Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-04-21


towns; and in case they fail TO find
sufficient encouragement for their
ambition in these old preoccupied
towns, they found new ones and
people them to their notion. They
incorporate under the Arkansas
law. They organize municipal
governments. They vote; they
elect themselves to Office. They
enact ordinances and levy taxes;
and now they are asking congress
to favor them, by means of legis-
lation, with the necessary authOri-
ty and power to take the private
property of the Indians, under a
pretense of the "eminent domain"
law; for the aggrandizement of their
colonies.
Now all this is a great wrong
upon the Indians. The men who
are engaged in this iniquitous bus :
iness will not deny but that they
are doing wrong; but when rallied
upon the subject, they only laugh
and say, Nothing to hinder; the
Indians are too weak to help them
selves; the government has de-
serted them to our mercy, hence
there is no judgment on earth, and
that of God is too far off to be
feared. On with the trespass!"
Now these new intruder towns
are entirely without anything in
law to favor their existence; nor is
there anything in law to authorize a
non-citizen to participate in the
administration of a city govern
ment, old or new, within the linn
its of the Indian country. 1t is
true, the Arkansas law in refer
ence to the incorporation OF towns
is, by authority of the general gov
ernment,i is now in force in the Cher
okee nation; but it is an egregious
abuse of legal construction to say
that it has had the effect to citizen
ize resident intruders. aud qualify
them for exercising the political
franchise within the Indian coun
try. 1t is noticeable, however,
that in this matter, the minds of
very many of our most intelligent
Cherokee citizens have been led
seriously astray. Some have con-
ceived the idea that the Arkansas
law has had the effect to annul our
Cherokee town-corporation act,
and to abolish the corporations
that have existed under it; that it
was legal necessity that these old
towns should be re incorporated
under the Arkansas law. Nor is
this the whole of the error; they
have gone so far as to imagine that
non citizens. mere intruders, had
the right to an equal hand with
citizens in the Incorporating of
these towns and the management
of all municipal affairs. This, we
have said, is mistake, very seri-
Gus mistake; nay a blunder, the
effects of which is likely 10 prove
most damaging to the vested rights
of the Cherokee people.
The history of the dealings Of
the government with the Cherokees
for the last century at least shows
full well the danger OF allowing
outsiders to acquire the show for a
claim upon the common rights and
property of the tribe. How often
have the Cherokees lost their
country simply by letting white
people come in and settle upon
their lands and thus acquire pre-
tended equities therein which the
so called conscience of the govern
ment could not, IN the end, disre-
gard. 1t was such acquired equi-
ties as these mainly that caused
The government to break us up in
Georgia and transport US to the
hen wilds of the Indian Territory;
il was on account of such acquired
equities as these that she made
Is accept the colored people as
elbow citizens; it is on account OF
iuch acquired equities as these
hat the town lot men are claiming
IN exclusive ownership of all the
most valuable spots upon the face
If our common domain; and it is
IN account of such equities as these
Icquired by the intruders in our
country, that the Dawes CON-
says to-day they must not
'e disturbed; and that our Chero-
zee government must be abolished, !
nd new and better government
must be brought into the
ountry for their special benefit.
Time and indulgence, you see, al
Tays aims against the Cherokees;
he whole science legal interpre-
alton and construction, it would
eem, was invented purposely for