The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 2, July 1898 - April, 1899 Page: 66

66 Texas Historical Association Quarterly.
no appeal and brought permanent peace to the settlements. Six
months later, Gen. Rusk drove a remaining fragment of these In-
dians from San Saba county, in *hich they had sought refuge.
In the following year their powerful and steadfast friend, Sam
iHouston, then a member of the Texan congress, made a last and
vigorous appeal in their behalf. It was unavailing, and the Cher-
okees thenceforward ceased ,to vex the people of Texas with either
their presence or their supplications.
During these struggles of the Western Cherokees for expansion
of territory, their Eastern brethren were contending with the
United States for the possession of the lands they had surrendered
under the treaty, and were ultimately transferred by threats or by
military force to the West. A few of their number had betaken
themselves to the mountains of North GCarolina and 'Tennessee,
and thus escaped the general exodus of their tribe.
After all the Cherokees were finally settled on their extensive
reservation in the West, it was found that they were torn by dis-
sensions and divided into hostile parties. These parties were three
in number: The "old settler" element that had voluntarily re-
moved in 1819, the "Treaty" or "Ridge" element that migrated
under the treaty of 1835, and the "Ross" element that was removed
by military force. All efforts at reconciliation 'were futile; the
chiefs grew more resentful under discussion; ferocity crept into
every wigwam; and the assassination -of prominent leaders be-
came the rule of conduct expected of every patriot. These disor-
ders could not be permitted by the government of the United
States, and in 1844 the President appointed a commission to in-
quire into their cause and suggest 'a proper remedy. It met at
Fort Gibson, but its inquiries yielded no practical results.
About this time, when the nation most needed the counsels of its
wise men, it sustained an immeasurable loss in the death of the
venerated and gifted half-breed, Sequoyah, 'also called from his
Dutch father, George Guess, who, it will be remembered, was the
unlettered inventor of the 'Cherokee alphabet. lie has been called
the Cadmus of his people; but greater was he than Cadmus. The
Phoenician carried to Greece letters already ,invented, the Cher-
okee invented them himself. A true lover 'of his people, he had
gone to Mexioo to find and bring back the scattered bands of his
discontented brethren and died in the midst of his search, and was