New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-12-18
IyIAWATHI DEFENDED.
ORAL LEGENDS or THE INDIANS.


SIR: Every author is re ponsib,e Tor Sos. 10 a.
tr. This truth is par culsry spooeite a. inns no
uent in relation TO the Ins1n oral Legends hereo,oe
publtbec by me- which have recently been quoted Dy
g c stin. uih d writer. The appearance OF popuA
American poem American materials, IS euitsd I'd
srouse tersry eIcitement from the backs OF me Ar
ooetOok 70 he Rio Grade. Not believing thst asy-
thin, az al il Necessary 70 vnoics,e Prvf. Longtet
lows i.rar, integrity IN quo ing my II dian legends,
any nOr han the tss.e, talent snd judgment d1s-
rIsyeo 10 lis besu'fu Characteristic snd truly Amer
i,an poem Of HiaSBths trere Is yet something due
from me OIL the subjsct from the eta hons Of my
"Aleic X. searches, anc ~ the third volume OF my
II dian History. No sllusion is made TO me critical
seumen to which The poem has given birth IN The
yress lie IefereLCe 10 exclusively 10 the originality
Of tie Ieg ncs quoted by the author Of Rawahs aud
70 their veracio usness the redops Of the n>tiye
lore which have reported from the North American
vi. v6n.s.
M attention TO the existence fsuch Legends among
the Cbippewas hrst arrested IN 1874 assuming
Gil official pos lou under he United States Govern
rert 10 r,a,iOn 10 the Indso tribes a. S1ut de Ste
Eforie at the foot Of Lake Superior. l hsd gone to
II 81 remote point res Erdins The Indian Tribes the
judicial r.mr ants of the wrath OF Goo. Anything
vbich won restore them 10 the syupathies OF
Lind or s.Ive 10 throw light on the utter darkness OF
thei. history, sought VII svid!ty Itmmeciaeiy
repor,ed he fact Of this mental ta 10 NY friend. and
correepot dents, among whom L may appropriately 70
fer in this cour ection 10 the Hos. Lewis Cas- then
Governor of tie Territory OF chigan, woo nsd az
tn. period s.tuted inquiries respe stog the languages
anc idoe yncrasiee OF Ine tribes had never pew
ously 10 seeing the letter IN your paper signed L. T.
p Noyeuber 2lst 1855, Tesd or heard OF the Fmnso
poem o. "Ksleysls." A few years served greatly 10
en- lAJle 10y aecumu at0Cs on the SUBJECT iound
tie Iait 10 exe nd more or less over woe space Oh
cent ly embrsc,g reAly every tibe Tua'ed be
tsap fludsou's Bay and the mouth Of tne Ohio.
Such lecends we're also found TO cnsrscterze me
Y eat LraIle bes OF tie Sioux stock wet OF tie Nj
sn sipti sBc Of the lroquOis cautions OF NeS ork.
From the recorcs es,y times aces OF this taca'y
rea.beo lroUgt OUT New Eagsnc, sad doubt not
hat n ey pr vSilso among The Iibes Of still wider
circle Mr. Tron biidAe fcuuo them IN ls2J among
tie Wysndos aLo Delswsfes Mr. Dot' raasmi'ted
ne at out She Gam time, chs actsris1o specltnens
frcn Tie Dacot.hs of the Upper hissssippi. found
them 1T subsequent period 10 prevail 10 the lodges
sunoundf the source. of this ceie BRAID stream AZ
"Itssca" Lake ara at Lake WiInpek. Mr.. Hosner
las rec nily made q poetic Use OF similar legends
fouuc by him ia tie valley Of the Gentsee. No per-
soU can make squirits the subject in the Indian
coabtry without finding them. The legends OF N ma
bosho, Hiawsths, Moreamui, Iddilo, Cheoiaoos,
Kvosipd Paup Puk Kewss, iagoo, the Rea Swan,
the Aesor, OF the Seasons &C., constuts the orsi-
nary rec tss Of the lodge circles ounng se winter
season. for is only at :his season, wheo, oy geneis
a som In The lat Of snow war CEASES that thece
stories are told TIE testimony Of Mr. Wortaington
oS CbIic,,h, In you, paper o. the ith inst. would
diss. rec with all others known to me, 1t did not
COT firm the existence Of tnis striking trait among the
Weeteu incisDs-
Yout PepnsyIvspia correspondent, 7. c. p before
hfH
m,ke exttnsve practical irquiries on the topi, and
can hardly be that this species OF oral lore existed
srnope he Ar Gent Lsrn0 knspees when Penn fret
