, 1855-02-24
a New Indian State,

warmly in favor Of the Indian project re-
ported at the late session Of Congress, for
erecting territorial governments for the In
dian tribes in the United States, with q
view to their civilization. and the incorpora-
ton in due time, of the Territories into the
Union as States. After recounting the
provisions of the bill, the Ga -eitc speaks at
length of the condition and capacity of the
Indians proposed to be included in these
new communities, inhabiting for the most
part the lands Immediately adjoining Tex
as, and extending nOrthwardly beyond that
frontier. The Choctaws reside on the north
bank Of the Upper Red River, and the
Creeks and Cherokees successively north Of
the Choctaws.
Some Of these details are very Interest
ing, and exhibit d'gree of improvement
and civilization Of wm,h few general rca-
ders in the United States are aware. They
exhibit very encouraging signs Of capaci-
ty for civilization, and an actual progress
made in the practice Of seli-govCrnment and
in habits Of industry. which 60 far to show
that it is yet possible to preserve and i'm
prove these races, and to arrest that steady
march of decay which has seemed TO mark
them ont, from the day Of their first con-
tact with the whites, for final, total extir-
patton. The experiment is at least shown
to be worth trying with possibility Of
7 success, If entered upon in scale commcn-
surate in magnitude with the vastnesS Of
the material interests involved, and of
the claims Of the weaker and depend
ent race upon the justice aad the hu-
manty Of the conqueror. The enlightened
policy, no less than the enlarged phian-
thropy Of the American people, requires
the most earnest study of any feasible pro-
ject which promises the protection, settle
ment and civilization of the Indian tribes.
Pushed forward by the inevitable tide of
emigraut progress to the far wildS beyond
the Mississippi, and met there by settle
ments advancing from the Pacific side,
they are hemmed about, and must perish
sooner or later, unless they can be brought
together, taught TO abandon hunting for
support, and trained to the pursuits Of ag-
ricultural life, and the habits Of settled and
civilized communities.
The Choctaws are already far advanced
in this stage of Indian progress. They
have Il regular form OF representative gov
erment, administered with general fidelity
and much success. They enjoy the bene-
fits Of a written constitution suited TO their
condition. The government is divided in
TO the same classes Of agents as our own
They have legislative, judicial, and execu-
tive departments. Their law making pow
er is divided in two branches, and their
laws are annually printed and distributed.
They have Judiciary, Of which part is
elective by the people-ihe superior Judges
I by the Legislature. And they have n sys-
TEN Of common schools, for which they ap-
propriated $4,000 during the last year
They have settled homes, fixed and indus
trious habits, and are anxious for improve
ment.
The Chickasaws are not so far advanced
as the Choctaws, but they are described as
industrious, and are anxious to see their
children educated. They raise vast guam
titles Of corn, which is bought from them
by Government contractors at very low
rates. They own several mills and gins on
Red River.
According to the testimony of the Indian
agents, this civiizing process is beginning
to be appreciated even by the widest tribes
Of the further prairies. Major Narbers, of
Texas, testiies that some OF the principal
chiefs Of the southern band of Camanches
arc fully impressed with the necessity Of
settling down." and ''are not only willing,
but appear anxious TO do So" lie is sat
isfed that Nth two or three years subsis-
tence secured by the Genera Government,
with the necessary instruction in raising
stock and making corn, &C., they would be
able to sustain themsemlves and here is
the difficulty. Hunting, while it requires
disproportionate extent of territory to
supply the means Of subsistence, provides
only scantily, and for the present. The
ravages on the southern frontiers and into
Mexico spring as much from the positive
necessities Of substance as from any other
cause and hence the absolute necessity as
well as the high expediency that the Gov
ernment Of the United States should make
provision at least for their temporary sup
port, as an economical mode of repressing
deprcdations and diminishing the necessity
for costly military establishments The
,. policy enters into the question of terrific
rles Tor Indian residences and Indian civil
ization becomes an essential part of the
system of frontier protection.
The subject is one full of interest, and
we hope that it will pot be lost sight of in
, the prints or in the discussions before Con-
gress. That body is slow to be moved on
any subject which does not mix itself up
, with the struggles of the day for party
| power and personal gains but we must,
: periorce, try to content ourselves with the
hope that there is better time coming,
r without being able to guess when.
? OF the Cherokees, we have heard more.
E They have a government very much like
! that of the Choctaws. While the mass Of
r them are making slow but steady advance
r in knowledge and industrious habits, they
D have an educated class of wealthy and in