to regular legal or church
form, and to discourage polygamy. By special decree the right of
blood revenge or capital punishment was taken from the seven clans
and \ested in the constituted authorities of the nation. It was made
treason, punishable with death, for any individual to negotiate the sale
of lands to the whites without the consent of the national council (39).
White men were not allowed to vote or to hold office in the nation. 1
The system compared favorably with that of the Federal government
or of any state government then existing.
At this time there were five principal missions, besides one or two
small branch establishments in the nation, viz: Spring Place, the oili-
est, founded by tin 1 Moravians at Spring place, Georgia, in 1801;
Oothcaloga, Georgia, founded by the same denomination in 1S21 on
thecreek of that name, near the present Calhoun; Brainerd, Tennes-
see, founded by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missions in L817; "Valley-towns." North Carolina, founded by the
Baptists in 1820, on the site of the old Natchez town on the north side
of Hiwassee river, just above Peachtree creek; Coosawatee, Georgia
("Tensawattee," by error in the State Papers), founded also by the
Baptists in fs2L. near the mouth of the river of that name. All were
in flourishing condition, the Brainerd establishment especially, with
nearly one hundred pupils, being obliged to turn away applicants for
1 Laws of theCherol Nation several documents), 1820, American State Papers: Indian Affairs, it,
pp. 279-283, 1834; letter quoted by McKei y, 1825, ibid., pp. 651, 652; Drake, In. linn-, pp. 137, 138 i
108 MYTHS OF THE CHEBOKEE [eth.ann.19
lack of accommodation.