Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-13
SEMINOLES OF FLORIDA
AbOrlglneS Live as Law Unto Them.
selves.
FAIR TREATMENT FROM GOVERNMENT
Something About a Race of Brave
People Who Continue to Live Apart
and Make Their Own Way Along In
dependent Lines.

FTeQeTlCh y. I1dShih.
Washington, June 8.-After killing
robbing and betraying the Florids
Seminoles consistently for about a cen.
tury, the American people, as repre-.
sented by congress and the bureau OF
Indian affairs, now propose to educate
civilize and convert them.
To this proposition the Seminoles re-
ply in effect mo thank you. We don,
want any Of your brand Of civilization
Besides, all white men are liars. You
have always lied to us before. Why
should .we believe in your protestations
this ume?"
The story Of the Florida Seminoles
has come out in connection with the
present effort Of the government to
help them. 1t reveals the fact that this
tribe of 600 Indians is an unconquered
race, living on its own lands. worship
ping it's own god, making its own laws
acknowledging no authority, and ask
ing nothing Of any one except the glo-
rious privilege of being Independent.
The very name, Seminole, means rev.
olutionist or renegade, and was given
these Indians early in the 18th century
when they declared themselves inde-
pendent of the powerful Creek confed-
eracy. About 100 years ago they clash
ed with white settlers in Florida and
General Andrew Jackson went after
them. There followed little later the
Seminole war, which was the bloodiest,
most expensive and longest Indian war
ever fought by the United States gov
ernment. 1t was a war of extermina-
ton. The Indians were hunted lik1
wild beasts.
This war also brought out one Of the
greatest of Indian leaders in the per-
son of Osceola, chief of the Seminoles'
Osceola is the George Washington OF
the Seminoles. His memory Is still re-
vered and his words repeated by them.
His guiding principle in life was never
to trust white man, because all white
men are liars, and this is the maxim OF
the Florida Seminoles in their attitude
toward the government today.
The Seminole war ended in treaty
which was signed by a few Indians
claiming to represent the whole tribe.
The Indians say that these chiefs did
not represent the tribe and had no au-
thority to sign a treaty. The signing
of the treaty was not witnessed and 1t
is claimed that the Indians who made
it were first gotten drunk by the
whites.
The treaty provided that the Semi
noles should be taken out Of Florida
and removed to the Indian Territory
in Oklahoma. All Of them who could
be caught were removed, in a brutal
way, which increased their hatred for
the whites. A remnant Of the tribe re-
tired to the depths of the Everglades,
where no one could find them. They
never surrendered to the United States
and never accepted the treaty. The
descendants Of these are the Florida
seminoles of today.
In some way, which no one seems to
fully understand, these Indians acquir-
ed title to about 26,00 acres Of land,
near the Everglades. A large part of
this was swamp, but 1t contained
"hammocks" Of fertile land, where the
Indians could raise small crops Of veg
etables. If they took up better lands,
some white man always came along,
as soon as the land was cleared, and
took it away from the Indians. Thus
they were gradually forced back to the
one little tract Of wilderness which was
acknowledged to be theirs. largely be-
cause no one else wanted 1t.
They live chiefly by hunting and
fishing. Catching alligators for their
hides has long been their most remun-
erative occupation. For time they
hunted the snowy egret and other birds
for their plumes, but now the laws of
Florida prohibit this. Game is getting
steadily scarcer, and the Seminole's
problem Of life harder. He has no per-
manent home, but builds his camp on
one Of the hammocks. His house Is a
thatch roof supported on poles, hav-
ing no walls, but wooden floor. His
dress is scanty but highly Individuals
TIC The Seminoles are the most pic
turesque of Indians. AS relic Of pre-
Columbian America, the tribe is worth
vastly more in its present primitive
state than it's members will ever be
worth as icitizens.
Several years ago an agitation was
started in Florida to help out the Sem
inoles. It resulted in the state of Flor
ida making them a present Of 100000
acres Of land. The state deserves and
has been given great credit for it's gen.
erosity. Some critics, however, have
pointed out that nearly all Of this land
is under six feet Of water.
About the same time some congress
men went down and looked at the Sem
inoles. They were shocked into appro-
priating $4,000 for the education and
general "uplift" Of the Indians. This
appropriation was repeated for several
years. This year $4,000 is asked. In
connection with this proposed appro-
priation Of $4,000 quite a debate over
the Seminoles broke out in congress.
Some Of the congressman didn't want
to appropriate the money on the
ground that what had already been ap-
propriated had not been spent.
This led the writer to Cato Sells
commissioner Of Indian affairs, who
had charge of the appropriation. He
admitted that very little Of the money
had been spent, and that very little has
been done for the Seminoles The rea-
son is that the Seminoles do not want
anything done for them. They do not
care to be civilized, or to learn the
Christian religion. They have but one
article Of faith: "All white men are
liars"
Mr.. Sells opened schools for them