UNITED STATES, August 4th, 1790.
The Senate proceeded to consider the message from the President of the
United States of this day; whereupon,
_Resolved_, That the Senate do advise and consent to the
execution of the secret article referred to in the message,
and that the blank in said article be filled with the words
"President of the United States."
WEDNESDAY, August 11.
The Senate then entered on Executive business; and the following message
was received and read, from the President of the United States:
UNITED STATES, August 11, 1790.
_Gentlemen of the Senate:_
Although the treaty with the Creeks may be regarded as the
main foundation of the future peace and prosperity of the
south-western frontier of the United States, yet, in order
fully to effect so desirable an object, the treaties which
have been entered into with the other tribes in that
quarter must be faithfully performed on our part.
During the last year, I laid before the Senate a particular
statement of the case of the Cherokees. By a reference to
that paper it will appear, that the United States formed a
treaty with the Cherokees in November, 1785; that the said
Cherokees thereby placed themselves under the protection of
the United States, and had a boundary assigned them; that
the white people settled on the frontiers had openly
violated the said boundary, by intruding on the Indian
lands; that the United States, in Congress assembled, did
on the first day of September, 1788, issue their
proclamation, forbidding all such unwarrantable intrusions,
and enjoined all those who had settled upon the hunting
grounds of the Cherokees to depart with their families and
effects, without loss of time, as they would answer their
disobedience to the injunctions and prohibitions expressed,
at their peril.
But information has been received that, notwithstanding the
said treaty and proclamation, upwards of five hundred
families have settled on the Cherokee lands, exclusively of
those settled between the fork of French Broad and Holstein
Rivers, mentioned in the said treaty.
As the obstructions to a proper conduct on this matter have
been removed since it was mentioned to the Senate, on the
22d of August, 1789, by the accession of North Carolina to
the present Union, and the cessions of the land in
question, I shall conceive myself bound to exert the powers
intrusted to me by the constitution, in order to carry into
faithful execution the treaty of Hopewell, unless it shall
be thought proper to attempt to arrange a new boundary with
the Cherokees, embracing the settlements, and compensating
the Cherokees for the cessions they shall make on the
occasion. On this point, therefore, I state the following
questions, and request the advice of the Senate thereon:
1st. Is it the judgment of the Senate that overtures shall
be made to the Cherokees to arrange a new boundary, so as
to embrace the settlements made by the white people since
the treaty of Hopewell, in November, 1785?
2d. If so, shall compensation, to the amount of ----
dollars annually, or of ---- dollars in gross, be made to
the Cherokees for the land they shall relinquish, holding
the occupiers of the land accountable to the United States
for its value?
3d. Shall the United States stipulate solemnly to guarantee
the new boundary which may be arranged?