Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1901-04-18

that he is your friend, and at the
same time is not friend to your
rights, is lying to you" He is a
hypocrile, fraud, a sharper siml
ply trying to throw you of your
guard in order TO get his hands in
to your pockets. No man can be
your friend unless he is also a
friend to your rights; nor can any
man be worthy Of your confidence
as friend unless he is willing to
render you all Reasonable assist-
ance in defending your rights. The
man who, seeing you imposed up
on, will stand aloof and ooolly id
wise you to submit TO the wrong as
a less evil than the expense Of
brave fight in selfdefence; who
will, through cowardice or cum
ming, hesitate to pitch into the
battle and help you repel the as.
sailant, or share with you the re-
suits Of your de'eat-hear i'll be-
lieve i'll he is not your friend. II
you trust him, yor are beaten.
There is a class of men, both in
the nation and out, who have spe-
cial motives for wanting the agree.
ment ratified. They come to you
protesting the greatest friendship
for you personally, aud a deep so.
licitude for your welfare. They
will tell you in tones Of solemn
earnestness that, in advising you
TO vote for the agreement, they do
so purely from motives of benevo-
lenoe-simply to save you, your
wives, and your dear little child
rem from the calamity of the Cur
tis law. Many of these fellows oc.
cupy high official position under
the federal government; ADD in
giving you this friendly counsel,
they fail not, by means Of obvious
display of manner, to give you
notice that, in case you do not
comply with their wishes and vote
for the agreement, they will not
only cease to befriend you, but
freely exercise the power of their
Office to convince you Of your folly.
Others again are native, or adopt
ed, Cherokees, WHO have sold
themselves out, and are kept per-
pelually kenneled atWashington to
run and, at times like this, do
their masters bidding amongst
you. But the most aggravated
case of this kind of practice upon
you, is the example Of that attor-
ney whom you hired and sent to
Washington to defend your legal
rights against unrighteous en-
oroaohment; and who, instead Of
sticking firmly to his duty under
his retainer, has abandoned your
cause, and who has, after pocket.
ing his fee, commenced, through
motives Of fervid friendship, urg-
ing you to an unconditional sur
render, and to flee from the wrath
Of the Curtis law by voting Tor the
agreement.
It is we'll remembered that
Judge Springer was one Of the or
iginal hands that worked up this
movement upon the Cherokees.
When a member of congress years
ago, he held that we were an OBJ
struclion in the way Of civilization;
that-our tribal existence conslitut
ed virtually a Chinese wall inter
cepting the rightful movements OF
civilized commerce; that this bar.
barrie wall had been improvidently
erected by the government, in
compliance with the misdirected d
impulses Of humanity. for the pro
lection Of the Indian; that time had
proved it a mistake, that this
abominable barrier should bG
broken down, aud that the solemn
guarantee on part of the United
States should not be allowed tC
interpose any hindrance to so de-
sirable a consUmmation; that con
gress had power, and the right, tC
abrogale treaties, and especially
Indian treaties; that our country
was theatre Of anarchy and crime
that we were a lazy, shifiless, ract
Of humanity living mainly on thu
spontaneous products OF the earth
while the stronger classes throw,
by feeding on the weaker; that ou
guarantees gave us much NOR
land than we needed, and tha
moral considerations of the weigh
tiest kind demanded that, right o
wrong, our holdings should be re
duoed, and that the overpluI
should be turned over into hand
that could turn il to'better account
These arguments OF Judg,
Springer were by no means un
ayailing. In due time the Curli
Iam xvea anactad. and thfs no,y 4