The Arkansas advocate., 1832-01-18

- .sse i,'opet mode of d;o charging this obligation, but it's yal;',' g' n's' is not denied. And there certa;,I. ;.a'fy difficulties which may well call e' aIs cussion and consideration. us i For more than two centuries wal
 been placed in contact with the l'ase Is lans. And if this xlong period bos h saa'' fraitless in useful results, f bas beenso in experiments, l,ayinp ,as ;a hot their improvement. Able men P :" slew been investigating their conditjon nave. good men attempting to improve :. saeS Buta these labors have been '''-- successful in the issue, as many of "s q asl- we're laborioas and expensive i, sis ,,s;. progress. . ''lels
 The work has been aided by c ernnents and communities, bv nst,. dus- opinion, by the obligations of the ela,'s' la,u and by the sanction Of religion '". p"'. its history furnishes abundant eviaa.9 .a9 of entire failure, and every thine aroass aas', us upon the frontiers confirm i5s saa tre,h The Indians have either reccded asaa s'N settlements advanced, and united sbs;. ss' fragments with some kindred trihe ~. :. they have attempted to establish tbo~ tselves upon reservations, in the gs;, 1hope of resisting the pressure nnaa them, and of preserving their pecpIi,a , institutions. Those who are nearest t ts us, have generally suffered most seyers Fly by the debasing effects Of araens spirits, and by the loss of their owa principles of restraint, few as these are without the aequisitiouof ours; and ap most all of them have disappeared crushed bythe onward course sIeycn.s. or driven before them. Not one ' ;,. stance can be produced in the Wbol. history of the intercourse between tls Indians and the white men. where the former have been able, in districts sur. rounded by the latter, 10 withstand sne. cessfuhy the progress of those eansee which have elevated Ole of those races and depressed tho other. Snch 2 non ument of former successful exertjol. docs not exist.
 These remarks apply 10 theclloris. which have been heretofore made. and
 whose history and failure are known to
 as. But tlse subject has beea lately
 revived with additional interest, and is now prosecuted with great zeal and ex- ertion; whether with equal effect, time must show. That most of tfosn anaa. ged in this labor are actuated by pure and dsnterested motives, ] do not question. And, fin their essi.a:.tte. q. success, they place too high value upon appearances, the error is natural to persons zealously engaged in task calculated to enlist their sympatbies. and awaken tllcir feelings, and has been common to all, who have prece- ded them in this labor of philanthropy. and who, from time to time, bare iin. dulged in anticipations of the niostsi
 nal success, only to be succeeded by disappointment and despondencg.
 That these exertions have recently been productive of some advantage, may well be admitted. A few have probably been reclaimed fro.,. ..har. doned habits, and some, perhaps, have really appreciated the inestimabIe val- ue oi the doctrines which have been taught them. l can speak from per. sonai observation only of the northern and northwestern tribes. Among them am apprehensive the benefits will ba iound but few and temporary. Ofthe condition of the Chcrokees, who ara said to have made greater advances than any of their kindred race, l must judge from such information IS have been able to procure. Owing 10 tho prevalence of slavery and other pecu- liar causes among them, number of the halt-breeds and Their connesons~ and perhaps a few others, have ae- qulred property, and with it someedn~ cation and information. But believe the great mass ofthe tribe is living in ignorance and poverty, subject to ths influence of the principal men, andsub' uniting to state of things, with whcs they arc dissatisfied, and which .s them no rational prospect of stability and improvement.
 I The failure, which has attended the efforts heretofore made, and which wlIt lprobably attend all conducted under similar principles, may be attributeo partly to the inherent difficulties of the and eFs; king resulting fIorl, i'air'ee!ef- istics peculiar to the Indians, and parf- Y from the mode in which the opera tions have been conducted.