Liberty advocate., 1837-12-19

| Some have imagined that their comnu-
nioation with Europeans and the introduce
ton of spirituous liquors among them, has
tended TO heirsdegeneracy; but this is by
no means proved. Even If we admitted
any degeneracyfuOmt the Introduction ofar-
dent spirits, lis sbaneftf operations would
extend over avery small sphere, compar-
ed with the immense tral Of country;
for in the remote districts many tribes are
to this day unacquainted WIZ ALCOHOL
| yet the smallness Of population is equally
apparent.
Notwithstanding the immense pains
tha t has been taken to civilize the Indians,
by providing them with Articles OF domes-
tic utility, and instructing them IN the va7
rious arts which tend to improve society,
they benefit but little by it. There appears
within them lurking spirit for rowing
life, similar 10 the Gypsies, Arabians, and
others, whose cities have become desoate,
and the inhabitants wanderers. That the
mind of man is susceptible of very great
change, is evident to any casual observer;
but that whole nation should so fall into
supineness; is truly astonishing,-yet this
is nevertheless positive fact. The Eth
opian, who once reigned in splendor, snow
a by-word among nations, and the once
learned Egyptians people of reproach.
Tradition being the only book to which
they refer, the mind is contracted withln
a narrow sphere. In like manner the In
dams repose on the same bed oil llstess-
ness and apathy. Their minds have sunk
into a state of torpor, that all the energies
of Europeans seem unable to arouse. IL APP
pears that the remembrance of former
days, when their forelathers were so cru
ally despoiIed, has sunk deep into the
breasts of succeeding generations. DIS
trust waves its banner over all their move
ments, and q spirit Of revenge, thot ttme
generally consigns to oblivion, still hovers
over them, superceding every noble leel-
mo of emulation to rise once more In the
scale of nations.
With respect to the Gypses, they evil
IDENTIFY are remnants of race, cursed by
Heaven for impiety, and so long as the i,at
remains in force, they will continue Ia the
same state of degradation. But IN the ma
ton before us, who had never known or
heard of the Scriptures, until their discov-
cry by Columbus, who had been permitted
to spring up on the great theatre OF lie
for some wise purpose, to which the his
torian is stranger,-no dennncIa'lon
4 from Heaven appears rcconciiable'
| Natural causes appear to have operated
| in their rise to q once tlourishing comm,n
nifty, and their dispersion is historlcaiiy
accounted for; but why they nave not fiS'
en- again as nation, or assumed Tue va
rious arts and sciences their ancestors
once cultivated, is problem equally dliii'
cult to solve, as to inquire why the ehVl'
rons of Dendcra have no astronomers now
or the banks of the Nile none learned IN
the sciences. Time, that witnesses the
rise of nations, and the decay thereof, 81
Iently moves on, leaving man Throughout
his various stages to pursue his course
The records of many nations having
been faithfully preserved, we can trace
their origin, and follow them to the ami
hilation This boon has not been ex'en
ded TO the New World, from the circum
stance of writing not having been encour
aqed, though there is every reason to be
lieye that the ancient Mexicans possessed
this powerful medium of thought througl
hciroglyphic symbols, which no one at th'
present day can decipher;-cocnsequenttly
: we are in the dark as to their antiquity
or their mental powers we nave n
other medium to trace them than by ou
seryation, the result Of which appears 7
be. that gradual decay is apparent iror
the Era Of Cortes,-that having by de
> grees emerged into an unsophisucate
, State of nature, their mental powers y
t ken in the aggregate, have dlmlnlshcu
+ the mere existence from day TO day; Una
+; this state Of apathy is apparent IN al "
t wandering tribes throughout the varloI ,!t
regions Of the earth, and that the lnuiu l,i!''
!. is not solitary in his physical condition
q since it is notorious from the obserVotlo
n Of all travellers, that the same prlnctp
J. exists III esol .aaaod G. G.
d 81. Cdtharinc'a, Upper Cdnaaa)
= From the New York Star,
DNVT