vernment. Time and experience have
proved that the abode of the native Indian within their limits is
dangerous to their peace and injurious to himself. In accordance with my
recommendation at a former session of Congress, an appropriation of half
a million of dollars was made to aid the voluntary removal of the
various tribes beyond the limits of the States. At the last session I
had the happiness to announce that the Chickasaws and Choctaws had
accepted the generous offer of the Government and agreed to remove
beyond the Mississippi River, by which the whole of the State of
Mississippi and the western part of Alabama will be freed from Indian
occupancy and opened to a civilized population. The treaties with these
tribes are in a course of execution, and their removal, it is hoped,
will be completed in the course of 1832.

At the request of the authorities of Georgia the registration of
Cherokee Indians for emigration has been resumed, and it is confidently
expected that one-half, if not two-thirds, of that tribe will follow the
wise example of their more westerly brethren. Those who prefer remaining
at their present homes will hereafter be governed by the laws of
Georgia, as all her citizens are, and cease to be the objects of
peculiar care on the part of the General Government.

During the present year the attention of the Government has been
particularly directed to those tribes in the powerful and growing State
of Ohio, where considerable tracts of the finest lands were still
occupied by the aboriginal proprietors. Treaties, either absolute or
conditional, have been made extinguishing the whole Indian title to the
reservations in that State, and the time is not distant, it is hoped,
when Ohio will be no longer embarrassed with the Indian population. The
same measures will be extended to Indiana as soon as there is reason to
anticipate success. It is confidently believed that perseverance for a
few years in the present policy of the Government will extinguish the
Indian title to all lands lying within the States composing our Federal
Union, and remove beyond their limits every Indian who is not willing to
submit to their laws. Thus will all conflicting claims to jurisdiction
between the States and the Indian tribes be put to rest. It is pleasing
to reflect that results so beneficial, not only to the States
immediately concerned, but to the harmony of the Union, will have been
accomplished by measures equally advanta