The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-02

them the abiding solictude of the
Confederate States Of America to adj
vance their condition in the direction
OF a proud political society, with a
distinctive civilization and holding
lands in severalty under well defined
laws. by forming them into Terri
torial Government But no assurance
Of Statehood was to be given, for this
proud political society" may always
need our fostering care" Equal to
an acre of the political claptrap to the
Indian nations" was the promise OF
holding lands in severalty." The
immense league" of confcderated
sovereign political societies made its
| appeal with nicely calculated fiattery.
putting the plaster of promise on
every sore spot.
In letter to Chief Ross OF the
| Cherokee Nation Hubbard said: AN
! other consideration is your debts. an
+; nuities. &c. school funds due you.
Nearly all are in bonds of Southern
| States and held by the Government ut
Washington. and these debts are
nearly all forfeited already by the
( act of war made upon the States by
/ that Government. II you join the
! tnfN dIt lbItNtT anu
you will have no right to believe that
the Northern people would vote 70
pay you this forfeited debt. Admit
that there may be some danger, take
which side you may, I think the dan
ger tenfold greater to the Cherokee
people II they take sides against us
than for us. Neutrality will scarcely
he possible. AS long as your people
retain their national character your
| country cannot I've abolitionized. and
it is our interest therefore that you
should hold your possessions in per-
! petuity." Here Hubbard was far in
excess of his instructions. His COM
munication. insolent in its assump-
tons. drew from Chief Ross a reply
nothing less than magnificent in its
dignity and adequacy:
J II Is not the province Of the Cherokess
! to determine the character OF the conflict
! going on In the states fof which Hub
/ bard had written with imaginative fervorl.
| II Is their duty to keep themselves, II
possible, disentangled, and AFFORD no
grounds to either party 10 interfere with
| their rights. The obligations of every
| character. pecuniary and otherwise. which
| existed prior to the present state OF ar
! fairs between the Cherokee Nation AMI
: the Government are equally valid now a.
| then. II the Government owe US. | do
not believe 1t will repudatc its debts
! II States embraced In the Confcderacy
owe us. l do not believe they will repu-
diate their debts. I consider our annuity
safe in any contingency.
\ comparison OF Northern and Southern
philanthropy, as illustrated in their deal
ings toward the Indians within their re-
spective limits. would not afett the merits
Of the question now under consideratio n
which IL simply one of duty under exist
Ing circumstances. I therefore pass IL
over. merely remarklng that the settled
policy" of former years was favorte
policy with both sections when extended
to the acquisition of Indian lands and
that hut few Indians now press their feet
upon the banks OF either the Ohio or the
Tennessee.
While Hubbard was thus exercising
his zeal. Albert Pike was in the field
as special commissioner from the
state Department OF the Confederate
States to the tribes west of Arkansas,
and Brig. Gen. Ben McCulloch was in
command of the district embracing the
indian territory lying west of Ar
! kansas and south of Kansas" with
orders to guard that territory against
invasion from Kansas or elsewhere"
Pike displayed throughout "A fine I'M
Outstanding of the people with whom
he dealt, and played upon their better
qualities, wlcre other cmissaries i'm
pinged upon their baser passions.
When. May II. 1861, Chief John Ross
issued his proclamation OF neutrality
, he had behind him the majority u
the Nation: but the minority, in favor
of secession, represented the intelii.
gence, property and influence of the
tribe. The majority was made IN
principally of the full bloods." Ross
and his nephew, William r. Ross, were
of Scotch extraction and had the
shrewdness and persistence of that
race. Chief Ross promulgated some
excellent diplomatic English. one
para graph of his proclamation: THE
better To obtain these important ends
! ' earnestly impress upon all my fell
low citizens the propricty of all at
! tending To their ordinary avocations
: and abstaning from improbable dis
: Cussions of events transpiring in the
, states and from partisan demonstra-
: tons"
1t became plain to the Southern
, agents and commissioners that the
! resistance To secession among tho In
2 dams might at last he beaten down
. by any of three factors: pressure from
I within, Confederate victories. en-
= croaChment by the Federals. Finally
= Il combination Of the three carried the
. day. Pike negotiated four treaties OF
| the first class: with the Creeks
July 10, 1861; with the Choctaws and
, Chickasaws. July 10 with the Semi
= roles. August |. and with the Chero.
. KEGS, October :. With the tribes fur.
, ther west second and third class
treaties were sealed. The ma jor tribes
uneduivocilly transferred their allie.
glance from the Federal to the Con,
fcderate Government The lessee
tribes gained no recognition of nation
ality. In many respects the conces
sion Of privilege to the Indians eX'
y ceeded in generosity the previous al
8 lowance, but that the grant proceeded
from considerations Of eXpedienc,
u rather than from principle is shown
). 10y the fact that the strongest tribe
Z Jared best in the allotment.
= The Confederacy continued, will
II some notifications, the agency sys
e tenn. The transfer OF control led I,
u some dishonorable transactions. On,
= man, agent for the ChoCtaws ant
" ChiCkasaws, has been Conclusvel,
d proved To have been engaged In raisinl
a. A