Democratic banner. (Bowling Green, Pike County, Mo.) 1845-1852, 1851-05-28
MISCELLAN EOUS.
From the Charleston Evening News.
The Old Indian.

Among the vestiges which darken the
shadow Of the past, few are more interest
ing than the Indians character. 1t has
been the fate of this people to display very
lofty traits, nationally and individually, and
to pass from mems eyes like phantoms Of a
dEeam. They were the progenitors of 9
people now rich in intellect and glorious in
civilization, only to retire before that wave
Of population which they themselves had in
vited. They were plants Aoursishing only
in the shsde-plants which expired in the
full blass Of the sun Of Improvement.
In viewing the degeneracy Of people
who from lofty condition have fallen
into one of moral or physical slavery,
as is the case of the Greeks; our pity is
mixed up with contempt;but with the Indian
tribes il is different. 10 their case we see
Q courageous end msgnanimous nation, full
Of the revenge but boldness of savage life.
stepping back from before conquering bur
not always very Just people, submitting re-
lucsantly to the fate of war, and giving up
their lands in many instances only with their
lives. II is not our purpose to object to
tue destiny which made our fathers the in
stFuments Of our settlement and prosperity.
Doubtless it was for wise purposes in the
advancement ofintellectusI and moral free
dom. But in the persps sctive Of the picture
which portrays their early trials, We also
see the Indian. We see wild but happy
people, content amidst their native forests,
suddenly deprived Of their heritages, dri-
ven from their homes, the bones Of their
ancestors dispersed with the plough, and
thev forced either to seek new shelter
further in the forest, from which new IN
weston was presently to drive them, or to
remain and dwindle into insignifcance,
the victims Of physical, moral, and intellec-
tual deterioration.
The Cherokees were the last to retire TO
the West. At ball-play with the Creeks
they won that lovely country of green val
leys and smiling hills now covered by the
northern sections of Georgia and Alabama.
They lived ,contentedly; and it was their
boast that they had never shed the white
mans blood. A mors noble race never ex.
isted.. s-
Manly, generous, and their forms and coun-
tenaaces displayed the characteristics of a
bold but msgnanimous beople. 1t was my
lot q day or two since to meet one of them,
who abandoned by his people, still fingered
IN the noble country where he was born.-
He impaired to me some faint memorials of
his race. He loved to dwell on the history
ofhis, people, and to point out various scenes
Understandable events took place. !
net him ct romantic spot in Cherokes
county, Alsbsma, known as Blue Pond.
Bloc Pond lies at the base Of Lookout noun.
ssiH-a ridge which rises in Middle Alabs-
ma, and whicl,,,in northeast direction,
rans with greater or less elevation into the
edge of Tennessee. On the. top oft, just
above Blue Pond, ara the Yalloo falls
ThsAittls stream of Yalloo, which produces
these falls, runs along the mountsin in q
ssuthern directiou, and is surrounded with
sceneEy apblims end romantic enough 70
rouse the, coldsss bosom to love Of Nature.
Afsar flowing along. calm and upraffted as
one, of those bright. streams we often see
psisted on the eastern ky.just before sup
yise,we find it,, course suddenly interruP-
ssdSJ 1 range ofbroksn rocks, which stretch