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GEOEGIA AND GEORGIANS 607
outlaws, and also pronounced null and void the treaty of New Echota.
Jurisdiction over the Georgia lands was reasserted; but at this stage the
United States Government interfered. Chaotic conditions prevailed
for several months. At last, however, the breach was healed. At a gen
eral convention in which both the Eastern and the "Western Cherokees
were represented, together with both the Eidge and the Boss factions,
the whole tribal connection was declared to be one body politic under
the name of the Cherokee nation. On behalf of the Eastern Cherokees,
the compact of agreement was signed by John' Eoss, principal chief,
George Lowrey, president of the council, and Going Snake, speaker of
the council, with thirteen others. For the Western Cherokees it was
signed by'John Looney, acting principal chief,- George Guess, president
of the council, and fifteen others. On September 6, 1839, Tallequah
was made the capital of the nation. At the same time a new constitu
tion was adopted by a convention composed chiefly of Eastern Chero
kees, but it was finally ratified by the old settlers at Port Gibson, on
June 26, 1840, an act which completed the reunion of the nation.*'
* For the facts contained in this article the writer is indebted in the main to a work
entitled '' Myths and Legends of the Cherokees,'' by James Mooney, of the Ethnologi
cal Bureau, Washington, D. 0. The work is embodied in Vol. 118, House Documents.