"Now know all men by these presents, that we, the undersigned, commissioners of the State of Georgia, for and in consideration of the aforesaid sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, secured by the said treaty, or convention, to be paid to the State of Georgia, for the discharge of all bona fide and liquidated claims which the citizens of the said State may establish against the Creek Nation, do, by these presents, release, exonerate and discharge the said Creek Nation from all and every claim and claims, of whatever description, nature or kind the same may be, which the citizens of Georgia now have, or may have had, prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and two, against the said Nation. And we do hereby _assign, transfer and set over unto the United States, for the use and benefit of the said Creek Nation_, for the consideration hereinbefore expressed, all the right, title and interest of the citizens of the said State to all claims, debts, damages, and property of every description and denomination, which the citizens of the said State have or had, prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and two, as aforesaid, against the said Creek Nation." It were useless for the historian to criticise the language of these several instruments. The "claims" mentioned in them, and referred to the President, were mostly for slaves who left their masters during the Revolution, and prior to 1802; at least such was the construction given to the treaty, the agreement and assignment by the parties; and we cannot, at this day, assert that they did not understand their own compacts. The Creeks were to receive two hundred thousand dollars in cash; and the United States agreed to pay to Georgia her claims, provided they did not exceed _two hundred and fifty thousand dollars_. The amount due to Georgia was to be ascertained by the President, and paid by the United States. The third, and a very important point was the _assignment_ to the United States, for the benefit of the Creek Indians, of the interest vested in the claimants to the _property_ and _persons_ claimed--the _United States to hold such interest in trust_ for the Creek Indians. By this arrangement, our Government became owners of the Exiles referred to, _in trust for the benefit of the Creeks_, according to the construction which the Indians, the authorities of the United States and those of Georgia, placed upon the assignment, the agreement and treaty. This important point, if borne in mind, will aid the reader in understanding the subsequent action of the Federal authorities in relation to this subject. [Sidenote: 1822.]