thought of this land as opportunities for whites to settle upon, and eventually the Indians could "merge into the population." Jackson envisioned an "interesting commonwealth" for the Indians who would willfully emigrate West, as he stated that the Americans would give them ample land over the Mississippi River. In 1830, a bill was proposed to Congress. This bill authorized Jackson to basically set aside "public lands" west of the Mississippi for Indian reservations that the Indians would absolutely own. It also allotted money to Congress to help the Indians move over the river. This was the bill that sparked the United States into debate over Indian removal. "Both Houses of Congress were deluged by hundreds of petitions and memorials, solicited by religious groups and benevolent societies opposed to Indian removal." The chambers of Congress sprung into active debate. An influential Whig, Theodore Frelinghuysen, pointed out that the Indian removal policies of the United States were not carried out according to the U.S. Constitution. Senator John Forsyth delivered a powerful rebuke to Frelinghuysen’s speech. Forsyth claimed that the Whig’s speech was intended for his own religion’s purposes, and not for the well being of the general public. He alluded to the nation’s unwritten removal policy and pointed out the "deplorable condidtions under which the Native Americans now lived." Forsyth knew that the removal would not promote civilization of the Indians, and that he supported this bill because "it would relieve the states "from a population useless and bothersome." Forsyth used past legal issues to warrant his statement that the United States had the right to remove the Indians. Debates proceeded in scores, and eventually Congress ratified the Removal Act. Jackson, upon signing of the act, took this major victory with his followers, and proceeded to enforce the law of the land. Lewis Cass used his s...
