The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1901-09-11
THE CHEROKEE REPUBLIC.
Passing of a Nation Older than the
United States.
CooKsoN, Ind. Ter,
SeDtamher 9. 1901.

Editor Of Watchmdn and Journdl:-On the
9th OF August an election was held by the
Cherokee people for the purpose OF electing
legislators or representatives to the Cher
okee Congress, or Iuncil, eS it is termed,
which will probably be the last in the his
tory OF the nation. The fiat has gone forth
and the Cherokee Republic, arepublic older
than the history Of the United States, and
whose origin is lost in the mists of antiquity,
will CeE 90 to exist.
There is something pathetic In the throes
and death-struggles of an expiring nation,
something that arouses our sympathy even
IL the nation has outlved its usefulness and
serves only as memorial of the past. But
has the Cherokee nation outlived its useful
ness2 The cry for allotment, for citizenship
and distribution OF the tribal funds. is not a
cry OF the Cherokee people. II is the plaint
Of interested persons, who have settled on
the Cherokee domain, and are now anxious
to secure title in fee to the soil
1t is given as reason for allotment that
the ancestors OF the pr sent Cherokee5,
some three hundred years ago, were bar
barians because they occasionally friceseed
or barbeCued a captive warrior, taken pris-
oner in battle, in order to show him the er-
ror OF his ways and restrain his evil procliv-
itiss. The accusation comes with pecl-
liarly i'll grace from those who yet revere
the name and hallow the teachings of Cal
win, who toasted his great opponent and
rival, Servetius, over slow fire in order TO
correct what he considered certain errone-
ous theological opinions, and stood by nd
soothed his dying sgonies by picturing the
endless torments he was about to enter
upon, the infinite pain he ives about to Gu
dure, pain SURPRISING the acme OF earthly
pain even as a Kansas cyclone surpssses
spring zephyr. II comes with an i'll grace
from those whose ancestors were Catholics,
and whose great amusement three hundred
years ago was in burning heretic+, or from
those OF Prot sstant descent, who in bluff
King Halls time gridroned, blistered, boil
ed and burned Unfortunately, men, wom-
en- and children merely because they were
Catholics; and even the omnipresent New
Englander must put his hand over his
mouth and restrain his desire for speech
when he IT members the persecution OF the
Quakers and the horrors of the Salem
witchcraft delusion.
At present the two parties, Downing and
National, are almost evenly divided and 1t
is yet an open question as to which will
have a majority in Council. The Nation
ais consist of the iull-blood element, and
during the civil war followed the leader
ship OF the celebrated chief, John Ross,
and assisted the Union army, many of the
braves joining the army, in which they
made splendid soldiers. The negroes, or
Cherokee Freedmen, who by the treaty OF
1866, were admitted to citizenship in the
Cherokee Nation, are also Nationals.
They are unslterably opposed to any change
in the existing order OF things and threaten
to emigrate en- masse to Mexico should in
dividusl allotment be forced upon them.
The Downing party consists mostly OF
those mixed blood and galvanized Indians,
that is, intermsrried citizens. They went
South during the civil war and several
thousand OF them, under the celebrated
Starr Waite, gallsntly followed the stars
and bars OF the Southern Confederacy
They favor an allotment Of lands and dis.
tribution Of tribal funds, but are satisfied
| that the government at present can not
make a fsii land equitable division, either
of the public domain or tribal funds, as the
amount OF each is at present undecided; (;
| also no final census has been taken OF the
| Cherokee citizens and tee number entitled
to share in the distribution Is unknown.
| The Cherokees have several times taken q
census and the Dawes commission took one
last year, which was to be considered final,
| but the secretary Of the interior arrogated
to himself the power OF adding to or taking
from the rolls at pleasure, and much dis
| satisfaction exists in regard to this as
sumption of power by the secretary. From
his place in Washington he thunders forth
DEGREES like an Oympisn Jove and from
| his decisions there can be no appeal.
The powers that be, at Washington, are
growing impatient at the tardiness OF the
Cherokees in accepting the terms offered
them by interested parties, and threaten
them with condign punishment for their
contumacy, as they are pleased to cali IT,.
They should have little patience. The
Cherokees realize that the extinction OF
their nation is inevitable and they will sub.
init, but who can blame them for desiring
to put off the tiual moment ss long as posi-.
| be2 The world will soon see new yer.
sion of the spider and the fly. rhe door IL
open. the Cherokees will be forced to enter,
but tney will never come out of the parlor
| ELLA LILLARD.
A little life may be sacrificed to sudder