Cherokee Phoenix

CHEROKEE PHOENIX

Published May, 26, 1832

Page 2 Column 3a-5b

CHEROKEE PHOENIX.

NEW ECHOTA, May 26, 1832

We stated in our paper of the 12th inst. that we had understood a proposition of a Treaty would be sent on to the Principal Chief in a few days from the War Department. These statements we made without informing our readers,from what source we had our information. We would now state,that we derived our information from the following extract of a letter written by John Martin, one of our delegation at Washington. He writes as follows:

'The Secretary of War sent for us, a few days since, and stated to us there were propositions of a treaty then making out; ' we if would bear them home, ' start immediately, our expenses should be sent by mail to the Principal Chief. To which we replied, we were not ready to return home.'

In the same paper we published a letter from General Newnan, a member of Congress, from the State of Georgia to the Editors of the Augusta Chronicle, stating, that the 'Cherokee Delegation had at last consented to recommend to their people, to make a treaty with the General Government;'- and that they would either obtain power from one to make a treaty at Washington, or retire, and make arrangements to treat at New Echota;' in consequence of which letter, we have received a communication from Mr. Ross, which will be found below. We also publish a letter from William S. Coodey, one of the Delegation, to the Editors of the National Intelligencer on the same subject.

HEAD OF COOSA CHER. NA.

May 17th 1832

To the Editor of the Cherokee Phoenix.

Sir:- It was with much astonishment Ii read in the lat number of your paper, the remarks contained in the letter of General Newnan--as those statements are well calculated to mislead the public mind in regard to the subject on which they are made; and with the view of checking any impression that may flow from them prejudicial to the character of the Cherokee delegation, until they shall themselves be prepared, if necessary, to make their own vindication before the people, I feel it a duty I own to them as well as to the Nation, to make this public statement; that in all the correspondence which I have had with them, no intimation whatever has been given to me, to believe or even suspect that the letter of Gen. Newnan can be justly applied to them; and it is well known that there were other Cherokees at Washington City besides our delegation-it may be possible that the General alludes to them. No power has been given to our delegation to treat away this country during their visit at the seat of the General Government: nor can it be reasonable to suppose that they could so far lose sight of their delegated functions, as to commit themselves, by agreeing, that upon their return home, they would assume the garb of an adviser to their nation, to treat on the general basis stated. In the course of your editorial remarks, you mentioned, 'that you understood a proposition of a treaty will be sent on to the Principal Chief in a few days from the War Department.' This information is also new to me, and it may be proper that I should state, that no such proposition has been received nor heard of before.

Yours respectfully,

JNO. ROSS.

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From the National Intelligencer.

TO THE EDITORS

Washington City, May 2d, 1832

Messrs Editors: In your paper of this morning is published an extract from a letter written by Gen. Newnan in relation to the Cherokees in which it is stated that the delegation 'have at last consented to recommend to their people to make a treaty wit the Government,' 'c and will either obtain power from home or retire to New Echota to enter into the arrangements.

The delegation regret extremely that such a statement has found its way into the papers, or that such an impression has been made by anything which may have fallen from either of them in their conversation s on the subject. Gentlemen of high respectability have, at various times, urged upon them the necessity of adjusting their difficulties by a treaty with the Government; but at no time have the delegation openly or by implication, given their consent to advise their People to that a course; and because they have listened to the suggestion of gentlemen on the subject, it is unreasonable to suppose they adopt as their own sentiments whatever is said.

Respectfully, 'c.

W. S. COODEY

In behalf of the Cherokee Delegation.------

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The following is an extract of a letter not intended for publication, addressed to us, after publishing an article from the New York Journal of Commerce, advising the Cherokees to accept of a treaty, providing for a removal. We have heard many Cherokees express their opinion in a similar tone. It will show the feelings of the people of this nation, towards a removal.

'The late decision of the Supreme Court of the United States which gave such general satisfaction throughout the nation, is yet fresh in the hearts of the people; their minds cannot be diverted from their interests and national rights.- They are not sufficiently aware of the course which is peculiar to the public Journals of the United States to understand, the frequent and sudden somersets which they take in their political races.-- The Cherokees have nothing to do in these party strifes, many of our professing friends may change their ground, for reasons best known to themselves-but we must hold to principle, right, and justice; and the interest, happiness and lives of our people alone must direct our steps.- The question of our rights is no longer a matter to be debated-it is settled-the General and State Governments can operate against them now, only by power, dictated by expediency 'c. whilst the Cherokees will cling to them b virtue of the Supreme law of the land, founded on justice-but should the President and Georgia regardless of honor, humanity and justice, exercise power to remove us by force, and such a removal bring ruin and destruction upon our nation, the accountability must rest upon those who ought to be our friends, guardians ' protectors-but should we be induced by persuasion to commit the act ourselves, and then suffer by it-the heavy judgements must fall upon our own heads. I have always believed that a general removal of the whole Nation would inevitably bring ruin upon the people-therefore of the two evils of being destroyed-I would ever choose to be destroyed, then to destroy myself-then let us stick to our old principle and hold to the same tone in the vindication of our rights, agreeably to the will of the Cherokee people.

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For the Cherokee Phoenix

Mr. Editor.- As the measures of Georgia over the Cherokees is becoming peculiarly interesting, at this time, when she has discovered herself possessed of sovereignty not confined to the constitutional limits of that state, but capable of its exercise over the Cherokee nation of Indians, and also the exercise of a new arm of power against the Supreme Court of the beautiful republic, the resistance to which is believed by the authorities to be an efficacious as the resistance of Guillivar to the attacks of the multitude of Lilliputians, surpassing the numbers of Xerxes' army. It may not be uninteresting to furnish you with a small circumstance growing out of these measures. On last Monday morning we were at breakfast near the back door of my dwelling, surrounded by our little ones, who are now arriving to intelligence, and have been in the habits of hearing the woeful tale of the sufferings of their fellow creatures from the hands of the Georgians- Gov. Lumpkin's invincibles, the guard, sometimes the militia, appeared at the door, but being at peace with all mankind I wa conscious of innocence, and their arrival did not interfere with my engagement at table in satisfying the wants of nature with my coarse but wholesome products of my soil. A file of men appeared at the door, who signified something by a nod of the head, armed with an axe, long chain, and a spear, which was in three feet of the door drove into the ground, on which a cap was placed and closely examined by the one who bore it. These now were surveyors from Georgia instead of the guard. They marked deep into the wall on each side of the door outside, with the large figures 93 and 124. During the operation, the countenances of these servants of the State indicated the absence of justice and the bitter gnawing of conscience in trespassing in this manner on the possessions of a harmless Cherokee. The Milledgeville axe was then raised, and on each side of a beautiful shade tree close to my door, and improved with some pains, they chipped through the bark, and into it, the same figures were deeply inserted. This finished the chains was resumed and a western course taken,- they disappeared in the heavy Indian forests with their calfskin leggings. The meaning of these figures was supposed by us to be that it would take the State of Georgia 93 years in acquiring the Cherokee country: after which they would lose 124 men fighting the Supreme Court.

A CHEROKEE

23d May 1832