democracy in america-1-第114章

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　the　Americans　have　frequently　treated　with　them　as　with　foreign　nations；　the　surrounding　States　have　not　consented　to　acknowledge　them　as　independent　peoples；　and　attempts　have　been　made　to　subject　these　children　of　the　woods　to　Anglo…American　magistrates；　laws；　and　customs。　*u　Destitution　had　driven　these　unfortunate　Indians　to　civilization；　and　oppression　now　drives　them　back　to　their　former　condition：　many　of　them　abandon　the　soil　which　they　had　begun　to　clear；　and　return　to　their　savage　course　of　life。

＇Footnote　u：　In　1829　the　State　of　Alabama　divided　the　Creek　territory　into　counties；　and　subjected　the　Indian　population　to　the　power　of　European　magistrates。


Chapter　XVIII：　Future　Condition　Of　Three　Races　…　Part　III

In　1830　the　State　of　Mississippi　assimilated　the　Choctaws　and　Chickasaws　to　the　white　population；　and　declared　that　any　of　them　that　should　take　the　title　of　chief　would　be　punished　by　a　fine　of　1；000　and　a　year's　imprisonment。　　When　these　laws　were　enforced　upon　the　Choctaws；　who　inhabited　that　district；　the　tribe　assembled；　their　chief　communicated　to　them　the　intentions　of　the　whites；　and　read　to　them　some　of　the　laws　to　which　it　was　intended　that　they　should　submit；　and　they　unanimously　declared　that　it　was　better　at　once　to　retreat　again　into　the　wilds。＇

If　we　consider　the　tyrannical　measures　which　have　been　adopted　by　the　legislatures　of　the　Southern　States；　the　conduct　of　their　Governors；　and　the　decrees　of　their　courts　of　justice；　we　shall　be　convinced　that　the　entire　expulsion　of　the　Indians　is　the　final　result　to　which　the　efforts　of　their　policy　are　directed。　　The　Americans　of　that　part　of　the　Union　look　with　jealousy　upon　the　aborigines；　*v　they　are　aware　that　these　tribes　have　not　yet　lost　the　traditions　of　savage　life；　and　before　civilization　has　permanently　fixed　them　to　the　soil；　it　is　intended　to　force　them　to　recede　by　reducing　them　to　despair。　　The　Creeks　and　Cherokees；　oppressed　by　the　several　States；　have　appealed　to　the　central　government；　which　is　by　no　means　insensible　to　their　misfortunes；　and　is　sincerely　desirous　of　saving　the　remnant　of　the　natives；　and　of　maintaining　them　in　the　free　possession　of　that　territory；　which　the　Union　is　pledged　to　respect。　*w　But　the　several　States　oppose　so　formidable　a　resistance　to　the　execution　of　this　design；　that　the　government　is　obliged　to　consent　to　the　extirpation　of　a　few　barbarous　tribes　in　order　not　to　endanger　the　safety　of　the　American　Union。

＇Footnote　v：　The　Georgians；　who　are　so　much　annoyed　by　the　proximity　of　the　Indians；　inhabit　a　territory　which　does　not　at　present　contain　more　than　seven　inhabitants　to　the　square　mile。　　In　France　there　are　one　hundred　and　sixty…two　inhabitants　to　the　same　extent　of　country。＇

＇Footnote　w：　In　1818　Congress　appointed　commissioners　to　visit　the　Arkansas　Territory；　accompanied　by　a　deputation　of　Creeks；　Choctaws；　and　Chickasaws。　This　expedition　was　commanded　by　Messrs。　Kennerly；　M'Coy；　Wash　Hood；　and　John　Bell。　　See　the　different　reports　of　the　commissioners；　and　their　journal；　in　the　Documents　of　Congress；　No。　87；　House　of　Representatives。＇

But　the　federal　government；　which　is　not　able　to　protect　the　Indians；　would　fain　mitigate　the　hardships　of　their　lot；　and；　with　this　intention；　proposals　have　been　made　to　transport　them　into　more　remote　regions　at　the　public　cost。

Between　the　thirty…third　and　thirty…seventh　degrees　of　north　latitude；　a　vast　tract　of　country　lies；　which　has　taken　the　name　of　Arkansas；　from　the　principal　river　that　waters　its　extent。　　It　is　bounded　on　the　one　side　by　the　confines　of　Mexico；　on　the　other　by　the　Mississippi。　　Numberless　streams　cross　it　in　every　direction；　the　climate　is　mild；　and　the　soil　productive；　but　it　is　only　inhabited　by　a　few　wandering　hordes　of　savages。　　The　government　of　the　Union　wishes　to　transport　the　broken　remnants　of　the　indigenous　population　of　the　South　to　the　portion　of　this　country　which　is　nearest　to　Mexico；　and　at　a　great　distance　from　the　American　settlements。

