Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1901-09-12
APPOINTED TIME
For Partitlonment Of National Estate
Is Not at Hand.

/ Editor Chieftain:-The condi
tions which at present confront
the Cherokee people are such al
require mature consideration anc
calm deliberation, aud in the
words Of Divine Writ let us reason
together. Let us eliminate all
passion and party prejudice, anc
cody, calmy cad dispassionately
seek for that which will be con.
ducive to the best interests, not o.
a part but of all tue Cherokee
people. l am no rainbow chaser,
neither do l think l am the. peo.
pie, and that wisdom will die
with me, but realize fully thai
1t is a condition and not a theory
that now confronts us as a people
and it behooves us to make the
best of il.
Interested parties, carpelbag
gers from the states, who have
neither post or lot in the Chero.
kee domain, are crying loudly for
allotmen, because il will best con.
serve their interests and their
cries will be hseded by the Gleat
Father at Washington and his
wise old men whose ideas as to
conditions existing in this country
are dim, misty aud indefinite, but
who have never been known to
tulo deaf ear to the frantic ap.
peais Of white men to enter upon
and take possession of Indian
lands. They have listened with
ears that heard not, TO representa-.
tions made to them by the right
tul owners Of the soil-the In.
dians-and eagerly swallowed the
misrepresentation sent out from
Atoka, McAlester, Ardmore an ID
other towns by the so.called con.
ventions or macs meetings of car
pet'baggers, pure and simple.
They say we are incapable of
self government because only a
few years removed from savagsry.
and accuse us of, Lbarbarism be.
cause only few hundred years
ago our ancestors occasionally
barbecued a captive warrior in
order 70 show him .he error Of
his ways. This accusation comes
with an Ill grace from those who
yet revere the name and hallow
the teachings of Calvin who about
the same time roasted his great
opponent and rival over a slow
lire OF green wood in order to
correct what he considered certain
errors in theological opinions and
stood by and soothed his dying
agonies by picluring the endless
torments he was about to enter
upon, torments to which his pres.
ent sufferings bore the same com.
parison as that of a spring. time
zephyr to Kansas cyclone.
ltcomes with a poor grace from
hose Of English ancestry where
about the same time in Merrie
England Catholics were roasting
leretics and Protestants boiling,
'roiling and frying Catholics.
'paring neither women nor chill
iren, as each held the balance of
power. And those Of New Eng
and descent might we'll keep ST.
ent when they remember the
iorrors Of the Salem witohcrnft
ielusion and how inoffensiye old
n en-, decrepit women aud even
innocent children were tortured |
md put TO death by the saint.like !
'rogenitors OF the Yankee of 10. |
lay.
Let it be remembered to the
ionor Of our ancestors that they
My tortured warriors taken red. |
landed in battle, while the ances.
Ors of the pale-face, our present
guides, philoso.
hers-would we could say disin.
crested friends-tortured men,
'omen and children. Those who
We in glass houses should not
lrow stones, and it might be W ell
II many OF our white friends and
rothers to take a short course In
lstory, particularly the history Of
ie Anglo Saxon race.
| believe allotment to be inevi.
ible in the near future, but /
'ali ze fully lhat at the present
me neither the Cherokee people
Or the United States government
prepared or able to rnake a fair
onest and equitable division of
10 public domain and tribal
nds. In making an honest dis.
ibulion OF an estate it is first
seessaiy to decide Rs to who are
ie heirs-al.law. This has never
Ben done. The roll Of citizens