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Show 106 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEE [ ETH. ANN. 19 Every point of the negotiation having failed, another course was adopted, and a delegation was selected to visit Washington under the conduct of Agent Meigs. Here the effort was renewed until, wearied and discouraged at the persistent importunity, the chiefs consented to a large cession, which was represented as necessary in order to compensate in area for the tract assigned to the emigrant Cherokee in Arkansas in accordance with the previous treaty. This estimate was based on the figures given by Governor McMinn, who reported 5,291 Cherokee enrolled as emigrants, while the eastern Cherokee claimed that not more than 3,500 had removed and that those remaining numbered 12,544, or more than three- fourths of the whole nation. The governor, however, chose to consider one- half of the nation as in favor of removal and one- third as having already removed. 1 The treaty, concluded at Washington on February 27, 1819, recites that the greater part of the Cherokee nation, having expressed an earnest desire to remain in the East, and being anxious to begin the necessary measures for the civilization and preservation of their nation, and to settle the differences arising out of the treaty of 1817, have offered to cede to the United States a tract of country " at least as extensive" as that to which the Government is entitled under the late treaty. The cession embraces ( 1) a tract in Alabama and Tennessee, between Tennessee and Flint rivers; ( 2) a tract in Tennessee, between Tennessee river and Waldens ridge; ( 3) a large irregular tract in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia, embracing in Tennessee nearly all the remaining Cherokee lands north of Hiwassee river, and in North Carolina and Georgia nearly everything remaining to them east of the Nantahala mountains and the upper western branch of the Chattahoochee; ( 4) six small pieces reserved by previous treaties. The entire cession aggregated nearly six thousand square miles, or more than one- f ourth of all then held by the nation. Individual reservations of one mile square each within the ceded area were allowed to a number of families which decided to remain among the whites and become citizens rather than abandon their homes. Payment was to be made for all substantial improvements abandoned, one- third of all tribal annuities were hereafter to be paid to the western band, and the treaty was declared to be a final adjustment of all claims and differences arising from the treaty of 1817. * Civilization had now progressed so far among the Cherokee that in the fall of 1820 they adopted a regular republican form of government modeled after that of the United States. Under this arrangement the nation was divided into eight districts, each of which was entitled i Royce, Cherokee Nation, Fifth Ann. Rep. Bureau of Ethnology, pp. 222- 228, 1888. * Indian Treaties, pp. 265- 269, 1887; Royce, op. cit., pp. 219- 221 and table, p. 378. |
