A Ramble of Six Thousand Miles through the United States of America

heard their lamentations;-but the distant voice is scattered by the passing winds, and is heard like the whisper of a summer breeze as it steals along the prairie

people to be the topic of much political controversy and conversation; a succinct account of the political condition of these tribes, and of

Subsequently, in the year of 1802, in consideration of a certain portion of lands ceded, the United States became bound to purchase for Georgia, any claim which the Cherokee nation might have on lands within her boundaries, whenever such pur

of independence, Georgia, by becoming a free state, became invested with all the powers of sovereignty claimed or exercised by Great Britain over the Georgian territory: and further, that in November, 1785, when the first and only treaty was concluded with the Cherokees by the United States, during the articles of confederation, both she and North Carolina entered their solemn protests against this alleged violation of their legislative rights. The executive government pretends not to argue the case with Georgia, and is left no alternative but either to annul its conditional treaty with that state, or to cancel thirteen distinct treaties entered into with the

on, we have the faith and pledge of the United States, over and over again, in treaties made at various times. By these treaties our rights as a separate people are distinctly acknowledged, and guarantees given that they shall be secured and protected. So we have also understood the treaties. The conduct of the government towards us, from its organization until very lately-the talks given to our beloved men by the Presidents of the United States-and the speeches of the agents and commissioners-all concur to show that we are not mistaken in our interpretation. Some of our beloved men who signed the treaties are still living, and their tes

saction. Now what, may I ask, have the Indians to do with this? Ought they to be made answerable for the gross misconduct of the two governments, and to be despoiled, contrary to every principle of justice, and in defiance of the most plain and fundamental law of property? It puts one in mind of the judgment of the renowned "Walter the Doubter," who decided between two citizens, that, as their account books appeared to be of equal weight, therefore their accounts were b

from him-he can be no party to a suit-he may be robbed and murdered with impunity-his property may be taken, and he may be driven from his dwelling-in fine, he is left liable to every species of insult, outrage, cruelty, and dishonesty, without the most distant hope of obtaining redress; for in Georgia an Indian cannot be a witness to prove facts against a white man. Yet General Jackson says, "this emigration should be voluntary;" and in the very same paragraph, with a single sweep of the pen, he annihilates all the treaties that have been made with that people-tramples under foot the laws of nations, and deprives the Indian of his hunting-grounds, one of his sources of subsistence. He says,-"But it seems to me visionary to suppose that, in this state of things, claims can be allowed o

wledged, either directly, or by implication; and by the seventh article of the treaty of Holston, executed in 1791, being the first concluded with that people by the United States, under their present constitution, a

of all moral obligation, will break her most sacred contracts, whenever it becomes no longer her interest to keep them, and she finds herself in a condition to do so with impunity? is she not furnishing foreign statesmen with a ready and powerful argument in defence of their violating treaties with her? can they not with justice say-America has manifested in her proceedings towards the Cherokee nation, that she is fai

condition, contrasted with what they once were, makes a most powerful appeal to our sympathies. Our ancestors found them the uncontrolled possessors of these vast regions. By persuasion and force, they have been made to retire from river to river, and from mountain to mountain, until some of the tribes have become extinct, and others have left but remnants

hey will be regarded as common intruders, and be subject to the united attacks of these people. There are even old feuds existing among themselves, which, it is but too probable, may be renewed. Trappers and hunters, in large parties, yearly make incursions into the country beyond the boundaries of the United States, and in defiance of the Indians kill the beaver and the buffalo-the latter merely for the tongue and skin, leaving the carcase to rot upon the ground.[16

cy, we need only refer to the allocation of the Cherokees, who exchanged lands in Tennessee for lands west of the Mississippi, pursuant to the treaty of 1819. It was well known that a deadly enmity existed between the Osages and Cherokees, and that any proximity of the two people, would inevitably lead to fatal results; yet, with this knowledge,

the savage, doom him to weakness and decay:[17] the fate of the Mohegan, the Narragansett, and the Delaware, is fast overtaking the Choctaw, the Cherokee, and the Creek. That this fate surely awaits them, if they remain within the limits of the States, does not admit of a doubt. Humanity and national honour demand that every effort should be made to avert so great a calamity." From what facts the president has drawn these conclusions does not appear. Neither the statements of the Cherokees, nor of the Indian agents, nor the report of the sec

nation, and almost every family grows cotton for its own consumption. Agricultural pursuits engage the chief attention of the nation-different branches of mechanics are pursued. Schools are increasing every year, and education is encouraged and rewarded." To quote David Brown verbatim, on the population,-"In the year 1819, an estimate was made of the Cherokees. Those on the west were estimated at 5,000, and those on the east of the Mississippi, at 10,000 souls. The census of this division of the Cherokees has again been taken within the current year (1825), and the returns are thus made: native citizens, 13,563; white men married in the nation, 147; white women ditto, 73; African slaves, 1177. I

hat has been above said of the Cherokees. But of the last-mentioned people, the secretary's accounts appear to be studiousl

ere appears none. The United States, in the year 1791, guarantee to the Indians the possession of all their lands not then ceded-and confirm this by numerous subsequent treaties. In 1802, they promise to Georgia, the possession of the Cherokee lands "whenever such purchase could be made on reasonable terms" This is the simple state of the case; and if the executive wer

now the character of the once warlike and noble Creek, let the white man ask himself who has made him so? Who makes the "firewater," and who supplies the untutored savage with the means of intoxication? The white-man, when he wishes to trade profitab

