--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: {Excerpt from a message from one of the…" description: "\"“{Excerpt from a message from one of the Cherokee chiefs - Onitositaii, commonly known as Old Tassle} ... 'If, therefore, a bare march, or reconnoiteri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/john-ehle-191093_law-of-nature_excerpt-from-a-message-from-one-of-the-c_2134633.jpg" --- # {Excerpt from a message from one of the Cherokee chiefs… ![“{Excerpt from a message from one of the Cherokee chiefs - Onitositaii, commonly known as Old Tassle} ... 'If, therefore, a bare march, or reconnoitering a country is sufficient reason to ground a claim to it, we shall insist upon transposing the demand, and your relinquishing your settlements on…” quote by John Ehle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/john-ehle-191093_law-of-nature_excerpt-from-a-message-from-one-of-the-c_2134633.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/john-ehle-191093_law-of-nature_excerpt-from-a-message-from-one-of-the-c_2134633.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e0/john-ehle-191093_law-of-nature_excerpt-from-a-message-from-one-of-the-c_2134633.jpg) > ““{Excerpt from a message from one of the Cherokee chiefs - Onitositaii, commonly known as Old Tassle} ... 'If, therefore, a bare march, or reconnoitering a country is sufficient reason to ground a claim to it, we shall insist upon transposing the demand, and your relinquishing your settlements on the western waters and removing one hundred miles back towards the east, whither some of our warriors advanced against you in the course of last year's campaign. Let us examine the facts of your present eruption into our country, and we shall discover your pretentions on that ground. What did you do? You marched into our territories with a superior force; our vigilance gave us no timely notice of your manouvres \[sic\]; your numbers far exceeded us, and we fled to the stronghold of our extensive woods, there to secure our women and children. Thus, you marched into our towns; they were left to your mercy; you killed a few scattered and defenseless individuals, spread fire and desolation wherever you pleased, and returned again to your own habitations. If you meant this, indeed, as a conquest you omitted the most essential point; you should have fortified the junction of the Holstein and Tennessee rivers, and have thereby conquered all the waters above you. But, as all are fair advantages during the existence of a state of war, it is now too late for us to suffer for your mishap of generalship! Again, were we to inquire by what law or authority you set up a claim, I answer, none! Your laws extend not into our country, nor ever did. You talk of the law of nature and the law of nations, and they are both against you. Indeed, much has been advanced on the want of what you term civilization among the Indians; and many proposals have been made to us to adopt your laws, your religion, your manners, and your customs. But, we confess that we do not yet see the propriety, or practicability of such a reformation, and should be better pleased with beholding the good effect of these doctrines in your own practices than with hearing you talk about them, or reading your papers to us upon such subjects. You say: Why do not the Indians till the ground and live as we do? May we not, with equal propriety, ask, Why the white people do not hunt and live as we do? You profess to think it no injustice to warn us not to kill our deer and other game for the mere love of waste; but it is very criminal in our young men if they chance to kill a cow or a hog for their sustenance when they happen to be in your lands. We wish, however, to be at peace with you, and to do as we would be done by. We do not quarrel with you for killing an occasional buffalo, bear or deer on our lands when you need one to eat; but you go much farther; your people hunt to gain a livelihood by it; they kill all our game; our young men resent the injury, and it is followed by bloodshed and war. This is not a mere affected injury; it is a grievance which we equitably complain of and it demands a permanent redress. The Great God of Nature has placed us in different situations. It is true that he has endowed you with many superior advantages; but he has not created us to be your slaves. We are a separate people! He has given each their lands, under distinct considerations and circumstances: he has stocked yours with cows, ours with buffaloe; yours with hogs, ours with bear; yours with sheep, ours with deer. He has indeed given you an advantage in this, that your cattle are tame and domestic while ours are wild and demand not only a larger space for range, but art to hunt and kill them; they are, nevertheless, as much our property as other animals are yours, and ought not to be taken away without consent, or for something equivalent.' Those were the words of the Indians. But they were no binding on these whites, who were living beyond words, claims ...”” [John Ehle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ehle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Cherokee chief argues that foreign claims lack legal