, 1855-02-24

the fact that there we're printed last year il
the nation $4,000 copies of books.
The Creeks are behind the Cherokees
but the accounts Of the missionaries report
a steady Improvement They have become
cultvators of the soil, and raise annually O
large surplus Of corn and provisions fol
sale The Senecas and the Shawnees, too
have farms which will compare with those
of the Middle States.
l The CHocGAws-Our readers probably
remember that the recent meeting of the
American Board of Commissioners for For.
egn Missions at Hartford, resolutions were
passed to dissolve their connection with the
Choctaw schools, because those Indians
had refused the missionaries permission to
teach the slave children Of the tribe The
action Of the Board was communicated TO
the council OF the Che ctaw nation, aud in
II recent communication TO that body, Col.
Harkins, the chief, refers to it as follows:
What are we to infer from this, but
that they have their secret designs, and 4
greater feeling for the welfare of the slave
among us, than for the Indians? There is
no State in the South that would he willing
for the Abolitionists to teach their slaves :
and in fact they dare not attempt it and
/ it is because we are Indians that they sup
/ pose that they can have the same privilege
among us. If the abolitionists ore not sat
iSfied to teach our children alone, then
say for one, let the connection between us
and the American Board be dissolved, and
every Abolitionst be driven ont of the ma
| tiOn at once. We have treated the. mis-
sionaries sent out to us by the American
| Board as well rs ever missionaries were
treated by any uucnlightened people We
placed our children in their hands. We
gave them lands to cultivate-and placed
under their management our school funds
thus showing on our part, not only reli-
ance upon their labors, but our open aud
conlidng spirit, and never once have we
prosecuted them, or attempted TO drive out
of the country, even those whom we knew
not to be good meu We have not pre-
vented them from preaching to our slaves
This has been the course pursued by the
| Choctaws toward the missionaries sent out
among MS but we had right to pass laws
prohibiting them from teaching our slaves,
because we know them to be dangerous
people, who neither regarded the law Of
God nor that Of man as binding upon their
conduct or conscience. Because we have
done this, the Board looks upon it as an
outrage, aud declares her intention to with
draw her teachers from our schools. Let
it be done, and the sooner the better. And
now let US look for missionaries and teach
ers from such as we can live in peace and
unity with, from whom we will have no
fears that they will not teach anything be-
yond what the apostles Of Jesus Christ
taught in their day.
If to please the abolitioaists the Council.
should repeal the act which has given So
much offence TO the Board, you will see a
party spirit arise among us, which will not
be put down until every abolitionist is
made to leave the nation.
Repeal that act and you may at once
agree upon your Council being dictated to
by the abolitionists Of the North,
Our people need not fear that the schools
%ill cease on account Of the threatened with
drawal of the present teachers by the Am
erican Board, for II was our money that
brought thcm hither and surely our money
can again bring us as good if not better
teachers"
In the same communication the Chief al
so speaks upon another important subject
urging upon his tribe the Importance of
notifying the government of the United
States that they are willing to adopt John
sons territorial bill, and wish it to pass
Congress in its present shape. He lays
before them the advantages which will re-
suit TO the nation from its adoption, saying
that il will secure them their homes, place
them on u level with the white man, make
them citizens of the United States, and
give them a delegate to Congress-whereas
| should they reject the offer, they will event
ually lose their distinctive character as n
people, and be swallowed up, as it we're,
without regard to their just rights. He
says:
1--WE may depend upon it as being a
\ fixed fact, that our Indian days Of peace
are forever departed from us, and that no
opposition from us can stay the onward
march of the people Of the United States
in their career 10 greatness and the full o.
cupancy Of the American continent. We
have no power or influence to bear upon
any movement of the government, for We
are looked upon as children--as wards iuu-
der her care and protection, and that she
has the power to do as she plcases with us.
There is nothing the Choctaws can do to
change the course Of things
} Their only chance to live, and exist as a
people, will he to educate and civilizc as
, fast as possible the rising generation. And
surely now is the time for us to stand to-
gether unitedly. We should consider well
our situation, and the course we are about
to take at this time, for one mis-step may
} prove disastrous and fatal to our people
f recommend that the Council take this
matter into consideration, and appoint a
: committee to report, and point out the ad-
vantages and disadvantages of tho bill to