The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-07-31
INDIANS FAST
COMING INTO
CITIZENSHIP
Asis Made Evident by 4 a Recent
Order DissoIying the Cher
Okee Nations.
tsy AsseelArso ,sss,, ,

WASHINGTON, ID. G.. july ~ ..
The passing of the Red Man and his
slow but steady absorption into the
body OF American citizenship. wac
made evident by the recent order q;
Iae indian oftice dissolving the Cher
okee nation as a tribal entity on July
last and placing the members OF
the largest Of the five civilized tribes
on the same footing as white residents
of Oklahoma. se,s.s-- -
Branch Of the Iroquois.
Inc Cherokees have figured in some
OF the notable stages Of American his
tory. Ethnologically they are said to
De branch OF the Iroquois family.
although never allied politically with
the 1roquois nation. Originally ttey
occupied the Appomattox basin In yir-
ginia but were gradually driven south
into Georgia and the Carolinas. with
branches in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Here they developed the powerful
confederacy which made treaties with
the United States, and resisted the
Efforts Of the states to dispossess
them. This raised one of the first ia
sues over the states being bound by
lederal treaties. When the United
states supreme court sustained the
Cherokee treaties. Andrew jackson.
then president, made his famous re,
mark: well, John Marshall has
made his decision, now let him en-
force It."
The Cherokees made rapid progress
in education and civilization, aban-
doning the chase for agriculture, and
finally developing an alphabet and
language of their own. This was the
production Of one OF their mixed-b1ood
members. Sequoya, or George Guss.
who invented a syllabary Of seventy,
eight signs forming the basis of the
Cherokee language, since known az
Sequoya. About this time a news
paper, the Cherokee Phoenix. was
started at New Echota, in Georgia. the
capital Of the nation. The office was
a log house and the paper was print
ed IN English and Cherokee. Publica-
ton was suspended after six years by
the Georgia authorities.
Hopeless Struggle.
At the heighth of the Cherokee's
prosperity gold was discovered within
the territory and agitation for the
removal Of the Indians soon began.
After hopeless struggle lasting for
years, under their great chief, John
Ross, the Cherokees, on December 90.
1880, signed treaty by which they
agreed to sell their remaining terri
tory and move out beyond the Miss
issippi to country there to be set
aside for them, IN Indian Territory.
Objection to the migration devel-
oped among many Of the Cherokees.
and General Winfield Scott was final.
ly sent to forcibly remove the 10000
Indians to. their new home In the
West. They suffered terrible hard,
ships on the long journey by foot, and
1t Is said nearly one-fourth of the
number persisted. Arriving In their
new home they formed a national gov
eminent, with the capital at Table
quail. /;
The task of converting the chero-.
KEGS from a tribal community into a
body OF Individual land owners began
in 1902. when they signed an agree
ment with the United States by which
the government undertook to make
complete rolls OF all the tribesmen
and divide the land and money among
them. The Curtis act. passed BY
Congress in 1898. provided for the
valuation and allotment Of the lands
OF the five civilized tribes. In 1906
the legislative and judicial depart
ments of the Cherokee nation passed
out Of existence. but the executive
branch was kept up under Principal
Chief w. C. ROGERS. In 1907, when
the state Of Oklahoma was formed, all
members Of the tribe became citizens.
/ Fast Progress.
/ The task Of. dissolving the Chero-
KEGS. which MIGHT, in general way,
he compared with that OF winding IN
the affairs OF an Immense estate, had
Thy July last progressed to such q
decree that It only. remained for the
! United States to execute few deeds
to small tracts of land. All comun-
ity property has been converted into
cash end each Cherokee has received
= Ills allotment Commissioner Of IN.
!sldinn Affairs Cato Sells In the neal