The Indian Papers of Texas and the Southwest 1825-1916: Volume 1 Page: 3

                                
TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1825-1843

Excellency the Commandant General the these States of 15th
August last, relative to give possession to the Cherokee
Indians, of the lands which they have selected, and also of
your Excellency's orders of the 1st inst. accompanied with the
aforesaid Communication of His Excellency the Commandant
Genl, in compliance of which I will cause that the necessary
measures be adopted, that the alcalde of Nacogdoches shall no-
tify the said Indians to be represented before Your Excellency
through the medium of an Attorney infact, who in their name
shall solicit the grant of the lands which they may need; but
nevertheless I must inform Your Ex. that to the Indians of this
Tribe, as well as to those of the Coushatta and Alabama who
solicit the adjudication of laws in proper ownership, will be
difficult to procure and pay the Expenses of an Attorney or Solic-
itor, who is required of them to be sent to the Seat of Govern-
ment of this State, on account of their being uncivilized and poor
men in consequence of which the requisition which I have caused
to be made of them will be without effect; and even Supposing
that they had those means and the laws should be granted to them
according to the Colonization Laws, an embarrassment must
present itself of their not having the means to pay the fees to
the Commissioner and to the Surveyor, nor the amount for the
Stamp-paper, necessary for issuing them their titles, nor the
Land Dues to the State, according the installments provided in
the said Law.-For these reasons, if there should be no other
method adopted, perhaps no progress can be made in this busi-
ness; unless it be that His Excellency, the Commandant Genl.
in Virtue of the authority vested in him by the Supreme Gov-
ernment of the union as the Commissioner, shall establish them
in the character of Colonists of the new Settlements, projected
for account of the Federation.
God and Liberty,
Bexar 25th Sept. 1831
(signed) RAMON MuSQuIz
To His Excellency the Governor of the State of Coahuila and
Texas
A true translation of the original Spanish which I attest.
Geo. Fisher
Translator to
the Senate

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