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had been dissolved, and the laws of the several states extended over them, he thought that the press ought to be placed again in the hands of Mr Boudinot and himself; who had originally had the charge of the press; and conducted it to the general satisfaction of the Cherokee people; and not be pressured to get into the hands of a few designing men who had assumed to themselves all the power and authority of the Cherokee Nation and who will use it only to subserve their own interests & party purposes - deceiving & deluding the common people as they had done when the press was in their hands before. These representatives induced Col. Bishop to accompany Mr Waitie to the house of Elijah Hicks; who (viz: Waitie) demanded of Mr Hicks the press & materials belonging to the office of the Phoenix, of all which she? delivered him peaceable possession. At the request of Mr Waitie, Col Bishop removed it for safe keeping; and this is all the agency the Col. has had in this matter. Since this transaction took place I have deemed it proper to place the press in the hands of Mr Waitie and his Brother; with an express understanding & assurance that the press shall be open to all the Cherokee people, to publish every thing relative to the situation of their affairs, the true interests of the Cherokee people, the course that has been and is now pursued by those in favour of the proposition submitted to the nation by the president of the United States, and those against them, and also every thing in relation to to rights & priveleges sic in the nation of Reserves and Old Enrolled Emigrants under the Treaties of 1817 & 1819, so that the common people may full understand their own rights & true interests. As the Agent of the Cherokee Indians appointed by the Government of the United States, I shall see that the Cherokee press, according to the original design of the donors, is used for the general benefit & best interests of the whole nation: and that the property is carefully preserved and finally disposed of in such manner as may be most congenial with the views of the donors and interests of the people. You seem disposed to infer that Mr Ridge, because he was at New Town about that time, was concerned removing the press