Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1848-07-19
a Tulk about Battons.
..l,utton, button, WHO'S got the buttona''

fI
was very much interested few days
ago, in long conversation with person
who has spent many years in the south
western portion Of our country, away on
the outskirts of organized society, OF
where srvage and civilized life meet and
contend for supremacy. ] found him
man Of remarkable intelligence and great
observation, not at first inclined be So
cable or confding or communicative; but
by degrees, and after having been thrown
together frequently, finding me much IN
terested in matters with which he was Ia
miliar, I found him possessing all these
qualities. At first marked him down as
an eccentric character, but / soon found
that was wrong, and what appeared to
me very odd was only different mode Of
explaining a matter, from that adopted BY
transient travellers in writing upon the
same subject. He had crossed the Rocky
Mountains twice--had skirted the Pacific
coast, from Van Couver's Bay to San
Francisco; from the latter point, he had
penetrated New Mexico, and when met
him he had just returned from chihuahua
on visit to the eastern settlements, as
he termed the United States, and would
| return to the United States by early frost.
| asked him what in his opinion was
the most powerful instrument or means
that could be used for the advancement OF
civilized life. He sat silent for few min
utes, as if to frame comprehensive an
swer to question so comprehensive, and
then turning towards me, he said, appar-
emily in all sincerity and frankness, But
tons
Buttons l exclaimed, you perhaps
don't understand me- And repeated the
inquiry.
yes, sir;' said he, 4 understand you
perfectly, and my answer is, buttons
There is nothing he continued, 'that
was ever invented by civilized man that
has gone SO far in aid of true civilization
as buttons. You cantmake any progress
among Indians or savages without buttons.
have seen it tried over and over again;
you may thalk Christianity, and law, and
liberty, and farming, and currency, and Ia
riff, and manufactures, politics and taxes:
and everything else in the world that be-
longs to civilization, and if the folks you
talk to don't wear buttons, it is all wasted
powder; they can't understand it, and they
won't understand it. Now he said,
drawing himself round nearer to me, and
showing increased desire to illustrate his
position, 4 suppose you know one fact
that an Indian or savage is still an Indian
or savage, long after he has adopted shirt;
we don't put any confidence in him be-
cause he has shirt on; we watch him
close so long as he wears that shirt out
side his leggings, but as soon as he can be
induced to wear it inside, then we begin
to have some faith in him; and then you
find he begins to listen to gospel, and law
and order. Well, this being SO, we find
nothing brings him to that condition so
quick as button. Only manage to get
him to put button on his waistband, in
place OF leather string, and in few days
after he will tuck his shirt inside his waist
band-and that is the last of savage life,
then begins civilization. So you see this
is the first great point TO look to; and it is
a mattar always inquired into when We
come in contact with new tribe of peo-
pie, to ascertain if any and how many
wear their shirts inside their Wristbands,
how many wear them outside, and how
many wear none at all; and then make our
movements accordingly. And that tells
at once what progress has been made by
buttons, and what remains to be done by
buttons
He then proceeded with description
Of the various tribes along our border: and
the progress in each in the use of buttons;
and next entered upon Mexico at large.
His conclusion was that very large
portion Of that country required buttons;
although Spaniards had done great deal
in old times in the way of the Catholic
religion, he saw great many folks who
called themselves Christians, but yet wore
no buttons; he had no confidence in any,
form of Christianity without buttons; and
that it is all yet to be done over in the
regular American way first buttons, then
kind talk, then law and order, then Chris
tianity, then farming, then politics, and
liberty, and taxation, and trade, then a
census and new state, end Congress land
railroads and canals, and wind up with
grand old E. Piuribus Unum. And that
is what | call the rise and progress of
complete and entire civilization
From VENEzUELA.-The N. Y. Jour