1566
AMERICAN HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
kind of a Govt will they establish¥ how will they sustain them- selves ?-You know the Indians well enough to know that so many different tribes of different habits and languages cannot be organised into any thing like regular government, or government of any kind, and could not long agree amongst themselves-When the spaniard and the Americanas are driven out and there is no common enemy to contend with, they would fight amongst themselves and nothing but confusion and massacre and plunder would be the consequence -As to the miserable Americans who might remain and form a part of such a combination they would be too insignificant both as to character or property or numbers to effect any thing or to have, or deserve to have any influence in any way, all would be Indian- but admitting you succeed this far and get possession of the country temporarily how are you to keep that possession 1 The mexican Nation has force to subdue you, and even admitting they had not, she can procure it from the United States of the North, for both nations would unite in crushing a common enemy to both, and ani-hilating so dangerous and troublesome a neighbor as a large combination of Indians would be-but admitting the Govt. of the United States would not furnish troops and this Govt. could not subdue the country-they would cede it to the United States were it for no other reason than to get rid of such neighbors, and the U. S. would soon sweep the country of Indians nnd drive them as they always have driven them to ruin and extermination-So that admitting this madness, this Independence succeeds to its full extent, the parties concerned have nothing but ruin in prospect, and will either cause the country to be desolated, or throw it into the hands of the United States and in either case the Indians are lost, past redemption lost. It is reported on the best authority that this Govt· has already ceded this country to the united States-the report comes from the East and the w· est-Now then is the happy moment in the tide of cherokee fortunes, get titles for them from this Govt· before the treaty is ratified and they are safe-delay it with the delusive hope of taking the country and they are lost-You know the Govt- of the United States and its policy as respects lands and Indians- I write you freely and frankly as a true friend of the cherokees and of virtue and justice-reflect on these matters-they now have a friend in me who can and will serve them if they take the legal course-they now can bring their affairs to a happy issue-Or they can ruin themselves, the American population and the country- .As respects the Edwardses they have been deceived, or are de- ceiving themselves as to my feelings towards them, and the letters of the chief of Department and commandant of arms to Hayden
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