“They (Native Americans) have neither the intelligence, the industry, the moral habits, nor the desire of improvement which are essential to any favorable change in their condition. Established in the midst of another and a superior race, and without appreciating the causes of their inferiority or seeking to control them, they must necessarily yield to the force of circumstances and ere long disappear.”
-Andrew Jackson (1833)
Jeremiah Evarts
1781-1831
Jeremiah Evarts was a leading opponent and outspoken critic of the United States government "Indian Policy"...especially The Indian Removal Act. He was quick to point out the hundreds of legal documents/ promises (and hypocrisy of these "promises") made between the government and Native American Nations. Evarts wrote several books and gave many speeches denouncing the government actions against Native Americans.
An excerpt of some of his words...
"If this case should unhappily be decided against the Cherokees, it will be necessary that foreign nations should be well aware, that the People of the United States are ready to take the ground of fulfilling their contracts so long only as they can be overawed by physical force...A good father (Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, etc.) does not tell lies to his children (Native Americans), nor break his promises to them; especially promises that have been respected over the lapse of many years...if these very promises, and a thousand others, should now be broken, there will be an end of reliance on our promises...and we shall be remembered in infamy for future generations."
Evart ends with a question that is as applicable today as it was in 1829...
"Is it possible that our national rulers shall be willing to
expose themselves and our country to the curses of Almighty God?"
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