Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-06-26
VOL. XVI. NO. IA.


lcupy We fear that there is more of the spirit OF
party than OF the spirit Of philanthropy Ia sor.
Of the pathetic dec lau,atioas which have heen uf
tered on this subject. Ifit be necessary that they
should live under their own peculiar laws an
opportunity is provided Tor them by tho humanity
OF the United States, il they will settle on the
public lands to the west OF the Mississippi.
! Copy of letter from Thomas l.. NI'Kennev.
Esq. 4,
DEPARTMENT OF WAR,
Orr. IND. AyFAIRs,p
/ May 1st, 1929.
Ueas HF,-"hatever relates TO Indians,
wil, Know, lie interesting TO you. Indeed the
subject is one which takes hold, not only of your
| feelings, and the feelings OF your board, bat of
other associations similarly organized, and also Of
the feelings of the good citizens of our republic
| generally. All unite in the wish TO see those peo-
pic rescued, and elevated into participation OF
me blessings oil the civilized and christian state
Inc question Is, how can this be best accom-
piished:-Now, we know, men often agree in re-
gard 10 various matters as to tile end but ottc,,
differ as 10 the means for its accomplishments TbTs
! Is precisely the case with this Indian subject All
desire 10 save the remnants OF this once mighty
race, but the means have not, bpnbiy conceive
been as ye:, exactly hit upon--at least thew have
not been carried out fully If am not mistaken
shall be able IN the course Of this letter 10 lay
bare TO you the cause, 10 q great extent of the pre-
sent degraded state of these people. To make
manifest the evil, vii! make manifest Also the re.
inedy. do not mean 10 be general in my ro
marks, bot apply them chiefly to one great point
and that relates 10 their landed possessions. within
our States, and orgauizsd Territories aud the ne.
essary, but fatal connexop OF the Indians arising
out OF that relation.
For myself have always viewed the subject
OF our Indian LANDED possessions and the relation
which these bear TO States, and Territories as
iuii OF interest, and pregnant with difficulty. All
that have teltof hope for the preservation ana
Improvement of our Indians has Been couded
Ia inn yn,,tJ r.
tween them and the STATES, and the General Go
vernment, The issue would have at least 10 be
tried. Ii cannot have escaped the observation nf
those who have paid attention TO this subject that
! the right of the Indians 10 The lands held by them
Is but posSeSSory right; and that whatever guar
antees may exist, as they do in Treaties these
cover no more than right of this sort. n could
not maze been otherwise. To interpret these guar.
antees by any other rule, would be 10 decide that
Sovereignty should be set up against Sovereign.
! W the Sovereignty OF the Indians against
lhe Sovereignty OF the States. 1t never was
80 meant. Whenever, then, with a view TO
Tho cultivation of their lncal resources, or iur
an extension OF power, the States should gcel
'her indian population 10 be burdcnsoae, IL
was most clear that this feeling would In
some way manifest ITSELF at fret il was natural
TO suppose it would DC disclosed in acts of the Lee
glslatures, extending over the Indians as one at
ulhute oil sovereignty, their respective laws
MS, IN TWO OF the States, Georgia and Alabama
| has been actually done The laws OF the 'attcr
are now in full operation those of the former arc
prosPechve!y enacted, and are to take effect il.
1880. In this state OF things, il was natural To
suppose the Indians would LOOK, under their s7as
fdfclI conception Of tie nature Of the guarantee
spoken of in Treaties with them, for protection
from the operation OF those laws, to the Federal
Governments was ID less natural that thcv
should be, whenever the question should be rails
ed, undeceived IN regard TO this mai,er-sincc IL
| could never have been contemplated that tho &c.
neral Government would bare its arm, and go
ioFth with an array OF power 10 contend against the
/ os
any one of the States The States having made
no grant. expressed, or implied to the Federal u
mon oil The kind, II was not to be expected that
the General Government would dsSgnie the power.
| have never, before, ! believe ATTEMPTED "a
place this subject before YOU in this light, but
looking more to the issue oil the question, have.
from time to time, urged upon YOU and the friends
oil Indian improvements, generally, the Importance
OF SO en!ightening the Indians az 10 shew the m
clearly, the very delicate, nay hazardous, relation
/ IN which they stand to the States within whose
bosom they arc. | never doubted, nor do doubt
That II they were made TO the peril Of this re-
iation, they would seek TO establish a better one
upon different basis than that which secures
their lands to them as poSSess0yy tenants, only,
& this would lead them west OF our States s. Terri:
tories where 6rery sort of guarantee could aud
j doubt not, tUouid be given TO them; and every
protection. and blessing, within the power of the
General Government TO confer, extended to their
race. Upon such basis, only, they expect
TO be preserved, and improve themselves or be
| improved by others Need stop to demonstrate
how utterly impraccabe il is TO re model the
Indian character, and fashion il after the civilized
form, situated "a those tribes who arc within
our siates9 Where IL the example of n single
transformation, in tribe, OF this sort i know o.
not one. But know of many in which oven
amidst efforts the most untring, the Indians have
! (athough individuals have prohted dsappearedj
until now many Of our states that once swarn,ed
with an Indian population, contain not vestige Of
one! whence comes this decay, and final disap.
pearing oil the Red, before the White man i;
comes not OF the color Of physical or moral
nal. formation; nor of destiny from causes the
most natural, which change in Our relations g.
each other would work, even upon US The Gle
meDis may all be found 10 lie in the intellectual
moToi political and social relations which exist
| between them and us. IL would require volume
to descsnt upon these. | will merely touch each,
and rass on.
! Who does not see the effect of intellectual slf-
/ periority, even among our cilizens2 And where
we see one absolutely superior, and another abso-
uteiy inferior, docs not the consciousness Of that
/ nIertortY in the person feeling IL, depress his en-
crgcs, aud paralyze his efforts! DO we not see this
daily Now, why should a different result of the
same cause be looked for in the INDIAN But the
! relations between the white man aud tho Indian
! stop not here. The latter finds himself ai,pdys
the victim of thatintelectual superiority aud feels
| that lac must always rema0 so. Bereaved ia the
past by superior tact, he feels that he Is less so
IN the present; and what he sees of the future, Is
even more hopeless still. The existence of ihig
relation, alone, did il stop here, would in time
work his overthrow But there are others Tie
moral energies that will sustain, TO a degree eN on
conscious inferiority, not felt by the Indian.
To these he is almost a stranger. And whence
does lac derive any thing but depression and des-
pair, when he secs The political distinctions enioy-
| ed by the white man by his side-the high honofs
TO which he is elevated--the privileges which
these confer, aud the freedom they entail? Is there
| any thing in this view calculated TO inspire him
with the spirit Of emulation? To rouse him TO ac-
ar,Ht 10 of o1o cf.