Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1851-08-21
Passing Away of the Indians.
BY REV. S. NJ. IRWIN.

BY REV. S. NJ. IRWIN.
In the territory or the United States living
west of the present emigrated tribes of Indi-
ans, and which is bounded on the west by
the Rocky Mountains, on the north by the
British Possessions, and on the south by the
Mexican country, we have district of
about 10000 square miles. Within these
limits it appears from the best information
there are about 10000 Indians, Indigenous
tribes who have not been disturbed. This
gives one Indian to three square miles. AL
lowing the United States proper to contain
100000 square miles, and giving it the
some rate Of population, ii must have contain
not far from 100000 original native nhabi-
tants! But as this is supposed original
number, it is far to take into account, sue
ceeding generations. Allowing thirty years
TO generation and going no father back than
obout the time that Queen Anne, of England
declared war against France, or little be-
fore the Indian wars of King Phillip, and
the missionary labors of Elliott, we have at
least five generations, which give about
100000 as the number of this race which
have passed away within the limits of the
United States. Large as this amount may
seem, yet it is probably far short of the real
ity-ior although they have been constantly
decreasing, yet we have not taken into ac-
count more than one half the number of gen.
erations, and the district we have estimated
from is perhaps not near so dcnselv popua-
ted as more timbered and congcnial ATTITUDES.
But let the original and progressive num-
bers be what they may, we have only left,
Of this vast multitude, about 70,0O0-the
pI tribes on, e.
tier, besides few remnants still remaining
within the States.
1t is, however, scarcely necessary to 60
into such crude calculations, to show the
astonishing decrease Of these people. We
know from the best evidence, that many IA.
tions, once large and powerful, are now en-.
tirely extinct. The tribe among whom the
great missionary Apostle Elliott labored, anc
into whose language he translated the whole
Bible, is now utterly lost. Nearly the same
fate has also happened to those tribes among
whom Brainerd labored. Some of the tribe,
are lost, while but a remnant remains of the
more powerful tribes. We of the present
generation are familiar with the fact thai
many OF the tribes once more numerous anC
respectable for national character, have lost
their distinction as nations and mixed will
other tribes. Such is the condition of the
Missouri tribe, now amalgamatcd with the
Ouoes, and also the Foxes lately merged into
the Sac nations, and so Of other tribes.
The history of the little Iowa nation witt
which we are most familiar, is not less 70 thf
point. In the year 1897 they numbered
eight hundred and thirty, now there are MOI
over four hundred and sixty living souls
Thus, in less than thirteen years, there ha,
been loss of over forty-five to the hundred
If these estimates be correct, and some o
them we cannot resist, is it likely that on III,
face Of the whole earth, we can find a clas
Of people diminishing so fast? Indeed i
would seem that the Canaanites, perishinl
under the direct command and dspleasur,
OF God, scarcely diminished much faster
or them it was said, "The Canaanites wer,
still IN the land, but at this rate Of decrease
the time will soon be here when such canno
be SAID OF these people. And will not com.
mon humanity feel and act over such a state
of affairs? Are they not our bretbren?-
emanating from the same origin, and shall
we not feel for them? We mourn TO see
individuals die, and are distressed and
alarmed at seeing a desolating pestilence
hanging over our land; unito in the OBJ.
servance Of National facts, and were il
necessary would aid in offering Thousand.
of rams and ten thousand rivers of oil" a,
a sacrifice to arrest the progress of the de-
stroyer; yet here we see whole nations
buried without displaying a single badge OF
mourning as evidence Of our sympathizing
regard.