[Letter], 1824 Jan. 19, Washington to James Monroe, President of the United States / [signed by] Jno [i.e., John] Ross, Geo[rge] Lowrey, Major Ridge, [and] Elijah Hicks

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Tenison's Hotel City of Washington
January 19th 1824

To his Excellency James Monroe President of the United States of America.
Father;
The delegation of the Cherokee Nation have taken their Brother the Secretary of War by the hand, and have [added text: had ] the honor and satisfaction of being introduced by him, to you. And we have grasped your right hand as the great Father of all the red, as well as the white children within the limits of these United States.. We now take occasion to communicate a part of the business on which we are intrusted [entrusted], believing the Subjects embraced, required your immediate attention -- therefore have thought proper to present them directly before you -- a communication comprising the other objects of our mission, is made thro [through], the department of War.
Father. the ignorant and wretched condition of your red children, makes them in some degree inferior to their white brethren, but as a parent, you have not despised them on account of their unfortunate situation, but you have sympathized in their misfortunes and have endeavored [endeavored] to relieve them in some degree of their unhappy conditions, your magnanimous and benevolent exertions have not been in vain, as respects the Cherokee [unclear text: 's ] education, agriculture, manufacture, and the mechanic arts have been introduced among them, and are now progressing as rapidly as can reasonably be expected. the liberal encouragement given by the Nation for general improvement cannot fail to accomplish their complete civilization -- true, there are many who have been raised under the native habits of their ancestors


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who cannot be expected to abandon wholly the favorite customs which have been imbibed in their youth, their partiality and prejudices in favor of their fathers, are naturally strong. but under the present aspect of improvement; they will not fail to encourage their children to adopt the prevailing habits of industry and civilizations; therefore as the old stubbles disappear the new sprouts will flourish under cultivation --
Father. As the prosperity and future happiness of the Cherokee people rests on the magnanimity and fostering care of the government over which you preside, it is the only source where we can present our grievances for justice and redress. Therefore we will speak with candour [candor] and truth -- the Cherokee Nation labour [labor] under a peculiar inconvenience, from the repeated appropriations which are made for the purpose of holding treaties with them for lands, this circumstance has been productive of much evil to the improvement of the Nation in the arts of Civilized life; as it cannot be denied that it has retarded its progress; by unsettling the prospects of individuals.
The Cherokee Nation have now come to a decisive and unalterable conclusion not to cede away any more lands, the limits reserved by them under the treaty of
1819 is not more than sufficient for their comfort and convenience, taking into consideration the great body of mountains and poor lands which can never be settled -- . It is a gratifying truth that the Cherokees are rapidly increasing in population; Therefore it is an incumbent duty on the nation to preserve unimpaired the rights of posterity to the lands of their ancestors. We have told you of the decisive & unalterable disposition of the nation in regard to their lands.


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Father. We would now beg your interposition with Congress in behalf of your red children the Cherokees, so that provision may be made by law to authorize an adjustment between the United States and the State of Georgia, so that the former may be released from the existing compact, so far as it respects the extinguishment of Cherokee title to lands within the chartered limits of Georgia --
Father We now approach a subject which we are constrained to communicate under the authority of our instructions. It is with deep regret we have to state that the Nation have not that full confidence in the impartial disposition of the present agent to administer justice between the redman and whiteman as is necessary for a public officer to maintain; This want of confidence have arisen from peculiarly imposing circumstances, which cannot be reconciled as having inadvertantly [inadvertently] transpired. -- . Therefore under these painfull [painful] circumstances the authorities of the Nation have been constrained to tell the truth of their sentiments to their Father the President; And desiring a permanent & everlasting friendship and protection from the exalted government, under which we have been preserved and fostered: and the officer of Indian Agent, being the oracle thro [through], which the government receives its official information relative to the conduct & disposition of the red people, how important it is to have an impartial agent, unbiased from selfish or inimical motives to represent them, therefore we earnestly solicit and entreat you as a gratefull [grateful]


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And sympathizing Father, to look on your red children the Cherokees, see their situation; pity them and give them a new agent whom they may rejoice in holding fast by the hand as a Brother; in so doing, your red children who have appealed to your magnanimity, as in duty bound will ever pray.
Father; Permit us to add, & call your attention to a treaty which was entered into between the Cherokee nation and Daniel Smith and Return J. Meigs Commissioners duly authorized by the then President (Mr. Jefferson) of the United States on the
24th Octobr. [October] 1804, for a tract of land in the State of Georgia known by the name of Wafford's Settlement, for which cession the nation was to receive one thousand dollars annually; for reasons not fairly known to us. This treaty was not ratified. but the United States kept possession of the lands thereby deprived the Nation from receiving the equivalent [added text: for ] which it was sold, as this treaty was duly authorized and solemnly entered into; and the the [the] United States received the land which they had treated for, we conceive it but just that the Cherokees should not receive the equivalent for which they sold the land -- Therefore we hope our present Father the President & the Senate of the United States will reconsider the subject & ratify the aforesaid Treaty. may the blessings of [added text: a ] Kind Providence rest upon you and all who dwells under your administration, is the sincere prayer of your Cherokee children.

[Signed] Jno. [John] Ross
[Signed] Geo. [George] Lowrey
[Signed] Major Ridge
[Signed] Elijah Hicks
A True Copy --

28th January 1824