The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-09-17
THE PASSING OF A NATION
Nv DR.. Robertson

BY Dr. ROBERTSON
In these days OF national ambi-
tion and expansion it is of interest
to the people Of Kentucky to note
the passing away of an Indian nation
that in early times had for them a
real meaning.
The Cherokee Indians, the first
inhabitants of the mountains, VOL
unfairly gave up their tribal exis-
tence the other day and became cit
liens of the United States. Although
they had long been citizens of our
nation Of the state of Oklahoma
they have held to their traditional
tribal organization until now. They
had an elective Chief, a Senate, a
House of Represe natives and much
tribal property. Now they have di-
vided the property among them
selves and gives up their organiza-
tion.
. The Cherokees occupied extensive
lands in the beautiful upland re-
gion where most Of the river sys-
TENS Of the south have their source.
Their position gave them as impor-
tant a place in the history of the
south as the Iroqois had in the
north. Friendly to the English they
helped to hold the country for them
against the Spanish and French OF
the Mississippi Valley. In French
and Spanish documents of the fam
Gus "Carondolet Collection" of the
University OF California, are to be
found numerous accounts of these
early days.
Kentucky was for the Cherokees
a favorite hunting ground and they
claimed possession of it against the
tribes north Of the Ohio river.
Many an ambitious hunter and pio-
neer from the colonies east of the
mountains had to reckon with the
dusky Cherokee when he sought the
splendid hunting ground Of Ken
lucky.
II was the Cherokees who made
Treaty with the Pennsylvania
Company through the influence OF
Daniel Boone, in t775, by which
they coded to the white man all
land from the Cumberland river TO
the Kentucky. This made possible
the entry and settlement Of Ken
lucky at Boonsboro, just across the
line from Madison County in Clark.
1t was a grim old Cherokee chief,
surly over sale which he disap-
proved who told the white man, he
had acquired his land indeed but,
he would find ii a dark and bloody
ground"
Many a Cherokee name is still
upon the map tho many have been
displaced for others. The Cumber-
land Mountains and River, named
from the bloody warrior brother OF
the English king, might better have
retained the Cherokee name "Ouasi-
ota." Tennessee is probably a Cher
okee word. This race was intelli-
gent. They responded TO the teach
ing OF civilization. They had an al
phabet and a written language with
considerable Of literature.
In the administration OF Andrew
jackson conflicts arose between the
Cherokees and their neighbors in
the states of which they were a part
and particularly in Georgia. They
retained their national life and re-
fused to part with lands which the
white man greatly wanted because
he had discovered gold there. Sew
eral times they appealed TO the Uni
ted States, whom they regarded as
their guardian, and the Supreme
Court decided in their favor. But
jackson was no lover OF Indians and
left them to their fate. In the ad-
mlnlstration of VanBuren they were
forcibly removed west OF the Mis-
sissippi river and James Russell
Lowell, then a student in Harvard
College wrote a long poem on the
dramatic event.
These Indians have always been
looked upon as the finest type OF
their race in the South and per-
haps OF America. Even before