Western Sun, Volume 3, Number 21, Vincennes, Knox County, 19 May 1810 — Page 1

WESTERN SUN

EACH CENTURY HAS ITS PECULIAR MODE OF DOING BUSINESS, AND MEN GUIDED MORE BY CUSTOM THAN BY REASON, FOLLOW WITHOUT ENQUIRY, THE MANNERS WHICH ARE PREVALENT IN THEIR OWN TIME.— HUME.

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(BY AUTHORITY.) LAWS OE THE U. STATES. Session 1809 & 1810. AN ACT Authoring the discharge of William Hawkins from his imprisonment. BE it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the marshal of the district of Maine, be, and he is hereby authorised and directed to dscharge William Hawkins from his imprisonment, upon an execution issued against him in behalf of the United States : Provided, That the said William Hawkins shall pay and satisfy all the costs that have arisen on the part of the United States in the said prosecution, and shall aslign and convey all the estate real & personal, which he may own, or be entitled to, to some person for the ufse and benefit of the United States, under the direction of the secretary of the treasury : And provided also, That any estate, real or personal which the said William Hawkins may hereafter acquire, shall be liable to be taken and sold, in the same manner as if he had never been imprisoned and discharged as aforesaid. J. B. VARNUM, Speaker of the House of Representatives, GEO: CLINTON, Vice-President of the United States, and President of the Senate February 20, 1810. APPROVED, JAMES MADISON AN ACT To alter and amend an act entitled "An act providing for the third Census or enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States," passed the twenty sixth day of Mlarch, one thousand eight hundred and ten. BE it enacted by the Senate and house of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the enumeration mentioned in the first section of the act hereby amended shall clofse within five months from the first Monady in August next, and the assistants shall make their returns to the marshals andsecretaries within the said five months, any thing in the said act to the contrary notwithstanding. J. B. VARNUM, Speaker of the House of Representatives. GEO : CLINTON, Vice-President of the United States, and President of the Senate. December 9, 1809. APPROVED, JAMES MADISON. From the National Intelligencer of the 25 December, 1809, The following view of the condition of the Cherokees cannot fail generally to interest our readers, or to afford peculiar gratification to the philanthropiet. It confirms the most sanguine expectations that have been entertained of ameliorating the lot of the aborigine of our country, and must operate as a sufficient motive to a strenuous perseverrance to the enlightened policy that has hitherto characterised our conduct towards them.

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1810.

Letter from Return J. Meigs, Esquire, to the Secretary of War. Highwassee Garrison, 1st Dec. 1809. SIR, I NOW transmit a general statistical table for the Cherokee nation. This was attempted in 1806, having at that time the consent of the late Secretary of war ; but the Cherokets having some unfounded jealousies, that there was something in the measure intended to take advantage of them and expressing some reluctance to the measure, it was postponed until the last year. It has now been done vith as much accuracy as possible, by the interpreters. If there is any error, it his probably arisen from a duplication in some to report a less number of pesons, and of livestock than they actually have. The Cherokees on the Arkansa and White rivers, are not included in the table now transmiitted ; it is estimated that there is bout 1000 including men, women and children on the west side of the Mississippi; they have also many Cattle and horses, some of them being very wealthy. The table now forwarded does not exhibit all their wealth; they have no inconsiderable quantity of cash in circulation, which they receive annually for the sale of cattle and swine. In 1803 they had not a single perch of waggon road in their whole country. In that year they consented at the request of the government to have a road opened for a communication between the states of Georgia and Tennessee. This road with its branches was opened by those states and is about 220 miles, on which they have a turnpike by agreement with the government, for which they are bound to keep the road in good condition for carriages. Since finding the advantages arising from roads they have at their own expence opened upwards of 300 miles of waggon road for communication between East and West Tennessee. These roads intersect the first mentioned great road at different points, except one road of 100 miles opened by Doublehead, commencing at Franklin county, Tennessee, & runs to the Muscle Shoals, and it is contemplated to be continued to the navigible waters of Mobile. But to effect this the interposition ot the government will be necessary ; because, from the Shoals to the navigable waters of Mobile, the road must cross lands claimed by the Cherokees and the Chickasaws. Thus far, as exhibited by the statistical table, have the Cherokees prespered by the pastoral life and by domestic manufactures ; but it must be understood that a spirit of industry doces by no means pervade the general population ; the greatest number are extremely poor for want of industry. The hunters life is here at an end ; but a predeliction for the hunters life pervades a great part of the Cherokees, and many are waiting to hear whether the government wil! give them the necessary aid and encouragement to migrate to the west side of the Mississippi. Notwithftanding this they have strong Iocal attachment to the place of their birth, and to the sepulchre of their fathers. This being the case, to induce great numbers to migrate they must be excited by advances of such kind as they need to establish themselves on the rivers mentioned : viz. arms, ammunition, beaver traps, blankets, and some provision of the bread kind, flour or corn, corn will suit them best. After the first year they will want nothing of the government. except a factory for Indian trade and promise of protection by the govern-

ment. These things once attained, and their attachment and friendship is secured forever they will be proud of being closely connected with the United States, by whom they have been raised in improvement far above the western Indians. I am, sir, very respectifully, your obedient servant. RETURN J. MEIGS. William Eustis, Secretary of War. The document referred to in this letter purports to be "A general statistical table for the Cherokee nation, exhibiting a view of their population and improvements in the useful arts, and of their property acquired under the fostering hand of government, which has principally been done since the year 1796. It exhibits in detail the number of Cherokee males and females, of horses, black cattle, sheep, swine, spinning wheels, looms, waggons, ploughs, grist mills, saw mills, salt petre works, powder mills, silver smiths, schools, white people, and negro slaves in each town, village and plantation, amount ing to 135—. It is fscarcely practicable in a newspaper to present in its details such a comprehensive table ; and almost every useful purpose will be attained by the following condensed view of its contents. Number of Cherokee males 6116 do. females 6,279 Horses 6,519 Black cattle 19,165 Sheep 1,037 Swine 19,778 Spinning wheels 1,572 Looms 429 Waggons 30 Ploughs 567 Grist mills 13 Saw mills 3 Salt petre works 2 Powder mills 1 Silver smiths 49 Schools 5 Childred at school 94 White people 341 Negro slaves 383 A considerable number of the white men are married to Cherokee women, others are employed as croppers for the Cherokees. Col. Ore, who carries on the making of salt petre at this town (Nickajack) told me Iast year, that he had made in five years upwards of 60,000 pounds of sat petre, a considerable part of which he used in the making of powder. Estimate of the principle articles, their value, viz. 6519 horfes at 30 dol. each 195,570 19165 black cattle at 10 dol. 153,320 1037 Sheep at 2 dol. 2,074 19778 Swine at 2 dol. 39,553 13 Grift mills at 260 dol. 3,380 3 Saw mills at 500 dol. 1,500 30 Waggons at 40 dol. I,200 583 Negro at 300 dol. 174,900 Dollars 571,500 This property has been arquired by the Cherokees within a few years. INERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. The state of New-York has, within a few years, surpassed most of her sistr states in her progress to wealth and respectability, by the attention of her citizens, encouraged by a liberal and enlightened legislature, to objects of political economy. Amidst the petty conflicts which have convulsed the government, the people have never lost sight of the great pecuniary interests of the state ;