Treaty Ground, Choctaw Nation, November 16, 1826.
Friends and Brothers:
When the Chiefs and leading men of the Choctaw nation were notified that commissioners of the United States had been appointed to meet in council, they determined, as a mark of respect to the President, to attend and listen to the talk which he had sent them. It is to be regretted that, comparatively, but so few of our warriors have attended with us; but it is sufficient for the business which brought us here that all the chiefs, and almost all leading men, are present. Our council speaks the voice of the nation.
The day before yesterday we gave an answer to the propositions contained in your talk of the 13th instant. We refused, but in respectful terms, to sell our country. You have now varied your proposition, and requested us to cede to the United States a portion of our lands bordering on the Tombigbee River, and adjoining the Monroe County, Alabama. The views of our father the President on this point, as expressed by you, have been fully explained to the council; and we are authorized to say that to this proposition, also, we are compelled to give their decided negative. A strong and sufficient reason my be briefly given.
As it is the wish of the great body of our people to remain on their lands east of the Mississippi, and have the arts of civilized life introduced among them here, it is important that the limits of our country chould be distinctly marked and defined. The Mississippi bounds us on the west; our brothers, the Chickasaws, bound us on the north; and the Tombigbee River presents an admirable natural boundary on the east. Ten years ago, at a treaty held at the Choctaw Trading-House, the advantage of having so distinguished a boundary between us and the white people was strongly urged by the commissioners of the United States. It was stated, in substance, that, by having a broad and deep river for our boundary, we should be less liable to intrusion from the whites, and our people would remain in greater security. The argument was strong; the advice seemed good; and we ceded away all our lands east of the Tombigbee River. The arugument which seemed strong and good then, is equally so now; and we should indeed be justly chargeable with inconsistency, if we consented to alter a boundary so distinctly marked by nature.
Our resolution has been taken from a firm conviction of its propriety and necessity, and not from mere motives of obstinacy. The reason which we have assigned will speak for itself. We feel perfectly friendly to our white brothers of Monroe County, Alabama; we are sorry that they should experience any inconveniences from the circumstance of their situation; but, by remaining as they are, they would suffer far less inconvenience than we should, were we to sell that portion of our country which you require.
We were once the proprietors of an extensive tract of country. By the treaty of Poosha-e-puck-na, in 1805, a large portion of it to the south was ceded to the United States; again, in 1816, all our lands east of the Tombigbee River were ceded in like manner; again, in 1820, by the Treaty of Doake’s Stand, another large scope of country was ceded to the United States, for the benefit of Mississippi. By this treaty, lands were given us west of the Mississippi; and here again we were assailed with propositions to purchase back a portion of the country just ceded to us. We listened to our father the President. We sent a delegation of headmen to the city of Washington, who ceded back several millions of acres for the benefit of Arkansas. Again, last winter, another proposition was sent to the nation, requesting that we should cede back a further portion of our lands west of the Mississippi; and finally, we are now urged to sell all or a portion of our country here. Where shall we stop? Where shall we find a resting-place? We ought to be permitted at least to breathe awhile and to look around us.
We repeat, that we entertain the highest respect for our father the President. We have proved it by meeting you here, and listening patiently to his talks. And, although his propositions have given us much pain, because we felt we could not comply with them, our confidence in his justice and wisdom is not diminished.
We know full well that the United States are a great and powerful people; but we are persuaded, also, that they are just and magnanimous. Your Government sustains a high character among the nations of the earth, and we cannot believe that her course towards the unhappy aborigines of this country will be such as to leave a blot on her history to detract from the admiration of future times.
We are, respectfully, your friends and brothers,
General Humming Bird,
Nettuck-a-chee
Ah-che-la-tah,
E-a-ho-ka-tubbee,
Red Dog,
Hope yi Hornwah,
John Garland,
Lewis Perry,
P. P. Pitchlynn,
Joel H. Nail,
M. Foster, jun.,
Israel Folsom,
J. L. McDonald
