When Georgia had begun to recover its breath, after the difficulties
with the Creeks, the people had time to discover that they had a much
more serious problem to deal with in the Cherokee nation, which occupied
all the northwestern portion of the State. Those who mingled thrift with
their benevolence, and had the courage to think about the future of
the whites as well as the future of the savages, thought that both
ends would be attained by making a permanent settlement for the Indians
beyond the Mississippi River. Those whose benevolence was a mixture of
sentimentality and romantic misinformation thought the Indians ought
to be left where contact with the whites would tend to civilize
and Christianize them. Consequently there were two parties to the
discussion, and a good deal of practical selfishness at the bottom of it
all. There used to be an old song running in this wise,--
"All I want in this creation,
Is a pretty little wife and a big plantation
Away up yonder in the Cherokee nation,"--
and this song no doubt represented the real feeling behind the whole
matter. The big plantation was what was really wanted. At the same time
it should not be forgotten that it was for the benefit of the Indians as
well as the whites that they should be settled in a section where they
would remain undisturbed. This policy has been proven by time to be the
true one.
Travelers and romancers have done no end of harm by exalting the Indian
character, covering up its faults, and exaggerating its merits. Romance
has made great heroes of the Indians; but in the whole history of the
red men, so far as it has been faithfully chronicled, the names of the
Indians of unmixed blood who are worth remembering can be counted on the
fingers of two hands.
Sequoia, or George Guess, who invented the Cherokee alphabet, was the
grandson of a white man. This invention, however, was a very remarkable
achievement, and it is worthy of a word here. Sequoia was altogether
illiterate. He could neither write nor speak English, but he saw that
the whites could talk with each other by means of pieces of paper. So
he set himself to work to examine his own language. He found that sixty
monosyllables could be so combined as to represent every word in
the Cherokee language, and for each of these syllables he formed a
character. Many of these characters were taken from an English spelling
book which he managed to get hold of. Some are Greek characters, and
others are letters of the English alphabet turned upside down; but
each character in the Cherokee alphabet stands for a monosyllable. It
happened, too, from the structure of the Cherokee language or dialect,
that the syllabic alphabet is also in the nature of a grammar; so that
those who know the language by ear, and master the alphabet, can at once
read and write. Owing to the extreme simplicity of this system, it can
be acquired in a few days. Some have learned it even in one day. Thus
it happened that the Cherokees, who were at the beginning of one year
ignorant and illiterate, had become in the course of a few months able
to read and write their own language. They accomplished this without
going to school, and without expense of time or money.
This curious and useful invention is dwelt on here because it stands
alone. The Indian grandson of a white man remains to-day the only man,
in the long history of the aborigines, who has done anything for the
real and lasting benefit of his race.
When the people of Georgia insisted on the removal of that nation to the
Far West, the Cherokees were neither better nor worse than the rest of
the Indians. Some of the half-breeds had indeed begun to put on the airs
of civilization, and many of them had put off their barbarian garbs; but
from time to time they gave evidence that contact with the whites had
only whetted their savage appetites for cruelty. The Indian in Cooper's
novels and the Indian in real life are two different creatures. They
were tall and straight because they refused to do manual labor. The
drudgery was left to the women, who hoed the corn when at home, and
carried the burdens when the warriors were moving about. They cultivated
the passion of revenge. Those who know them best have declared in
a thousand ways that they never found in the red men any solid
substantial, or agreeable quality. They were brave, but so is a bulldog.
There is no wonder that Georgia wanted to get rid of them as neighbors.
The people showed their anxiety in this matter when, in 1802, they
conveyed to the United States Government all the valuable lands that now
form the States of Alabama and Mississippi; the consideration being that
the General Government would secure from the Indians, and open up to
settlement, the lands which they then held in the State. In 1808 the
Cherokees asked the United States to allow them to examine the public
land west of the Mississippi, and, if pleased, to settle on it.
Permission was given, and the Cherokees sent a party to explore
the lands. The country suited them so well that many of the Indians
emigrated at once. The General Government thus had an opportunity to
carry out the contract of 1802, but failed to do so. It had another
opportunity in 1814, when the conquered Creeks sued for peace. The
General Government had the right to demand of them the cession of the
land they occupied in Georgia. Instead, it took land in Alabama, which
it sold for its own benefit.
