The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-07-09

yet the undisputed lords of the soil
Their wants were few and the means o
qualification within their reach They
saw every one around them sharing tn
same lot, enduring the same hardships
! feeding on the came ailments, arrayet
in the same rude garments.
No roof then rose but it was open t.
tlIe hurnrfrss lss-s..rle.
among the trees, but he vas welcome t.
sit down by its fire, and join the hunte
in his repast. For" says an old his
torian of New England, {" their life is ST
void of care, and they are SO loving also
that they make use Of those they enjoy
as coumon goods. and al therip so com
passionate, that rather than one should
starve through want, they would starv'
all thus do they pass their time saeri
ly, not regar:;ing our pomp, but are bet
ter content wi,h their own, which some
men esteer. so mernly Of"
Such were the Indians, while in tat
pride and energy Of their primitive ma
lures. They resemble those wild plants
which thrive best in the shades Of the
forests, but shrink from the hand of cyl
tivation, and perish beneath the ;, II
ence of the sun,
In discussing the save che.acter
writers have been too pr.-Ae 10 indulge
in vulgar prejudice and passionate ex
! sggerat ion, Instead of the candid temper
of true philosophy. Tbey have Lot suf
fciently considered the peculiar circum
stances in which the Indians have beer
PLACED, and the peculiar principles un
der which they have been educated. Nc
being acts more rigidly from rule than
the Iudian. His whole conduct is reg.
lated according to some general maxims
early implanted in his mind. The moral
laws that govern him. are, to be sure,
few; but then, be conf forms to them all ;
the white man abouuds in laws of reli-
pion, morals cnd manners; but how ma
ny do they violate
A frequent ground of accusation
against the Indians, is their disregard
for treaties, and the tGeschcry aud wan
tonuess with which, in time of apparent
ycase, they will suddenly fly to hostili-
ties. The intercourse of the white men
with tie Indians, however, is too spt to
be cold, distrustful, oppressive and in
sultiug. They seldom treat them with
that confidence and frankues which are
indispensable to real friendship; nor is
sufficient caution observed not to offend
against those feelings of pride or super
stition, whiei. often prompt the Indian
to hostility quicker than mere consider
atiors of interest.
The solitary savage feels silently, but
acutely. His sensibilities are not diff
fused over so wide surface as those OF
the white man but they run in stead
ier and deeper channels. His pride, his
affections, his superstitions, are all d.
rccted towards fewer objects; but the
wounds inflicted on them, are proper
tiorably severe, and furnish motiyes of
hostility which we cannot sufficiently ap-
preciate.
Where a community is also limited in
number, and forms one great patriarch
al family, as in an Indian tribe, the in
Jury of al individual is the injury of the
whole; aud the sentiment of vengeance
is almost instantaneously diffused. One
council Gye is sufficient for the discus
sion and arrangement of plan of hos
tilities Here, here all the fighting men
and soges assemble. Eloqueuce aud su-
pers,iiion combine to influence the minds
of the warriora. The cFator awakens
their martial ardor, aud they are wrought
up to kind of religious desperation by
the visions of the prophet and the drea-
lner.