lane ed at Cheser ana the cite OF Phisde phia was
still occupiyc by the lncian village OF
From he citations maze, 10 Identity OF thoughss
sSouyr between Haystha ana kal@wals, whsre there
u a siula ity OF rhythm. The Finnish poem repre-
sfns the rude incidents OF civilized he and s'ste
Of soc.ty having fixed dwellings, his"stas deais
always with era 10 savage tribes who are fishers and
bupiers spo rely much on the ope<ehons OF NEGRO
NANCY. oemobol~gy AMI sprt-craft. The king OF the
stur eOns s1 allows Hiawstha 10 bis canoe, WITH Al
iedaDo The Squutl" without the slgh'est ihcongru-
IT, with he theory Of the stoy. There IA nothing in
tie Is,f,r which smscks Of European customs or
nskss the slightest reference to the very marked
northern mythology. And IT would be more plsusioe
to refer the story telling or aesorc ,seul;y OF our
Jetbam, lind G. ST. which IS actually the Oldest
thns of he sort in The world than 20 the Films Or to
brrrsh Of he p; snS
copuooonies 10 be found in the oriental sto,ks ~
have poiI ted IN volume ore of my history, p;ge
wbe,e ali ths rest i, 10 yunerabe is due = that qual
TER. II II Il us vssind and the Pear Feather could
oily be Overcome ard Msnsbo,ho he hurt IL IL to
tbs quarter also that his necomsncy bis witchcrsf,
a. BE oua del ice are 70 be traced
II the Mon o brCus ht the germs Of these tales 10
nercs !. rot the Mos OILS who, a. der GheOg's
abr in the twelfth century oversee sno conquered
Inds for there ere no au,ioDs IN the legends 10 he
tbeie If not indeed any coincidence Of customs Chro
nology sI,o copusdicts l.. Bob North aud South
America sere occupied by tia Indians before the
Nv | b century The Totec Empire in Mexico ceased
in Io5l Vol. V.,p. 90 There are eartnworks In
the Mississippi vsy than six hundred years old.
have for many years re2srded the lDdisn legends
A. CT un'ouched nine for poets ana painters, VIDE
Oneeto but uiDe Of such peculiar Character as not
10 admit OF ready exploration, and not capable OF be-
Ing suo.esffuJ wrought at tj the author has sho
tie Indian 10 have heart The stOicism and lmper
tuIbsblity Of the IDdacs in wars and uncer state
of exposure sno trial Involving his courage and man
hood have sre much, from the setttemeut OF New
Epelsne 70 that Of Oregon to exc uce him from sym
psibX. But it 10 known that there - 90 nesuc
circle even among the soutes hearted OF them, where
Other sno sinder feelings prevail Prof LoDgfelow
has on tire bsss Of the Legends, attempted TO show
n and has In my opinion, evinced the soundest
ud. meDt in 90 doing. He has related the legends -
be found them, with their simplicity, iDsrtitoi .lness
z, o squeueee ard iDcoDgrues, without endeayor,Dg
e supay bv invention what s not 10 the original tie
bs left out Of sight uch possible the st1.e be-
tween antsgonsticsl spins or demoDs--a repuSiye
trait which ser, in the original kind OF poetc
mecbiTery for the Indian sage
Tb.re are inc eed pot sw Who care little whether
the Indian has heart or head whose Ghief source
of irterett Il IT, in any inquiries into Their hsory, 70
b. informed DOT what the philosophical points OF
ths character bot now many OF the race are .tl LETT
TO be poironto By the operation Of alcohol oriven to
crime BY the sting Of iDj Justice or destroyed from tbs
ses of the earth by the arts cupdiy. To such per-
sous the problems Of their etnIology, which ain TO
trace races and language to common source, or ef
b. rnAnity which follows them with the offers OF Art,
&C ucsion ard Cnrstisnty even Of essay TO pro-
cure details OF their scah. condition and position, are
of very little consequence and when cGe geB lnto
he sublime sceues be, ond the Father OF Wsers i. is
by no uears sncsG mon TO hear the problem discussed
wbioh the greatest benst to soeiety the eeath Of
beer, bufislo, or a. Indian -
HENRY L. scHooLCRAT.
SMOKING ON THE PANAMA. STEAME RS.