Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-12-15
THE ABOLITIONIsTs AGAINST THE
CHOCTAW NATION.

Fas
The Abolitionists prefer black to any other
color. Their choice of blacks over whites was
long since manifested, but it is only recently
that they have indicated their preference of
blacks over the Indian race, whose color ap-
proximates more nearly to that of the Cauca-
sian. iag u g5
The Choctaws have among them the institu-
ton of African slavery. They have made
rapid advances in civilization, and exhibit a
highly commendable desire to improve them
selves by cultivation and learning. The Anne
rican Board of Missions, body strongly i'm
pregnated with Abolition fanaticism, took the
Choctaws under their peculiar guardianship
They sent Missionaries among them TO instruct
them in the Christian religion. These Mis-
sionaries, full of religious zeal and Abolition
feryor, set to work in good earnest. They
not only taught the Choctaws in their Sunday
schools, but they also taught the slaves of the
Choetaws What they taught the latter may
very well be inferred from the known charac-
ter of Abolitionists, and from the difficulties in
which they became embroiled with the Choc7
Jaws. The mode of instruction pursued by
them was such as to produce discomfort if not
instruction, among the slaves. That Adolf
ZIONIST is indeed q jewel, a very pattern Of
meekness and goodness, and pieiy, who, when
entrusted with that labor Of love--the teaching
Of young and tender Ethiopian slaves-will
not avail himself Of the occasion to instill into
their minds feeling Of rancorous hostility TO
| their owners.
That the Missionaries among the Choctaws
did SO, we have every reason to believe. That
| their instructions were Of such character as
to offend the Indians amongst whom they re-
sided, is very clear from the fact that the
Choctaw Legislature passed q law prohibiting
these Missionaries from giving instructions to
the slaves in the Mission or Sunday schools.
The Missionaries and the Abolitionists gene
rally, fred up at this law. Their Pruden-
| tial Committee demonstrated against it and
threatened to withdraw their patronage from
the Choctaw schools. AT length the Board
met at Hartford, Connecticut some months
since, and adopted resolution imperiously
requiring the Choctaw Legislature TO repeal
the, to them, obnoxious law.
We are pleased to find that the arrogance o.
the Board has produced but little effect
Colonel Harkins, the chief Of the ChoctawI
has met their threats in manly spirit. In Q
recent cop,tiiihiee.ie.. 20 tls cs~.sii, no seys
/ aIt soems that the American Board, at a re
| cent. meeting, held at Hartford, Connecticut
had under consideration the School Act of th,
4 last session of the Chocktaw General Council
and was so offended at it that they at onc'
passed resolutions to dissolve their connection
With the Choctaw Schools. What are we 4
infer from this, but that they have their secre
designs, and a greater feeling for the welfare o
the slave among us, than for the Indians
: There is no State in the South that would b
willing for the Abolitionists 10 teach thei
slaves; and in fact they dare not attempt it
and il is because we are Indians, that they sup
pose they can have this privilege among us
\ Ii the Aboltionists are not satisfied TO teacl
our children alone, then ! say, for one, let th
connection between us and the American Boar
be dissolved, and every Abolitonist be driyel
D out Of the nation at once. We have treate
! the missionaries, sent out to us by the Amer
4 can Board, as well rs ever missionaries wer
treated by any unenlghtened peop'e.. =,
e 1--WE placed our children in their hands. W
Il gave them lands to cultivate, and placed unde
a their management our school funds, thus show
!. ing on our part not only a reliance upon thei
lakors, but our open and con6ding spirit, an
= never once have we prosecuted them, or q
E. tempted to drive out OF the country, even thos
n whom we knew not to be good men. We hay
! not prevented them from preaching to or
- slaves. This has been the course pursued
q the Choctaws towards the missionaries sent o,
among us; but we had a right to pass laws pr
Is hibiting them from teaching our slaves, becaui
"a we knew them to be dangerous people, VII
j neither regarded the law of God, nor that
! man as binding upon their conduct or CO.
"a science. Because we have done this, the Boa