Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-06-15

advantage Of you in forming mI j.dg.
ment. / was. sir, born Of Irdian pairot,
and lived while child, among those you
are Pleased to call savsges. ! WIS ate.
Yards sent TO live among the white Pc
ple. and va, educated at one Of VT.
'chooIs s,nce which period have been
honored much above my deserts, bSsa
.cquaintance with number Of prinliy-i
characters both in Europe aud Ame lea
Alter all this experience, ard after ever
exertion to diyest myself Of prejudice,
| am obliged to give my opinion III ta,or
of my own people, l will nov, as well
as am able, collect together, and set
before you some Of the reasons that have
Influenced m. sentiments on the scbject
In the government you call civilized,
the happiness Of the people is constantly
sacrificed to the splendcr Of empire:
hence your code of civil and criminal
laws have had their origin, and hero.
your dungeons and prisons will not
enlarge on an idea so singular in civil.
zed lite, and perhaps disagree bic to YOU,
and will only observe, that among u, We
have no Law but that written on The
heart of every rational Creature b, The
immediate finger OF the Great Sprr pi
the universe himself. We have no pr.
sons-we have no pompous p-rade Of
csurts; and yet judges are as highly es.
teen ed among Us. as they are among YOU
and their decisions are highly revered;
property to say the least, is as well guard.
ed, ard crimes are as impair tally punish.
ed. We have among US no splendid vi.
lars, above tho control of that law which
Influences our decisions in a word, We
have no robbery under the colour OF Law.
Daring wickrdness here is never suffered
to triumph over helpless innocenc The
estates Of widows and orphans are ne.
vcr devouret by enterprislng ,ha;pen.
Oar sachems and our warriors eat ,hei;
own bread and not the bread Of wre,ched-
ness. No person amsng US, desires any
other reward for a brave and virtuous
action, than the consciousness of serving
his nation. fur wise men are called Ia
Tiers /; they are always accessible /; !!
will not say to the meaneSt of on. peo.
pie for we have none mean, but such
as render themselves 50 by their wees.
Civilization creates thousand iuagl-
nary wants, that CONTINUALLY distress the
human mind. Iremea Der to have read,
while at one of Our schools, tie sa, ing
1t a philosoper to this purport, Z" the reel
vans of human nature are veiy few
O. this maxim our people practice with
out ever having lea. ned To read. We
do not hunger and thirst after those So
pernuities of life, that are III. ruin Of
so many families among you. En-
w and cove business, those worms that
destroy The fair flowers Of human happi-
ness, are unknown 10 this climate.
The palaces and prisons among you,
form most dreadful contrast. Go to
the former places, you will see, perhaps, 4
deformed peice Of earth snelied with
pride, and assuming airs that became
none but the Spirits above. Go to one
Of your Prisons-here description utterly
fail certainly the sight Of an Indian
torture is not half so painful to q well
formed mind. Kill them, if you please.
kill them too by torture; but le: the
torture last no longer than a day. Let
it be too, Of such a nature as has no ten.
dency to unman the human mind. Give
them an portunity by their fortitudc
in death, Of emitting them. elves to The
sympathy OF the human race, instead Of
exciting in them Notifying reflection, Of
being developed in the gulf Of eternal in
fanny. Those you call savagcs relent:
the most furious of our tormentors er-
hausts his rage in a few hours, and dis.
patches the unhappy victim with sud
den stroke.
But for what are many Of your r..
soners confined ? For debt-astonish.
ing! and you ever call The Indian nation
cruela Liberty, to a rational creature.
as much exceed, property, as the light Of
the sun does that Of the most twinkIirg
star; but Won put them on a level. to the
eve7lasting disgrace Of civilization. L.:
me ask, is there any crime in beipc in
debit While lived among 'he v'te
people, knew many Of the most amI.blc
characters contract debts, and I dare ,sv
with the best intentions in both parties at
the time Of ihe contract, to e, d thgi, az
vantage: The debtor, suppose by a
train of unavoidable mi.fortunes, fails.
Here is no crime, not even fault; and
yet your laws put it in the power OF the
creditor to throw the debtor into jail aud
con6ne him there for life a punishment
Infinitely worse than death to brave
man. And l seriously declare, that | Lad
rather die by the most severe fortunes