And so the matter went on from year to year, and the people waited
patiently; for they had become aware, from costly experience, that one
of the prices they have to pay for popular government is the occasional
rule of the political demagogue.
In 1827, when the people of Georgia began to grow restive under the
failure of the government to carry out its contracts, the Cherokees
had declared themselves to be an independent state. They had their own
printed constitution and code of laws. So that here in the limits of
Georgia there were three governments going on at one and the same
time. The United States prohibited any person from settling on Indian
territory, or trading with any Indian, without a special license from
the proper authority. In addition to this, the State of Georgia had
found it necessary to extend her criminal courts over the Cherokee
territory, in order to protect her own citizens.
The half-breeds among the Cherokees were very shrewd and unscrupulous.
They had caused some of their tribe to take possession of lands ceded
to Georgia by the Creeks, and in this way sought to add confusion to the
discussion that was then going on. The Indians took possession by force.
They were armed and painted, and led by Chief Ridge. Fourteen or fifteen
houses were burned by these savages, and the white women and children
were left exposed to the weather, the ground being covered with snow.
The great trouble with the Cherokees then and afterwards was, that the
government of their nation had fallen into the hands of half-breeds,
whose education only gave them fresh opportunities to gain wealth
and power at the expense of the rest of the tribe. They owned trading
houses, big plantations, numbers of slaves, had charge of the ferries,
and controlled all the traffic between the whites and the Indians. As
these half-breeds became wealthier, the rest of the tribe became poorer.
They had forsaken their primitive habits and customs, and taken up those
of the most depraved whites who lived among them. It is worthy of note
that the most progressive spirits among the Cherokees were in favor
of emigration beyond the Mississippi. The leaders of this party were
natives of unmixed blood, who saw that the control of the corrupt
half-breeds was carrying the nation to ruin. Several of these leaders
were waylaid and shot down by the agents of those whose policy they were
opposing. The alarm in some sections was very great. The citizens met,
and adopted resolutions requesting the government to station troops at
suitable points, for the protection of the lives and property of the
whites and friendly Indians.
Under an act of the Legislature, a body of militia had been organized,
under the name of the "Georgia Guard." It was the duty of the Guard to
protect the citizens of Georgia and the friendly Cherokees. John Howard
Payne, the famous author of "Home, Sweet Home," was arrested by this
Guard. The poet was traveling among the Cherokees for information, and
was no doubt ignorant of the state of feeling then existing. He was
finally suspected by the vigilant Georgia Guard of writing improper
papers. He had been seen making notes, and when he was arrested his
papers were searched. The commander of the Georgia Guard, Colonel
William N. Bishop, reported to the governor that he had examined some
of Mr. Payne's papers, and found some very improper and indiscreet
statements about the President, the government, and the State
authorities, and many bitter remarks concerning Cherokee matters.
Evidently, Colonel Bishop was of the opinion, that, while a politician
or a newspaper editor might be allowed to indulge in improper and
indiscreet statements about Presidents and other public men, a poet
had no such rights. But the colonel finally discharged Mr. Payne from
custody, and the very foolish proceeding was condemned by a resolution
of the General Assembly.
In 1835 two parties had developed in the Cherokee nation. One was in
favor of removal to the Western lands, and the other was opposed
to removal. John Ridge headed the removal party, and John Ross the
opposition. In February of that year these men went to Washington at
the head of deputations, and entered into negotiations with the General
Government. After a great deal of talk, excitement, confusion, and
trouble, the Cherokee people finally concluded to hold a meeting at Red
Clay in October, 1835. There was a good deal of angry feeling between
those of the Cherokees who were in favor of a treaty of removal and
those who were opposed to it. Major Ridge, John Ridge, and David Vann
were impeached for holding opinions contrary to those held by the
Cherokee authorities. On the other hand, many of those in favor of
removal met, and passed resolutions, in which they declared that their
people could not prosper in the midst of a white population, and that,
while they loved the lands of their fathers, and would leave the place
of their birth with regret, they considered that it would be better to
become exiles than to submit to the laws of the State.