basis, urging respect for natural law and sovereignty. **In simple terms:** Foreign claims lack rightful authority. Key Takeaway Respect natural law and sovereignty. Themes justice sovereignty colonialism law of nature indigenous rights Mood reflective serious historical Type Law of nature:1 Nature:0 Too late:0 White people:0 Young men:0 Different Situations:0 Message Cherokee:1 Cherokee Chiefs:1 Meant Conquest:0 March Reconnoitering:0 Marched Territories:0 When to use this quote - land negotiations - policy debates - educational curricula Key Concepts legal anthropology political sovereignty historical conflict Questions to Reflect On - What defines legitimate authority? - How can respect be restored? A Different Perspective Historical context may alter interpretation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cherokee Chiefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cherokee-chiefs-4415323/) [Different Situations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different-situations/) [Law of nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-of-nature/) [March Reconnoitering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/march-reconnoitering-4415325/) [Marched Territories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marched-territories-4415326/) [Meant Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meant-conquest-4415324/) [Message Cherokee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/message-cherokee-4415322/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/) [Young men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-men/) ## Related quotes > [Kids don't like being put into boxes, and your kid can act in different ways in different situations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/kids-don-t-like-being-put-into-boxes-and-your-kid-can-act-in/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [I lived for going down the rabbit hole of meeting weird people. 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You marched into our territories with a superior force; our vigilance gave us no timely notice of your manouvres [sic]; your numbers far exceeded us, and we fled to the stronghold of our extensive woods, there to secure our women and children. Thus, you marched into our towns; they were left to your mercy; you killed a few scattered and defenseless individuals, spread fire and desolation wherever you pleased, and returned again to your own habitations. If you meant this, indeed, as a conquest you omitted the most essential point; you should have fortified the junction of the Holstein and Tennessee rivers, and have thereby conquered all the waters above you. But, as all are fair advantages during the existence of a state of war, it is now too late for us to suffer for your mishap of generalship! Again, were we to inquire by what law or authority you set up a claim, I answer, none! Your laws extend not into our country, nor ever did. You talk of the law of nature and the law of nations, and they are both against you. Indeed, much has been advanced on the want of what you term civilization among the Indians; and many proposals have been made to us to adopt your laws, your religion, your manners, and your customs. But, we confess that we do not yet see the propriety, or practicability of such a reformation, and should be better pleased with beholding the good effect of these doctrines in your own practices than with hearing you talk about them, or reading your papers to us upon such subjects. You say: Why do not the Indians till the ground and live as we do? May we not, with equal propriety, ask, Why the white people do not hunt and live as we do? You profess to think it no injustice to warn us not to kill our deer and other game for the mere love of waste; but it is very criminal in our young men if they chance to kill a cow or a hog for their sustenance when they happen to be in your lands. We wish, however, to be at peace with you, and to do as we would be done by. We do not quarrel with you for killing an occasional buffalo, bear or deer on our lands when you need one to eat; but you go much farther; your people hunt to gain a livelihood by it; they kill all our game; our young men resent the injury, and it is followed by bloodshed and war. This is not a mere affected injury; it is a grievance which we equitably complain of and it demands a permanent redress. The Great God of Nature has placed us in different situations. It is true that he has endowed you with many superior advantages; but he has not created us to be your slaves. We are a separate people! He has given each their lands, under distinct considerations and circumstances: he has stocked yours with cows, ours with buffaloe; yours with hogs, ours with bear; yours with sheep, ours with deer. He has indeed given you an advantage in this, that your cattle are tame and domestic while ours are wild and demand not only a larger space for range, but art to hunt and kill them; they are, nevertheless, as much our property as other animals are yours, and ought not to be taken away without consent, or for something equivalent.' Those were the words of the Indians. 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