164
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1830
up financially, holding on to jobs desperately, promising impossible things, yet siding eagerly with politicians in their ,arguments for state rights in the desire to move the Indians westwa1·d. See Anna H. Abel, American Historical Association Rcpo1·ts, 1906, Vol. I; Dictionary of American Biog- raphy, XII, 89-90. °Colonel John Crowell was a brother of Thomas Crowell. He was the Indian Agent for the western Creeks, 1820-1830.
IN DEFENCE OF THE lNDJANS 1
[August 14, 1830]
For the A'rkansas Gazette. A letter, under date 11th of June, addressed by Thomas L. McKenny, of the Indian Department, to the Editor of the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser, has recently come under my observation, and has just claims upon all those who can derive pleasure "from the triumph of truth over error." The Colonel most manfully steps forward as the champion of the Secretary of War (he may not be at home), and undertakes not only to vindicate the Gov- ernment, but to inculpate the· Cherokees upon the testimony of their Ex-Agent, Major du Val. Now, the Co!onef ought to have drawn the distinction between a letter of excuse, written by the Agent, for palpable neglect of duty, on his part, addressed to the Department, and an official letter, founded upon the truth of facts. I will venture the Major does not thank the Colonel for the liberty which he has taken with his apologetic letter of the 1st of December last. Now, I will proceed to the examination of the subject of the treaty of May 6th, 1828, and see the consistency as well as the truth of the Colonel's statements. He says, that unde1· the treaty, the Cherokees have no legal 1·ight to the $50,000 conditioned upon their removal from the ceded territory. It would be useless to seek for honeyed phrases to give the Colonel's statement the go-by; for it is as evasive, jesuitical, and incorrect, as it can be; and if I do not demonstrate it c!early, I will admit that the Colonel has a right to lose his very fine equanimity of temper. The 5th article of the treaty, among other reasons for giving the $50,000, says, "in consideration of the inconvenience and trouble attending removal, and on account of the reduced value of a great portion of the lands herein ceded to the Cheroke1:s, as compared with that of those in Arkansas which were made their's by the treaty of 1817, and the convention of 1819, [the U. States] will pay to the Ch2rokees, immediately after their removal, which shall be
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