We　were　assured；　towards　the　end　of　the　year　1831；　that　10；000　Indians　had　already　gone　down　to　the　shores　of　the　Arkansas；　and　fresh　detachments　were　constantly　following　them；　but　Congress　has　been　unable　to　excite　a　unanimous　determination　in　those　whom　it　is　disposed　to　protect。　　Some；　indeed；　are　willing　to　quit　the　seat　of　oppression；　but　the　most　enlightened　members　of　the　community　refuse　to　abandon　their　recent　dwellings　and　their　springing　crops；　they　are　of　opinion　that　the　work　of　civilization；　once　interrupted；　will　never　be　resumed；　they　fear　that　those　domestic　habits　which　have　been　so　recently　contracted；　may　be　irrevocably　lost　in　the　midst　of　a　country　which　is　still　barbarous；　and　where　nothing　is　prepared　for　the　subsistence　of　an　agricultural　people；　they　know　that　their　entrance　into　those　wilds　will　be　opposed　by　inimical　hordes；　and　that　they　have　lost　the　energy　of　barbarians；　without　acquiring　the　resources　of　civilization　to　resist　their　attacks。　　Moreover；　the　Indians　readily　discover　that　the　settlement　which　is　proposed　to　them　is　merely　a　temporary　expedient。　　Who　can　assure　them　that　they　will　at　length　be　allowed　to　dwell　in　peace　in　their　new　retreat？　　The　United　States　pledge　themselves　to　the　observance　of　the　obligation；　but　the　territory　which　they　at　present　occupy　was　formerly　secured　to　them　by　the　most　solemn　oaths　of　Anglo…American　faith。　*x　The　American　government　does　not　indeed　rob　them　of　their　lands；　but　it　allows　perpetual　incursions　to　be　made　on　them。　　In　a　few　years　the　same　white　population　which　now　flocks　around　them；　will　track　them　to　the　solitudes　of　the　Arkansas；　they　will　then　be　exposed　to　the　same　evils　without　the　same　remedies；　and　as　the　limits　of　the　earth　will　at　last　fail　them；　their　only　refuge　is　the　grave。　

＇Footnote　x：　The　fifth　article　of　the　treaty　made　with　the　Creeks　in　August；　1790；　is　in　the　following　words：　…　〃The　United　States　solemnly　guarantee　to　the　Creek　nation　all　their　land　within　the　limits　of　the　United　States。〃

The　seventh　article　of　the　treaty　concluded　in　1791　with　the　Cherokees　says：　…　〃The　United　States　solemnly　guarantee　to　the　Cherokee　nation　all　their　lands　not　hereby　ceded。〃　The　following　article　declared　that　if　any　citizen　of　the　United　States　or　other　settler　not　of　the　Indian　race　should　establish　himself　upon　the　territory　of　the　Cherokees；　the　United　States　would　withdraw　their　protection　from　that　individual；　and　give　him　up　to　be　punished　as　the　Cherokee　nation　should　think　fit。＇

The　Union　treats　the　Indians　with　less　cupidity　and　rigor　than　the　policy　of　the　several　States；　but　the　two　governments　are　alike　destitute　of　good　faith。　　The　States　extend　what　they　are　pleased　to　term　the　benefits　of　their　laws　to　the　Indians；　with　a　belief　that　the　tribes　will　recede　rather　than　submit；　and　the　central　government；　which　promises　a　permanent　refuge　to　these　unhappy　beings　is　well　aware　of　its　inability　to　secure　it　to　them。　*y　

＇Footnote　y：　This　does　not　prevent　them　from　promising　in　the　most　solemn　manner　to　do　so。　　See　the　letter　of　the　President　addressed　to　the　Creek　Indians；　March　23；　1829　（Proceedings　of　the　Indian　Board；　in　the　city　of　New　York；　p。　5）：　〃Beyond　the　great　river　Mississippi；　where　a　part　of　your　nation　has　gone；　your　father　has　provided　a　country　large　enough　for　all　of　you；　and　he　advises　you　to　remove　to　it。　　There　your　white　brothers　will　not　trouble　you；　they　will　have　no　claim　to　the　land；　and　you　can　live　upon　it；　you　and　all　your　children；　as　long　as　the　grass　grows；　or　the　water　runs；　in　peace　and　plenty。　　It　will　be　yours　forever。〃

The　Secretary　of　War；　in　a　letter　written　to　the　Cherokees；　April　18；　1829；　（see　the　same　work；　p。　6）；　declares　to　them　that　they　cannot　expect　to　retain　possession　of　the　lands　at　that　time　occupied　by　them；　but　gives　them　the　most　positive　assurance　of　uninterrupted　peace　if　they　would　remove　beyond　the　Mississippi：　as　if　the　power　which　could　not　grant　them　protection　then；　would　be　able　to　afford　it　them　hereafter！＇

Thus　the　tyranny　of　the　States　obliges　the　savages　to　retire；　the　Union；　by　its　promises　and　resources；　facilitates　their　retreat；　and　these　measures　tend　to　precisely　the　same