The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-06-03
TEXAS CHEROKEES
MAY BRING SUIT
tcontinued From Page one.)

and Texas, and by the latter to th
political chief of Bexar, directing
compliance with the promises mad
by the supreme government to tn
Cherokees. The governor states i
his communication that for the pre-
servation of peace with the agricul
tura tribes he had offered them thei
establishment on a fixed tract of lant
and they had selected it. He requested
the political chief to put them in pos
session, with corresponding titles
The reply Of the political chief was
that the matter should be attended tC
with the prescribed forms.
Were Not lntruders.
For fourteen years The Cherokees
occupied this land, holding 1t in quiet
and undisputed possession. They were
not lntruders on the white settlers for
they were there first The Mexican
government recognized them as an
agricultural tribe, with Mexican priv
ileges, and Colonel Piedras was Off
cial agent for them and no voice had
been raised against their rights. Their
claim was deemed both legal and
equitable. To give weight and dig
nifty to their claim, the consultation
of November, 1885, at time when
Texas was weak and when a heavy
war cloud hung over her hopes, and
her liberties were suspended upon
most unequal and unjust war, made
a very solemn pledge to those Indians,
acknowledging their claim to their
lands. setting forth the boundaries
thereof and saying further: We sol
emnly declare that we will guarantee
to them the peaceable enjoyment of
their rights to their lands as we do
TO our own. We solemnly declare that
all grants, surveys, etc, made after
the settlement OF the Indians are and
of right ought TO be utterly null and
voil. And to make II still stronger,
the consultation resolved that each
member sign ii as pledge of the
public faith on the part of the people
of Texas. And 1t was so signed The
names of Houston, Wharton, Zayala,
Smith, Mitchell, Grimes and others of
the heroes of the revolution were plac-
ed to the pledge. Most assuredly they
did not intend to deceive the Chero-
KEGS by thus purchasing their neu-
trality until the wah was over when,
having no further need of them, they
would declare that the Indians had no
title either legal or equitable"
Whites Were Treacherous.
Twenty or thirty thousand people
were defending themselves against
eight millions. They met by their rep
resentatives in general consultation |
They found a nation of Indians in |
their midst we'll advanced in civiliza- I
tion and having a good influence over
other tribes. The Indians had oceu-
pied the country first. 1t was inn
portant to conciiate them. This was
done by the pledge mentioned. OF
course II was impossible that the In
lians should have a nation within a
Independent nation with
n that of Texas. Necessarily they
must come under the laws of the Re
,ublic of Texas or emigrate But it
vas not proposed to them that they
ome under the laws of Texas, for
iardly was the pledge of 1885 signed
re the surveyors entered the Cher
kee country and began their work
the consultation Of
S35 had ordered that all surveys and
oeation cease throughout Texas. The h
'herokees were charged with murder
ne aud plundering the settlers in their ,
icinity. A massacre of family by
ther Indians had occurred and the :
erpetrators We're captured and /,
rought by Cherokees to the white
but the crime was laid /
pom the Cherokees who. says the \
eeretary Of war referring to the pris {
ners. were brought into the settle q
tents by the Cherokees, who by their /
nnning representations, charged the a
cts of violence upon the Prairie In $
ians and the treacherous Mexicaus, d
Says writer of the period Major II
ialters marched to the Neches Saline +
nd Col Burlison came to the same il
)int with his command. The chief
the Cherokees informed Major Wal "
RS that he would resist the oceupa- I,
on of the Cherokee country with I,
)rce. Commissioners had been I'm r.
Inference with the Indians trying to Z,
,cure their removal These commits n
oners offered to pay for their i'm "
'ovements, but not for their lands. 1,
hey were required to surrender their h
IN locks and remove to the Terri h
ry of Arkansas. The Cherokees re- n