WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1830
166
the Agent does not allege this as one of the causes for the deten- tion of the register of improvements. He had others more potent and profitale than this. He might as well have alleged as a reason for detention, the settlement of many Cherokee families, by his advice, within the limits of the country c.eded by the U. States to the C1toctaws. This is a fact that the Major let escape his notice, as he could do very conveniently. It is nevertheless true, and that they yet remain on the Choctaw land. Will Col. McKenny say that the treaty has not been complied with in this, and that the Cherokees have forefited the $50,000. "T'he case is altered" here, and no one will see and feel it sooner than the Colonel. Let it now be seen whether or not the facts stated by Maj. du Val have any thing to do with the detention of the register, and why it was not sent on until the 1st of December. The Agent knows very well that it was his duty to appraise (with others) the im- provements abandoned by the Cherokees, and to report the same to the Government, and this was to be done so soon as they were abandoned by their occupants, and before those Indians could re- move to White river they must have abandoned their habitations, and, of course, they were valued and the register made out no doubt by th~ Agent, but the owners have never received them. The presence of the occupant had nothing to do with the valua- tion or the register. Then, if necessary, the facts could have been reported to the Department of War, when the register was sent on. But there are other facts more important to the "triumph of truth over error." The Agent did not remove to the country ceded to the Cherokees, but remained at his former Agency, be- tween eighty and one hundred miles east of the nearest point of the Cherokee line, and one hundred and fifty miles from the new Council-house. The Indians had removed without getting their certificates,- Some were sent to them, and others would ride 150 miles to obtain them from the Agent at his residence, and then the cause of delay was demonstrated. How was it demon- strated? Why, the Agent had a STORE; nor was it any new· thing with him, for he had for years been fleecing the Indians by the same means. When an Indian would ask for his certificate, the Ma.jor could get over many difficulties, and oblige the Indian. But in the meantime it would be ascertained whether or not the Indian had bargained it away, (which was easily done by his convenient ma.n), and if he had, difficulties were increased, but if he had not sold it, the Major could not buy it, but some one in the store would, and the poor Indian was, by the corruption of
i
Powered by FlippingBook