. These gentlemen have told long stories; and when posed by some quaint saying, or answered by some piece of traditional information, handed down from generation to generation, by the fathers and mothers of the tribe, have found it necessary to purchase the acquiescence of a few Indians by

et a bright and noble genius shines through these black clouds. None of the greatest Roman heroes have discovered a greater love of country, or contempt of death, than these people, called barbarous, have shown when liberty came in competition. Indeed I think our Indians have outdone the Romans in this particular. Some of the greatest of those Roman heroes have murdered themselves to avoid shame or torments; but our Indians have refused to die meanly or with little pain, when they thought their country's honour would be at stake by it; but have given their bodies willingly to the most cruel torments of their enemies, to show, as they said, that 'the Five Nations' consisted of men whose courage and resolution could not be shaken. But what, alas! have we Christians done to make them better? We have, indeed, reason to be ashamed that these infidels, by our conversation and neighbourhood, are become worse than they were before they knew us. Instead of virtue, we have only taught them vice, that they were entirely free from before that time."[20] The Rev. Timothy Flint, who was himself a missionary, in his "Ten Years' Residence in the Valley of the Mississippi," observes, page 144,-"I have surely had it in my heart to impress them with the importance of the subject (religion). I have scarcely noticed an instance in which the subject was not received either with indifference, rudeness, or jesting. O

ame of Red-jacket, in a letter communicated to Governor De Witt Clinton, at a treaty held at Albany, says, "Our great father, the President, has recommended to our young men to be industrious, to plough and to sow. This we have done; and we are thankful for the advice, and for the means he has afforded us of carrying it into effect. We are happier in consequence of it; but another thing recommend

they came among the Indians, they were the forerunners of their dispersion; that they always excited enmities and quarrels amongst them; that they introduced the white people on their lands, b

Spirit, under which they were happy. It was not intended that they should embrace the religion of the wh

who came among us as a schoolmaster and a teacher of our children, but has now become a black-coat, and refuses to teach them any more-that unless we listen to his preaching and become Christians, we shall be turned off our lan

and by, will become poor, and force us to pay

vation at Buffalo; this is wrong, and ought not to be permitted. The great source of all our grievances is, that the whites are among us. Let them be removed, and we

ceived a deputation of Indians, from the principal nations west of the Mississippi, who came under the protection of Major O'Fallon, when each chief delivered a speech on the occasion. I shall here insert an extract from that of the "Wandering Pawnee" chief, more as a specimen of Indian wisdom and eloquence than as bearing particularly on the subject. Speaking of the Great Spirit, he said, "We worship him not as you do. We differ from you in appearance, and manners, as well as in our customs; and we differ from you in our religion. We have

pursue the buffalo and the beaver, and the other wild animals of our country, and I will trade their skins with your people. I have grown up and lived thus long without work-I am in hopes you will suffer me to die without it. We have plenty of buffalo, beaver, deer, and other wild animals-we have also an abundance of horses-we have every thing we want-we have plenty of land, if you will keep your people off it. My Father has a piece on which he lives (Council bluffs), and we wish him to enjoy it-we have enough without it-but we wish him to live near us, to give us good counc

l the wild animals become extinct. Let us exhaust our present resources before you make us toil and interrupt our happiness. Let me continue to live as I have done; and after I have passe

could not get. Before our intercourse with the whites (who have caused such a destruction in our game) we could lie down to sleep, and when we awoke we would find

, and the spontaneous growth of the most remote parts of our country. I know that the robes, leggings, and moccasins, and bear-claws are of little value to you; but we wish you to have them deposited and preserved in some conspicuous part of

American government, throughout, towards this brave but unfortunate race, have only been exceeded in atrocity

art of it, in substance, was inserted in the "Kentucky Intelligencer,"

TNO

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with the Cherokees, which establishes a boundary, and allots to the Indians a

his was the first treaty made by the United States under their present constitution; a

ional article to the last treaty, 500 dol

visions of the treaty of 1791 are revived, an addition is made

r treaties, and curtails the boundary of Indian lands by a

cluded, by which, for a considera

are made, by which an additio

other treaty, more land is

line intended in the last treat

States engage South Carolina shall pay. On the same day another treaty is made, by which the Indians agree t

is made, by which an additional quantit

d, by which an exchange of lands is agreed on,

of the stipulations contained in that of 1817, in several particulars,

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he wood. The Indian considers the forest his own, and is careful in using and preserving every thing which it affords. He never kills more than he has occasion for. The white hunter destroys all before him, and cannot resist the opportunity of killing game, although he neither wants the meat nor can carry the skins. I was particularly struck with this wanton practice, which lately occur

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e Indians of their farms and hunting grounds? If so, no doubt these arts of civilization,

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honesty," precisely in the same sense

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to whom his tribe has given the cognomen of "much-water," fro

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e gained less from the means that might have smoothed the asperities of their condition, than th

2

ed by Henry Obeal, in the presence of ten chiefs, who

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ccurred of a savage being able to reconcile himself to a state of civilization. Infants have been taken from among the natives, and educated with much care in France, where they could not possibly have intercourse with their countrymen and relations. Although they had remained several years in that country, and could not form the smallest idea of

s taken nearly verbatim fr