At the Red Clay meeting, arrangements were made for discussing with the
United States authorities the terms of a treaty of removal. The Ross
party was still violently opposed to removal. John Ross, the leader of
this party, was only one fourth Indian, the other three fourths
being Scotch and American. Ross was very shrewd and thrifty, and had
accumulated a great deal of property, with the prospect of accumulating
more. He had many sympathizers and admirers in all parts of the country.
It seems to have been thought a wonderful thing in that day, that a man
one quarter Indian should be able to read and write English, and make
political speeches. When everything had been arranged for the final
treaty, and while negotiations were going forward, Ross and his party
put an end to them, and went to Washington, where they hoped to delay
matters. But the Ridge party met the United States commissioners at New
Echota on the 21st of December, 1835, according to appointment, and on
the 29th the treaty was concluded. On May 23, 1836, it was ratified.
By the terms of this treaty, the Cherokees, in consideration of the sum
of five million dollars, relinquished all claims to lands east of the
Mississippi. In addition to the money to be paid, they were to receive
seven million acres of land west of the Mississippi. Should this
territory be found to be insufficient, the United States, in
consideration of five hundred thousand dollars, was to convey to them
an additional body of land. The land thus granted was not to be included
within the limits of any State at any future time. The Cherokees were
guaranteed protection against domestic strife and foreign enemies, and
it was provided that the tribe should be entitled to a delegate in the
House of Representatives whenever Congress passed a law to that effect.
The United States authorities were to remove the Cherokees to their new
homes, and to provide for their support for one year after they were
settled. There were other provisions, all in favor of the Cherokees. The
Indians were to be removed within two years after the ratification of
the treaty.
Ross, and other leaders opposed to removal, had gone to Washington.
While there they were informed, by Major Ridge and others, of the treaty
at New Echota. Ross refused to make any reply to the communication, but
tried to make a new treaty. He was told that he could not be received to
make a new treaty. The attitude of the Ross party, together with certain
threats that had been made by their followers, led many citizens
of Georgia to believe that the Indians opposed to removal would, in
accordance with their character and history, revenge themselves by
making night attacks on the unprotected people. Consequently those most
likely to be the victims of such attacks petitioned the governor for
arms, ammunition, and troops; and these petitions were granted. A
battalion of militia was raised, and placed at Lashley's Ferry on the
Coosa River, with orders to keep the Cherokees in check, and also to
prevent the Creeks from coming into Georgia. Many of the Cherokees were
disarmed; and five hundred muskets, with ammunition, were sent into
Cherokee County, for the use of the people in the event of any hostile
movement on the part of the Indians.
The State of Georgia was to take possession of the territory ceded by
the treaty on the twenty-fourth day of May, 1838, and the military were
got in readiness for removing the Indians. General Scott, of the United
States army, called on the governor of Georgia for two regiments, and to
this call there was a prompt response. By the 18th of May enough men had
arrived at New Echota, where the troops were to assemble, to organize a
regiment; and on the morning of the 24th the troops took up the line of
march for the purpose of collecting the Indians. This continued until
the 3d of June, when the troops and the Indians started for Ross's
Landing on the Tennessee River. About fifteen hundred Indians had been
collected by the Georgia troops, and these troops were then dismissed
from the service of the United States.
The rest of the work was done by the regular army, which, being
divided into small detachments, went about the Cherokee country, making
prisoners of family after family, and carrying them to the camps. The
most careful arrangements had been made to prevent cruelty or disorder,
and there has never been any complaint as to the manner in which the
troops performed their duty. Nearly the whole nation had been gathered
into camps by the end of June. At that time some of the Indians began
their march to the West; but the great body of the tribe, fourteen
thousand in number, did not begin their westward journey until
September, owing to the hot weather. Every arrangement that could be
suggested was made for the comfort of the Indians in their march; but
from May, when the removal began, to the time when the last company had
completed its journey, more than four thousand persons died.
One year afterwards, on the 22d of June, 1839, Major Ridge, John Ridge,
and Elias Boudinot, all of whom had taken an active part in negotiating
the treaty of removal, were assassinated.
Since their removal the Cherokees have prospered to a greater extent
than any other Indian tribe. They have a government of their own,
flourishing schools, and books and newspapers printed in their own
language. It is the only tribe of American Indians that has shown any
desire or ability to share in the benefits of civilization.