Speech #470072664

These persons representing this fund. before they can make any claim here. must have been loyal. it must appear that they were loyal. or that they were not in war against the United States during the rebellion. It does appear here that the whole Creek Nation. as a nation. made a treaty with the Confederate States. and forfeited all their rights under former treaties with the United States. The loyal individuals belonging to the Creek Nation were driven away from that nation by force. and were compelled to become dependent upon the Government of the United States. which supported them during the time they were refugees frons their own nation. It was uinder these circumstances that our Government paid them this money. and the nation recognized the fact that the Government had made these payments and that they were entitled to credit upon the fend which had been due them under the treaty of 1832. Now they come here and ask that this fund which has been paid out in support of these loyal refugees. members of the Creek Nation. be restored and repaid with interest which has accrued since that time. It seems to me that there is no obligation on the part of our Goverment to do that thing.