The American Indian as Slaveholder and Seccessionist: An Omitted Chapter in the Diplomatic History of the Southern ConfederacyAbel, Annie Heloise
History
The American Indian as Slaveholder and Seccessionist: An Omitted Chapter in the Diplomatic History of the Southern Confederacy
Abel, Annie Heloise
Indian Territory; Slavery -- United States; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
MY DEAR SIR: On receipt of your letter and appointment as commissioner
from Alabama to Arkansas, I repaired to Little Rock and presented my
credentials to the two houses, and also your letter to Governor
Rector, by all of whom I was politely received. The Governor of
Arkansas was every way disposed to further our views, and so were many
leading and influential members of each house of the Legislature, but
neither are yet ready for action, because they fear the people have
not yet made up their minds to go out. The counties bordering on the
Indian nations--Creeks, Cherokees, Choctaws, and Chickasaws--would
hesitate greatly to vote for secession, and leave those tribes still
under the influence of the Government at Washington, from which they
receive such large stipends and annuities. These Indians are at a spot
very important, in my opinion, in this great sectional controversy,
and must be assured that the South will do as well as the North before
they could be induced to change their alliances and dependence. I have
much on this subject to say when I get to Montgomery, which cannot
well be written. The two houses passed resolutions inviting me to meet
them in representative hall and consult together as to what had best
be done in this matter. When I appeared men were anxious to know what
the seceding States intended to do in certain contingencies. My
appointment gave me no authority to speak as to what any State would
do, but I spoke freely of what, in my opinion, we ought to do. I took
the ground that no State which had seceded would ever go back without
full power being given to protect themselves by vote against
anti-slavery projects and schemes of every kind. I took the position
that the Northern people were honest and did fear the divine
displeasure, both in this world and the world to come, by reason of
what they considered the national sin of slavery, and that all who
agreed with me in a belief of their sincerity must see that we could
not remain quietly in the same Government with them. Secondly, if they
were dishonest hypocrites, and only lied to impose on others and make
them hate us, and used anti-slavery arguments as mere pretexts for the
purpose of uniting Northern sentiment against us, with a view to
obtain political power and sectional dominion, in that event we ought
not to live with them. I desired any Unionist present to controvert
either of these positions, which seemed to cover the whole ground. No
one attempted either, and I said but little more. I am satisfied, from
free conversations with members of all parties and with Governor
Rector, that Arkansas, when compelled to choose, will side with the
Southern States, but at present a majority would vote the Union
ticket. Public sentiment is but being formed, but must take that
direction....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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