[Letter], 1824 Dec. 11 / Little Prince ... [et al.]

Page: [1]


[unclear text: Thle catch ca ]

11th Dec. 1824
In General Council
Friends & Brothers
You have given us a very long talk which we will now answer the most prominent parts of -- You tell us of things which we have never heard before. -- You tell us that the Muscogees are not the original proprietors of this soil. -- that they came from the west -- and obtained it by conquest. -- this we do not know. From all the traditions which has been handed down to us from our forefathers, we have been impressed with the belief that we are the original and sole proprietors of the soil.
Brothers. The first white people that ever landed here found us here. the first red people that were known to visit the whites were from the Coweta town we are therefore under the conviction that our people [deleted text: were ] are the original proprietors of the soil as an inheritance left to us by our forefathers, as proof of this every sale of lands which has been made to the whites, has been made by the Muscogees. -- But admit that we now hold our land by right of occupancy only. Admit the claim of Georgia to have been a good one to that part of our country ceded to the United States by the treaty of cession of
1802. -- a stipulation in that agreement declares that the United States will extinguish for Georgia the Indian title to the lands within the ceded limits so soon only as it can be done on peaceable & reasonable terms . this certainly admits the claim of the Muscogees to the right of an occupancy


Page: [2]
until they are willing to dispose of that occupancy.
It is true that in the war between G. Britain and her Colonies, that many of our people were deluded by the British and persuaded to take the side against the Colonies, but after the conclusion of that war which terminated in favour [favor] of the Colonies, a new free & independent government was formed and acknowledged by all or many of the European Powers.
After the establishment of the United States government they made treaties with the different tribes, and the first treaty entered into between the Muscogee nation and the United States at New York in
August 1790. the 5th Article of which here follows as "The United states solemnly guaranty [guarantees] to the Creek Nation all their lands within the limits of the United States to the Westward & Southward of the boundary line described by the preceding article."expressly guarantees to this nation all the lands within certain limits and not ceded by that treaty a part of which lands are the lands which Georgia now claims.
The 2d. [2nd] Article of the treaty of Fort Jackson done in
August 1814speaks this language. "The United States will guaranty [guarantee] to the Creek Nation the integrity of all their territory eastwardly & Northwardly of the said line to be run & described as mentioned in the first Article". -- At the treaty of the Indian Spring in
January 1821 in reply to a request made by the Chiefs of this nation to the Commissioners. For a guaranty [guarantee] to the remainder of their lands. -- the Commissioners said verbaly [verbally] "that we already had a sufficientguaranty [guarantee] in two former treaties "alluding undoubtedly to the treaties of New York in
1790. and Ft. Jackson in
1814.


Page: [3]

Taking into view the words of the treaty of cession with Georgia, and the several guarantees in treaty stipulations between this nation and the United States, as well as the letter of the Honbl [Honorable] George Graham Acting Secy [Secretary] of War to the Creek deputation, dated
17th March 1819. an extract of which here follows [unclear text: viz ] "The land which was guaranteed to you by the treaty signed by General Jackson and your Chiefs & Head men on the
9th of August 1814, is your land and your father the President who -- holds you and your nation fast by the hand will take care that no part of it is ever taken from you excepting by the free consent of the Chiefs and Head men given in Council, and for a valuable considerations". it seems to have been distinctly understood by the Contracting parties and acknowledged by the government of the United States, that no coercive were to be apprehended by us, nor can we believe that our father the President will act otherwiso [otherwise] than in good faith in the strict and faithful performance of treaty stipulations.
Brothers. We have already parted with various tracts of our land until we find our limits quite circumscribed we have barely a sufficiency left us.
The proposal to remove beyond the Mississippi we cannot for a moment listen to. Brothers. We have among us Aged & infirm Men & Women and helpless children, who cannot bear the fatigue of even a single days journey -- Shall we, can we, leave them behind us? -- Shall we desert in their old age the parents that fostered us? the answer is in your own hearts, no! -- Again. We feel an affection for the land in which we were born. We wish our bones to rest by the side of our fathers.


Page: [4]

[ Note: This page contains miscellaneous mathematical calculations. ] Considering then our now circumscribed limits. the attachments we have to our native soil, and the assurances which we have that our homes will never be forced from us, so long as the government of the United States shall exist, we must positively decline the proposal of a removal beyond the Mississippi, or the sale of any more of our territory
Brothers. We feel gratified by the friendly disposition manifested towards us by you and as we met friendly so we hope to part

Your friends & Brothers
[Signed] Chilly McIntosh Clerk of the [unclear text: National ]
[Signed] Little Prince his X mark
[Signed] Wm. McIntosh his X mark Speaker of the Nation
[Signed] Opoithle Yoholo his X mark Speaker of the Upper Creeks
[Signed] Hopy Hadgo his X mark