New-York daily tribune., 1857-08-24
THE SATAGE CIFHTIED.
Correspondence of The N. Y. Trib.ne.


lady, who had read Cooper's works. once said to
your correspondent that she would not like to come
TO America, because she would be afraid OF the
sayages. And many more Europeans than are will
ing to confess the fact experience surprise or dsp
pojntment at landing on our shores and finding no
PAINTED warriors on Broadway or Boston Common.
This sounds absurd enough, but the foreigner
need come no further than the little towns OF West
ern Ncw.York to meet with something like reall-
zation of his idea. Here the red man still exists,
and walks through the village streets. But do
net expect to see the red man Of either romance or
history. You will see no halt.naked savage; war
paint and scalp-locks have disappeared. The bow
has been broken and the tOmahawk buried. The
Indians spirit has also been broken, and his glory
has been buried along with his tomahawk
] remember, indeed, when boy, seeing Indians
with their bows and arrows, and squaws with pa
poOses strapped upon their backs. There was the
old favor OF native forest life in those They
were suggestive of the wigwam and war-dances OF
cOuncil-fres the pipe of peace, the chase, the trd
tie patient women waiting at home for the return OF
the absent braves. They filed my young imagination
with poems and rOmances, which were Ms sure TO he
written in after years as every castle in the air IS
sure to be made some day solid and permanent.
The Indian of to-day is not the Indian OF ruder
times. He has been shOrn by the shears of cOnyen-
been taken away; he has put on civilized garments
Which, / am sorry to say, do not become him.. lie
looks somehow bewildeIed, somehow lost and dis
consulate. He seems walking in his sleep. | wish
TO shake him, and shout in his ear Awake y
What business has he in our streets, buying cohce
aud sugar am satisfied that civilization and con
foImity pare off his finest proportions. The native
juices of this wild, vigorous stock impoverished
by every attempt to engrat upon it what is foreign
and artificial The Indian farmer, driving to town
in bis small farm wagon wearing coat and trousers
with his long coarse, black hair falling straight and
heavy from beneath the brim OF Yankee hats drW-
inc couple of bony little horses, idle whip hung
over his shoulder his cOuntenance profoundly sor-
rowful, his black eyes gazing vacantly along the
street is to me a sorry sight. sorrier sight still
10 see him driving homo drunk at night, yelling at
his team, brandishing the whstng whip, and Tight
eninQ the brown squaw at his side.
The Indians are given to ntoxication. Ihs is
no matter of surprise, the only wonder is that they
are NOT all inebriates Terrible must be their cray-
inc after some substitute for the natural excite
ments of their old wild life. The hatchet gives
place TO the whisky Jug Instead of the war-dance,
fhey have their drunken frOlic. o firewater fire
water! thou cOuldst not stop with those TO whom
the devil gave thee first but thou must bring thy
damnation here Strange that where goes Chris.
tanty there goes also drunkenness with its kindred
vices Civilization approaches the poor savage
otter.
Reticent and dgnifed when sober, the Indian is
carrulOus and silly when drunk. L once saw
company of seven marching in the customary Indian
file along the country road. Two Of them were
laughing and cacuing ridculousy; | knew what
that meant; the other five marched in solemn ST.
lencs. with nscrutable sad faces, masking,
fancied, uniathomabe shame and grief for the deg.
radiation Of their tribe. The squaws drink too occa-
sOnaly l remember one who entered "A farm
house carving halfemptied bottle, the contents
of which had 80 saturated her soul with joy aud
friendlness, that she sat down In the chair the
white woman gave her, and laughed and chatted
uninteeiby until she at last slipped down upon the
floor, where she lay and slept the heavy sleep OF 10
ebrcty till night. She then arose from her stupor
and stole away, ashamed. Selling or giving liquor
to these unfortunate people is prohibited by law;
but the penalty is light, and there are hesthen
Wrctches in every town, dealers i'll death and san-
ity who are ready to risk detection for the paltry
coin they cOyet. The Indians own sense OF honor
avors the infamous trade. If brought into court to
bear witness against bis destroyer, he becomes sud
denly mystfed loses his memory, and gives only
loose and incoherent testimony.
The Indians are fond of shows and amuSements.
The advent of circus brings them to town IN great
numbers. They come dressed in their holiday at
tire; the men in respectable citizens clothes, tne
women in short gowns and petticoats, with hand
| kerchiets or broadcoth blankets on their heads.
| The short gowns are of cheap material, often OF
some common calico print, and extend to the
knees. The petticoats are usually of rich broad
cloth, shOwily trimmed. These extend halt way
from the knee to the ankle leaving the eegngs and
| mOccasins, embroidered with porcupines quls pie
turesquely visible below. The younger women con-
form q little more nearly TO modern fashions. They
retain the short gown but they wear the petticoat
lonp. and have seen occasionally distension OF
the latter garment which rendered me strongly
picious Of boops. Shades OF Pocahontas aud Mn
pehsha forbid The Indisn girls wear elegant
.hawls, and flats adorned with robons. Some oi
them are quite pretty. They have sp!e9dld hair,
their eyes are large and lustrou ther iuii cneehs
hide the high cheek bone and give symmetry 10 the
face. IT..
The Indians live upon their reservations The
Tonawandas are located some ionrteen miles Souln
Of Lockport the TuscaOras as far west. lney
bring their produce to our market, the women sen
berries, needle, porcupine quill aud bead worh III
the streets and from door to door. Many oil theni
may be seen at Niagara Falls. The Iuscaroras
rank high among the aboriginal nations. They are
proud Of their name and descent. One day two ol
Them were in the store OF person who suspected
the motives of their VISIT and asked them If they
would steal 7 :,
"Steal ~ repeated one of them in great astonsl.
ment. "Me no steal Me Tuscar0ra Indian y
placing great emphasis upon the name of this noble
nation.
Indeed tie TusesrOras enjoy an excellent reputa-
ton for integrity among their white neighbors.
They have never been known to steal, except when
intoxicated. They are not troublesome. When
they were removed from their original hunting