Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-02
Continued From First Page.

elapsed between the FIRST coming d
white men to the country of the Chero-
KEGS and the latter's farewell to it
Hernanda De Soto wandered into the
valley OF the MONDAY Sun-Nantahals
In the Cherokee tongue-in quest OF
gold, coming up from the plains OF
Georgia TO md curiously urbane peo-
pie living tEsre. Legend recounts that
he was sta. wing and hard pressed and
that he reste1 for six weeks among the
Cherokees betere resuming his march
toward the Mississippi He was hos
pitably entertained and left among them
some curious vestiges Of the Spanish
languages.
Sorrow Comes to Nation.
These three centuries ripened the ac-
quaintance of the Cherckees with white
people and brought them to sorrow. In
that century their dominionS extended
from the Great Smoky Mountains east
ward to the Atlantic Ocean and SOUTH
ward into Georgia. There are of record
"a treaties negotiated between the
whites and the Indians-none of which
was kept by the whites, none of which
was broken by the Indians. Their wars
with the encroaching newcomers were
invariably defensive wars. Warriors of
the Nation took part in mnay battles
OF the American Revolution, on the side
OF the Colonies.
At the end of the Revolution the
CnerokeeS had receded into the rnoun-
tains. and in one of the earliest treaties
negotiated by the Washington Govern
ment the Cherokees were recognized as
an Independent people, with territorial
rights embracing approximately the
lands OF the burgeoning park and their
present territory of $4,000 acres to-
gether with some developed lands in
swain. jackson, Graham and Cherokee
Counties. Under the terms of the treaty
the Cherokee Nation obligated to fur
nish armed troops in neighboring emer-
gencies.
Government among them was in the
formative stages when the Cherokees
flrst made the acquaintance of Andrew
jackson. The encounter was not
friendly. 1t was at the time of the
great migration from North Carolina
into Tennessee, and hundreds of pi-
oneers were passing through Cherokee
territory. The whites were not mindful
OF property rights, and it CHANGED that
the Cherokees, DESTROYS of repossessine
stolen horses, attacked an encampment
jackson happened to be attached to the
party and led the resistance, which was
effective. The whites retained their
stolen horses.
JunaluSka Keeps Pact.
Twenty years later this acquaintance
was resumed when Jackson set out
against the Indians in the South. In
conformity with his agreement with the
washington Government, Junaluska
went to the aid of Jackson with 500
well armed and well trained warriors.
With severe losses among his own men.
Junaluska crossed the river behind the
Creeks and routed them, but that was
not the end of his service. In the thick
OF the fighting Old Hickory was about
TO be run through by a Greek bayonet.
With his own hands Junaluska Struck
Gown the Greek, saving Jackson's life.
That night, in the presence of both
armies, jackson swore an everlasting
friendship to JunaluSka and between
the whites and the Cherokees. It must
have been a very solemn occasion.
Junaluska returned to his mountain
capital serene in the consciousness of a
duty well done and addressed himself
10 perfect1ng the government Of his
people. With notifications that made
It adaptable to the needs of his people,
the Constitution of the United States
was adopted and put into operation.
Lie moved promisingly among them.
Constitution Is Adopted.
And then happened a thing that must
be rated among the most colossal in
tellectual feats in the history of Amer
lea. After IL years of solitary medita-
ton in his hut, Sequoyah promulgated
his Syllabus and overnight the Chero-
KEGS became a literate nation, with
written language. The thing is incred-
IDLY simple This Cherokee unable to
write or speak any language except his
own, reduced the Cherokee tongue to
IS primary sounds and contrived a
symbol for each OF them. Simply by
learning this Cherokee alphabet the ma
tive was able to read and write his own |
language.
Quick to comprehend the value of
the Syllabus, Chief Junaluska immedi- |
ately adopted it. A printing press was
brought into the mountains and several |
books of the New Testament translated
into Cherokee and printed. Such schools |
as existed among them were manned by |
the Quakers. but their labors were pain |
fully hampered BY the absence of a |
common language. Plans we're made to /
translate other books into the Cherokee |
language, and Sequoyah set about |
founding Cherokee literature by re-
ducing tribal legend and history into
It is doubtful that such an intellectual |
renaissance has ever transpired any
where. 1t was the golden age of the /
Cherokees. Sequoyah and Junaluska |
were heroic figures among them The
one had brought them intellectual light |
and the other had established among
them stable and intelligent civic struc-
ture. The possibilities of such a civili-
cation, had it been allowed to con-
tinue, are imponderable.
Gold" Is Discovered.
And then one morning an Indian boy,
playing In the Nantahala River, found
bright pebble and took it home.
Gold!
This discovery was observed with in
terested equanimity by the Cherokees,
but word of it was widely diffused Ex-
ploring parties came up the valley from
Georgia and discovered in the ranges
west Of the Valley of the MONDAY Sun
where Andrew w. Melons Aluminium
Co. OF America Is now tunneling nine
miles through the mountain to divert a
rivera bright metal that looked like
gold. Their discovery finds its modern
development In the Ducktown copper
mines, on the western slope of the Great |
Smokes and just outside the proposed |
park territory
After that there was no peace in the
cherokee Nation. Objection was made, |
OF course, to the invasion of the pros /
pectors and the Georgians countered |
with demand to Wash. ngton that the |
Cherokees be included in the movement |
OF scattered Indian tribes into Indian |
Territory. Junaluska looked with conf |
dence upon the controversy Andrew |
Jackson was in the White House. and |
Andrew Jackson was a friend Of the |
Cherokees. He had sworn Q sacred oath |
with them. Jackson temporized, while /
the politicians of Georgia importuned
and threatened Nobody has ever been
quite sane about gold rush.
Successor Acts Quickly.
Until his term ended Jackson tempo
rized and then went home His sue
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