Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-09-04


pness aud lives of this people.
Tha, men and good men should differ In their views
Of what ought TO be done for the preservatOn and i'm
provcment OF IniiMns, il natural We know there
are men, and good men, who opposed to the emf
grafton oil the Indians. We respect them, and their
motives They seek save and cyilize these people
We profess to aim al the accomplishment Of the same
end, aud difer only 10 the mode We entertain
ed similar views # this question with them--and
thought practicable 10 preserve and elevate the cha
racer OF our Indians even in their present anomalous
relations 10 the states b'it il distance Ebat) lent
this) enchaDtnent 20 TIE view"-we have since seen
tor ourselves, and that which before looked like flying
clouds, we found, OH Inspection be impossible
InouDtaius. We believe IL the Indians do not emgra,e
and fly the causes which fixed in themselves, aud
when nave proved so destructive i'm the past, the
aausi PERISH We might disrust our own conclusions
though derived hom personal Investigation did not ex
percnce confirm them. But alas il il the admoni,ion
OF experience, more than any thing else, tha.
alarms, and urges VS. TO employ all honorable means 10
persuade these hapes people acquesee in tho policy
which is poposed 10 uIom Experience dill we say!
Ncs, experience.
Has ever occurred 20 this assembly 10 reflect upon
The period when this island wilderness whru it
was the home OF the Indians; when nothing was heard
hut The growing OF wolves AMI bears. the barking Of
foxes, and the yelis Of the savage; and the moaning
The winds OF heaven amidst the Forest save now an,
then, IN moment OF Stiffness the twan of the Indian
bow, he sped the arrow into some animal " hcss
fur hc needed TO make him warm or whose flesh hs
sought TO appeasc his hunger Nothing then dtr-'ed
the waters of your iordy Hudson but the winds of hea
ven,-saye when canoe would its smooth bosom
and then the sounds Confined 20 the pnsi OF III,
pluuc, auu inc little murmur the how Of
iran vessel NJ night, who fancy tho stiffness that
prevailed? Then was there nothing of life here thai
we call iieit was all the silence of the desert The
Indian monarch here. and he saw no limits IN hi.
Kingdom Behold the change! and where now arc the
Indian and his canoe? They are gonc Tho one Pc.
trcd long ere your temples you palaces were erect
cd, or remained and pciished under the influence of
those vices which accompany the march OF civilizations
the other waited not until your Hudson was nut in a
foam 10y ships, but fell 10 pieces under the first un-
duIatcns Of your opening commerce. True. few Of
Tue natives vet uper ltpita hut hoy.
serve TO attest the truth of what we are aiming 10 es
absh viz: The peIishing consequences Ia the Indian
az near cJnncri0u tonh n tchitc populQtion. What
are the remains OF those powerful tribes but bro
ken columns, mutiiasd Fragments Of their once pow.
"'iui concderacy: Look at them! Who any like
ness IN what IS lett 10 The SIS Nations? Every vestiee
10 gone! The race OF the Shcnandoahs is extinct:
what "Gs n, we ASH that destroyed the Irdans OF this
sand That sent such miltIew 10 perish those win
yet hang upon your borders! The same causes I'VE an.
swer that have reduced the countless bands thai
inhabited Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island Connec.
lieut., Pennsylvania, New Jersey, MARYLAND VIRGINIA
North and South Carolina, 10 few over six thousand
souls!
In Massachusetts, the great theatre Of bencvolence
where the Missionary ahours have bee both i'm carly
and later times unceasinc; and where IN, s,rit r
klndness has never s'uwbercd, and where the Indians
hemseivcs built churches and worhpped in them and
where The work OF their complete reformation ap,cared
so nearly accomplished; and where there waa as much
10 cheer the heart al tho phiiun hropis "a now exists
m the most improved of the present day, there remain
only about seven hundred and fifty souls, Penn wa
never suspected Of cheishng unkind purposes
Che Indians, were his descendants. vct yhero 90.
the natives of tia, district Of country now con,,rohe
ca IN 'he state OF Pennsylvania? And where are the
bands oil Jersey, and Delaware, and MARYLAND, An
gone. Ard where the powerful and numerous
h'nds ol virginia: Where the descendants OF Pow.
stan within the limits of that vast terri,o,u be,. pa.
main hut to'ty Seucl inlan.! The plough il Ia true
often turns up the sone-aScs, and arrow points once
used 10y The natives, aud in quantities 10 ate how mn
merous those were who used them These are
all that remain TO remind the traveller in Viryini,
that me ground over which he rides once alive with
q tInIt IL ~ An.
