clearly con-
ceded as something not granted,
but as pre-existent, something al
together independent of any cre-
ative agency on the part OF the
United States; and this same
original, underived, political ex-
istence of the Cherokees has been
clearly recognized often indirectly,
and directly more than once, in all
the subsequent treaties with them,
as we'll as in all congressional leg
islation in reference to them, down
to the year 1878. In that year it
was that the government bethought
itself of a new policy in dealing
with the Cherokees, policy based
upon the ignoration of the Chero.
kee nationality. Down to that
date, the term treaty" had stood
and worn, like a button badge,
upon all the public literature that
had sprung up between the United
States and the Cherokee nation
whispering inaudibly. yet very in
telligibly, ever and to everybody
in its technical dialect, something
, about the reality of the Cherokees
, as political sovereignty, a nation
competent to administer govern
! ment, declare war and to make
J peace, an imperium IN imperio, in
, the heart of the American union
Accordingly in 1878, congress de-
termined to smite this little stuc
of distinction square off the Iappe
of our Indian autonomy. In thal
year it was ordered, that for the
future, the United States woulc
make no more treaties with Amer
q ican Indians, including of course
the Cherokees with all the rest
The news of this step on part o
!, the government fell upon the ear'
!, of the Cherokees like a clap 0
thunder. Without further expla
: nation it seemed to them to be
= resolve on the part of the United
States to break off diplomatic re
: lations with them and to deal will
! them ior the future, not as friend
!, and allies. but as conquered en-
emies. But time soon cast llgh
upon the subject and showed th'
measure to be as harmless as
! was puerile. 1t was not long un
= til commission on part of tn
!, United States again appeared
j among the Cherokees and begal
= to talk up negotiation with then
!. in the same old-fashioned way
: only they were observed to avoi
with the most dainty scrupulosity
: all use Of the word "treaty" an
: with the same care always replat
/, ing it with agreement, " a teri
! which. as It was thought, fel
: somewhat snort of committing tn
, government to an implied recos
milton OF the nationality of th
III Cherokees.
n Bnt this departure in the India
i. policy of the governmentinstitute
v 10 1878. has proved to be Of n
practical Importance and indee