CHOCTAW INDIANS SELL THEIR LAND FOR SCRIP
Interesting A.L.S. of Henry L. Martin, 2pp. 4to., "House of Reps.", Feb. 23, 1853 to Charles F. Fisher in Salisbury discussing the purchase of Indian lands with scrip. In part: "…the committee of the whole…have just added the amendment…prepared by myself to the Indian appropriation bill with the single modification of the terms 'reported on'…to that of 'recommended' by the commissioners…The change made in the law by this amendment in regard to the reception of scrip in payment for any public land, I deem important, as it will increase the market value of the scrip…'the end justified the means'…not one word was said against it…I think I can have it disposed of in some manner…to secure something like our rights, at least get something out of it…" Very good. When land was sold out from under the Choctaw in the 1840s, tribe members were later reimbursed with scrip representing shares in land to be later sold by the government. Of course, unscrupulous businessmen again swindled the Choctaw, often buying the scrip from them for a fraction of its true value…