20 into the wcst-go to Ohio-nger among the tunoul;
OF That great country, in which the bones of 8, ma
ny thousands oil the natives, and catch the echoes of
,Dc waT-whoop, which resOund through all the yaes
tor 1t was but yesterday when il was sounded and hut
yesterday, when the Indian excTied his power in fri
umph over all that country. Look for Tie sayo-e hands
30 to the banks OF that river that gives nam. 10 ,h
s'c, and ask, where the canoes that used to float
down iis tide, so filled with the painted natives. On.
now and then perhaps, may steal in silence along; and
mere and there upon the lands OF their Fathers and
cnging to the soil that their bonc Won will find
a few remaining;-but of all who once occupied tla
sae mere remrn, at present. hat few two thou.
sani. Here then, is experience and from it, we
'cduce the Inference, that whilst the JnJi ,ns
her present degraded relations 10 us. inhabng state,
but excluded from all tina, honourable in H. and even
irom The hope OF any elevation of character and priv
'cges IN The future, he must dcteorae and 90 90 dec
Ior mere lives not man who is insenshle contempt
anu disgrace: and the more men become cn,ig,te ned
10 see the diParagng nature OF the relations thew bear
10 those around them the pcishing are those re-
ldons felt 10 be- II important provide different re-
iaons il only Ter the 1900 Indian Youths who arc a,
THIS moment enjoying the benefits OF educa ion; for TO
expect the Indon- circumstanced a. they are to adj
vance ana flourish IA men and Christians il tn expec,
more OF them than should feel authorized Ia Ionc
Tor, even Of ourselves.
Under The operation Of moral causes does man rise
o. aI, ia lie scale OF being. The whole mass of these
- against the Indians. Shut out from all
IN NOSE cCnoOn. CONNEXIONS, and pursuits ch give
ardour 10 hope, and SIX the genercu, purpo e in tho
glowing breast, why should we be SURPRISED 70 find
ms indian Just such being az he is? Or doubt the
ami teDirncies and termination Of such a state of
things? We confess we trembe tor the conseuuenccs
and ieel that we are right those who may have coun
sc'eI me Indians TO remain where they are, and in
oPpoNon to the kind designs OF the government towards
moan, have assumed tremendous responsibility
we esteem it TO 80 our duty on this occasion 70 cor
rect an error which has oblsineI in regard TO this bu
ness OF emigration IL TO be thought bv so,nc
mat tie Indians are opposed 10 Iemoyal anil that orre
u medltatcd 10 nc employed 10 compel them 10 90 In
regard TO the disposition of Hc great boiY Of The In
ans within our t1ies,we speak adyecdly when wc sav
they are anxious 10 TcmOUc. The prcsen, cxcitsmon
persons, whose interest il is TO keep the Indians where
'hcy are Protection las actually been sought of tbc
government ny those who wish to better their DESTINY
against The threats OF others, in wh ch an enrolment f.,
emigration has been forbidden pain of DEATH Tbi.
may be received the real state Of the case obtained
~ good part by US on personal opportunities and from
Official information confirming observation and expe-
rencr In regard TO The employment of force TO drive
me Indians from the country they inhab, far from
s being correct, they have been told ny the Execu
I'VE, III one OF the documents read TO You Tonight that
they choose 10 remain, they shall be protected in ali
'helr right; but they advised remove for rem
sons relating wholly 10 Themselves there any tlry
nothing Of cruelty cherished cor by our governnen,
people towards the Indians The onI,, FL, -. 80.