New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-25

Every warrior hss biz vsr ho-ae which "a te H.st.t
tat can be obtsined He p-izes hin more highly t,Sn
can De induced tOpart With HIM a any prce HsnsTsr
ouLts hin EXCEPT ben zon into bsis for tie bIfdo
chase or upon state occasions. On bis rsrV-u from
eHcur ION be Il met AZ the door II hs lodge y one u
u wlves who taxes 81. steed and attends % IL wants
with the utmost care The prairie warrior p-r1rms no
meusal lLbOr he oriy occupation Il IA var and the
craze HIS wives who are but littls desrer n u than
BIZ horse. perform ell tie druigery. he fllows ths
ehsse he sokes biz pipe he eats and sleeps and thus
passing biz tine, IN his estinsion be 5 he most
lOroly and independent OF s0vereiEns.
A these prairie Indians depend s1ost entirely on the
tufalo for subsistence the lecturer sad L became
question Of much interest VIA; vii be the ste OF taese
people when The animals shall have become exrnct
Formerly bufsIues found countless herbs over
almost the entire Dorthern continent Of America from
the h 20 the 65th degree q north strtuie and IRON
tie shores Of Lake Chsmpain % the Rocky IuntatnA
They then ranged free ana uninterrupted over the
boULdless plains Of the Wes' only guided their course
by that faithful instinct which invariably led them % the
heshest and sweetest pastures Their ouy enemy then
was the Indian who supplied himself With fool AMI
clothing from the immense herds around his door bat
would have looked Il a. sscrlege 70 destroy more
thsn barely sufficient % supply the wants OF his family
Thus Tbs monarch Of The plAins was allowed uninter
ruped rlu from one end Of the contsentto the other
but this happy stste OtnZs for the die beast not
destined to continue. An enemy appeared who made
great havoc smonz them. and in short time caused
very sensible dIminution n their numbers, and much
oour acted the limits q their wanderin-s Tnis enemy
ives the white msn VINO in Ms steady march the
original proprietor OF the soil 20 recede before him AID
70 diminish 10 numbers almost A. rapidy ssthe bGfaoe
Thousands OF these animals were annually sau yatered
for their skins and often for their tongues son--an ami
NAL whose feb is sufficient 70 EflT3 sgstenaRce 20
large number Of men, u sacrificed 20 furnish bon
boEcAs for the rich epcure Tns wholesale slaughter
on the part Of the white man, with the number con
eumed by the Indians who constantly their trail
migrating with them regularly - the season comes
ruuDe with the svenous wolves that are always hand
q ~ -.
but lit rect prospect Of permanent existence u
only eight years since the western borders Of Texas
ADourded with hufslOes but they seldom 20 souta
OF Red River and their range upon the cas-, AMI west
has also very much contracted within the same time
that hey =; present confined 10 barrow belt OF
country between the outr settlements AMI the base Of
the Rocky Mountains. With this rapid diminution ia
their numbers, they must in the cOurse of very few
years, become eXterminated
What will then become Of the prairie lnian, who. a.
have already remarked relies for subsistence shelter
and clothing the he,h and hide OF thu ANIMAL He
must either perish with them, increase his musufng
depredatiOns the hexicans OF learn 20 cultivate tho
soil
AZ the first Law Of our nature is self preservation,
il il not probable that he will si down and quietly sub
nit 20 starvation be must therefore resOrt 20 one OF
the latter alterna,ves but he has knowledge Of
agriculture considers it the business Of slave and very
much beneath the dignity OF warrior, appears reas
enable that he will turn HE attention to the A'xcan
over whom be has held the mastery Tor msny years
Heretofore his plumber Of them has been TOR pastime
and for glory but when be obliged u resort TO this
sc a means Of subsistence. TO the poor Mexican
II will be necessary TO devise TO do away
with the uveternte prejudices which the Comauches
entertain against the habits and customs OF the whites
before they Will be induced 70 remGio in any fixed abOdes
or cultivate the soil.
The lecturer closed hs address by remarng that thus
far no efforts have been made improve the Iral or
ply steal condition oithese people No missionaries have
ever visited them and they have more idea Of Chris
tianty than they have Of the religion Of hahomet We
find them dwelling almost al doors a. barbarou' and
heaihesh rice AZ exist the face Of tho ca III and
while our benevolent and phlsnthrop!c citizens are ma
hing such efforts 20 ameoraie the condition OF savagcs
on other continents should not do something for the
benefit Of these wild men OF The prAiries These dngy
nobleen of natureths original proprietors OF al that
vsst included between the shores Of the Atlantic
and the Pacific have been despOled suppantei and rob
bed Of their Just and legitimate heritage, by the ayar
cous and rapid encrOschments Of the white man. IL -
not At this late day in power 70 atone for all the IN
iustce inflicted upon them but wise policy would dc
tate almost the only recompenceit ~ now possible to
make that OF introducing among then the lights OF
Chraauiiy and the blessings OF ciyzaOn with their
attendant beUofts Of agriculture and the arts.
At the close of the lecture Mr. Leavu moved that
the thanks Of the Society be voted to Captain Marcy
for his valuable and interesting paper and that copy
Of the same be furnished for the archives Of the socie
IT, Mr. Bancroft put the question, and It was unani'
mously adopted after which the meeting dispersed