The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-04-03
The Indian Tribes.

RISE AND PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY AND CIVIL.
EATON AMONGST THE CHoCTAws.
The Rev. ID. W. Lewis, delegate at Washington,
D. c. from the Choctaws deversda free lecture the
above subject, in the Methodist Episcopal Church
Greene street. in this city, last evening The attendance
was numerous. Mr.. Lewis is q man In the prime OF
fe, very respectable specimen Of hts race, and pos
sessng good average clerical appearance He entered
the church at quarter to eight O'Clock escorted BY
the lay brothers, who conducted him inside the
tuary One Of the brothers having read hymn, which
afterwards chanted by the congregation, prayer
offered up.
The Reverend gentleman forward, and said that
he felt glad for the opportunity Of speaking in ths
Of who had,much 10 do In teaching him the
English language and putting him TO school he would
not enter into the past present history Of the
Choctaws This nation formerly lived In the State Of
Mississippi and the west Of Alabama without any writ
ten language book, or religion. But they not
doaters. They an believed In the existence OF God
but did not worship him, nor anything else Some OF
their ceremonies had been taken for religious ceremonies
by white travellers, but he himself never knew
Of form OF worship. His nation con.
tinued all the time before the year Of 1920.
They had forms Of government and their minds and
snos were Alike % unsutiv.sed, Up to this time any
ran Wild with their cattle n 1918 the white men found
Win warm ncArth tney fet TOT the Ihoc
taws who 40 living, and wished and prayed for
their salvation. society was formed 10 New England
wkich be believed originated In Boston and they
mission out which arrived In the ChostAw country n
the early part OF 1915 and Immediately built up schools
and taught the boys and girls 10 read and know the
truth OF the gospel They continued their lsbors up
the year 1877. There we're, II was true, but few
conysrsions during these nine years, but from 1927
TO 1880 very many men and women were turned 10 God
and they showed 10 others the good effect Of the preach
ing Of the gospel Up 10 1927 many obstrnctions
given TO the spread Of gospel truth the minds OF the
ChoctAvs abused BY the older frontier mssiona
ries, who did much TO prejudice the hearts Of that
people against the faithful missionaries. The
Presbyterians, who were the hrst 70 come 70 them
and the hethodsts s'vel many souls up b 1884
when General ia .-,1 sest a message 10 the
Chocaws TO .misrsi 'prtbsr the West After this on
reports from the United States rsaching them many
joined he church toas they thought-savs their coun
try IRON being sold and many others 10 their souls
After the treaty was signed In 1880 and many Of the
people had gone West TO the wilderness they became
sLenies Of the church, owing to ths bad hath kept
the present moment the Choctavs inhsbit q country
extending three hundred niies In length and about
one hundred and twenty i've In width situate he
tween Arkansas Texas, and other States. The POM.
lation was thirty.two thousand, bat II different
smaller tribes, travellers preachers, and soldiers we're
included their people would number thirty ave thou
ssnd They have been very liberal In srtesding home
ton. Hence they have many friends Ths nation had
four Senatorial districts and four Senators returned
from each BY the legal male of sstsen yssr are
Senators elected for two yearaii the votsr. voed
slso for chiefs Who elected for -four years In the
Houss of Representatives, tbsr~
70 every one thousand Of the inhsbftapt
Here the reverend r-suemas dsscribsd tAs uses Of