Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-05-22

Communicated for The Bali. american.
Letter from Col AcKenny 10 his friend in Baltimore
dated GEoKeKrowS May Is, 1873.
My DEAR FRIKNp:-l have received your let
ter Of Yesterday. and am now, as am always
happy 10 hear from you. proceed, cheerful
", TO answer the several parts Ut your letter,
but must be brief, being much engaged, hav-
ing no time in office hours foT this exercise oil
priva,s friendship, and but little ont of these.
Tie account to which you refer, and about
which you ask explanation, is one Tor Indian
Medals. The sum paid Monty Furst for TAX
ing the Presidents likeness and engraving il
and for his expenses in coming here was $1,000
the sn1ae sum, paid the same artist for execu-
ting The same work for the Monroe medal. The
reinainder of the cost of thee hundred medals
WAS paid 10 the Mat in Philadelphia for the
u-zaas4ssrrz ~ nssexszrs<n=ss<ssesI~an
in the pu Sic mind in regard TO this medal bu-
siness. IL has heen the usage Of the French
and B ! ISL Go,ernments, and OF our own
since Gen. WashingIou's Presidency, to pros
vide and present medals 10 InGians; and The
practice forms essential! par, Of our policy
in our intercourse with these people, as does
that Of giving them blankets, or s,rouds, OF
tobacco. II appears rot 10 be known by the
writer's on this subject, q mean those who a
muse themselves, by squibbing in the newspa-
ID
Madison and Monroe, as we'll as the Adams me>
dals; and the cost has been always paid, as in
the present instance, by the government.
The price paid TO Mching and Ford for
taking Indian hkenesses, with the view Of pres
serving the exterior, and appearance Of these
hapless people, and tueir costume, &c. is, for
each head, and about half the BODY, 800
In full lengths, more, of course has been given.
The average cost of this collection since 1921
is perhaps about $4,000 for one hundres and
srtsen heads, and the cost for each head, includ-
ing he full length ILLNESSES, of which latter
there are five, is about SO dollars.
Apart from the great objso, of preserving in
some form, the resemblance Of en- interesting
people, whose original aspect is fast fading
away, and viii soon be gone; and TO whose coun-
try We have succeeded, and who are perishins
before our presence, and because of Il; there is
another, if of less interest, yet, perhaps of
more active influence, and can be seen 10 be
proper by more people, it i, presumed, than
can comprehen nd the value TO posterity Of being
ready with the answer to The question, which il
is fair TO presume will be asked, "Hhot sort ofa
being toas the red man Of Anaerica?" It's
the policy Of the thing Indians are like other
people in many respects-and are not less SEN
sible than we are 10 marks Of respec, and at,en-
ton. IL is known 10 you, preSume, that de.
pu;ations come on 10 Washington frequently
or business OF deep interest to their tribes, au6
to the u. States. They see this mark Of respec,
10 their people, and respect it. Its effects, as
is known to me, are, in this view of the sub.
iect, highly valuable. Blu, it may not be for
me 10 justify this branch of national policy. !
am quite content, any way. If the Congress,
who represent the people, whose servants We
are, think il right to do so, this collection Can
be sold at any moment, for double its original
cos,--And with it may go, without any regret
Of mine, ola personal kind, all the little relics
which in my travels Ihave picked up, and a,
great trouble brought home with me. II is no
fancy scheme 81 mine. was begun by one who
is more enlightened than profess to be, and
continued by another who is also highly Quail,
fed to Judge Of the fitness Of the thing, and for
whom no man, who knows him, can feel else
than respect and friendship. l will Jus, add
that our own citizens who visit Washington.
and those WHO visit it from other countries.
unite in commencing this grouping of our In
dams from the four corners Of our land, as all
affair of great interest, and which posterity
will be thankful for.
And so you have seen the sgtn6s respecting
the Princess" and the charge Of my circula;>