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should be seen ruling, even for a moment, the councils of an assembly which has the power of dealing with the rights of a people like the Cherokees --a people untameably brave and immemorially free.
“Everyone,” sighs the young Cherokee, “appears to have rights in this republic except the original owners of the soil.”
The son of Strong Buck and nephew of Stand Watie cannot see that this new position of the Negro is an accident, not a growth, having no better foundation than the quicksands of a party vote.
Even if the Cherokee intellect could grasp the situation as a whole, such contrasts as those presented at Washington and in Talequah would still be great.
A contrast in the Negro's position lies at his gate, and startles him on passing his frontier line.
To the south of Red River, a Negro may be anything for which he possesses brain enough-from sweep to senator, from newsboy to Chief Justice, from railway porter to President.
To the north of that river, in the Indian country, he can never rise beyond the condition of a waif and stray, even though he have the brain of Newton.
He can obtain no more right in the soil than a bear or
1875.
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