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                                                                          Copy of a letter to the Cor. Secy                                elected
                                                                                            Brainerd June unclear 1836
                                                                             "Rev. David Greene
                                                                                                                       Dear Sir
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Permit me to introduce for your consideration, a subject which appears to me of vast importance to the future prosperity of your missions among the Cherokees. In the treaty lately ratified by the senate of the U. States, is an article to the following effect viz, What mission improvements shall be valued and paid for in the same manner as those of Cherokees, that is out of the $5,000,000, given them for their entire provisions, etc. should this article be carried into effect I fear the cause of missions among the Cherokee would be greatly endangered.

The council which made that treaty consisted of only seventy or eighty persons, none of whom were authorized to act in behalf of the nation. They proceeded in direct opposition to the national council and the voice of the people, Now with regard to the expediency of their course, and the necessity of the treaty, as a national or political thing, as a missionary, I have nothing to say. Yet should missionary societies take the advantage of that treaty, and wrest from the nation $20,000 or more, in the face of their solemn and almost universal protest. I fear the money would be much worse than useless as to the conversion of the Cherokees hereafter." (Remarks as in the letter Mr. J. Ridge pledge of missionaries unclear smudge) The Cherokee council never agreed to pay for our improvements, and it is evident they never would have received us on such conditions; because in that case we might add field to field, and house to house, to the entire neglect of our appropriate business, till our improvements might be valued at a million of Dollars. The council simply permitted us to improve land as a loan, which we needed it for the use of schools, but in case we wished to remove, or dismiss our schools, unless we sold our improvements to a Cherokee citizen (we would sell them to no other) They reverted back to the nation in the same manner as if left by a Cherokee citizen. By occupying the land we acquired no right to it whatsoever, nor to pay from the nation for our labours on it. true it is evident that even the council that made the treaty, would not have acceded to the article in