CHEROKEE PHOENIX
Wednesday June 11, 1828
Vol. I,  Number 16
Page 3, col. 3

  INDIANS OF THE U. STATES

 The following piece is from a series of numbers published some time since in the Boston Recorder and Telegraph.

 Account of what the U. S. Government have done for their benefit.

 Mr. Jefferson during his administration felt a deep interest in the  subject of civilization, and since his time Congress have adopted various measures calculated as was supposed to promote it.  They established an agency for the purpose of trading with the Indians, and of protecting them against the cheating tricks of dishonest whites; but this not answering the desire object was in 1823 abandoned.  They have granted money to the several charitable societies, who have established schools and education families among the Indians, to assist them in carrying their benevolent designs into effect.  By an Act of March 3, 1819, a fund for the promotion  of Indian civilization was placed at the disposal of the President which yields somewhat more than $11,000 annually, Government have purchased lands of the Indians and paid them in money partly down, and partly in annual payments; and they have often made them presents of various necessary articles and supplied them with instruments of agriculture, Mills, &c.  A statement of the annuities payable for lands is as follows:

 Limited Annuities,
  which expire
  in 1828 $1,000  in 1832 $3,300
  "   '26 25,000  "   '34  2,000
  "   '28 20,000  Total 74,250
  "   '29 12,000  Cap'l  1,597,500
  "   '30    300
   Permanent Annuities
       $80,325
   Capital,     1,338,750
   Total an.   154,575
   Total cap.    2,876,250

 There are also granted to different tribes of Indians annually 20 bushels of salt, valued at Fort Wayne, where it is delivered, at  $2,50 cents per bushel, making an additional annual expense of $525.  The grants recently made to the Creeks for the Georgia lands are not included in this statement.

 Besides these payments, Congress have frequently made gratuitous grants to those tribes who have missionary stations within their limits to assist them in carrying forward their plans of improvement.  To the Chickasaws at the station near Chickasaw Agency they granted $5000 for buildings, to the Great Osages at Harmony station $1000 for the same purpose.  Out of the fund mentioned above, the following annual remittances have been made, viz.
  To the Cornwall School, Conn.  $1,438
  Senecas and Onondagas, Buffalo
   New York          350
  Tuscaroras, Lewistown, N.Y.         350
  Miamies, Fort Wayne, Ind.          417
  Cherokees, Spring Place,          250
          do.  Brainerd                1000
     do. Valley Towns                500
  Choctaws Eliot,         1000
  Indians at the Great Crossings,         400
    Ken.
        ________
       Total         5,355

 The exact sum paid by the Treasury of the United States for the promotion of Indian civilization in 1823 was $11,135,32.

 At first view it may appear very generous in our government to do so much for the Indians; but it should be remembered that Government has always purchased their lands at its own price, and sold them again to its own citizens for 2 dollars per acre.  Up to 1820 the United States had purchased of the Indians 191,778,536 acres of land, for payment of which Congress appropriated $2,542,916.- Previously to Oct. 1819, Government had sold 18,500,000 acres for $44,000,000.  Should the remainder of these lands be disposed of at the same advantageous rate, there will be placed in the U. S. treasury after having paid the Indians all they are ever to receive a net gain of $500,000,000.  This statement reaches only to 1820, but Government has bought large tracts of land since, at about the same rate.

 Now making all reasonable deduction for waste lands, failure of public creditors, expenses of surveying &c. there must still remain an immense pecuniary profit to our Government from its trade with the Indians, besides the political importance of the country acquired, and the vast accession of national strength, arising from its being settled by our own citizens.  Cannot government afford then to do something for the Indians?

       KATAHDIN.

This transcription from the Cherokee Phoenix is presented as part of the historical record, and includes historical materials that may contain negative stereotypes or language reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place including terminology that may not be deemed appropriate today. While an effort has been made to verify the transcription against the original text, complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Researchers are urged to match the transcription against the original article to authenticate exact quotes. Issues of the Cherokee Phoenix are available on microfilm. Please check your local library for availability or to inquire about interlibrary loan of a microfilm copy.

Send comments or questions to: George Frizzell
Special Collections . Hunter Library . Western Carolina University . Cullowhee, NC 28723 . 828-227-7474