The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-01-29
An Indian Republic.

We find the folio wing interesting account OF
Dakota community, Or rather regular Republic, in
the St. Paul Advertiser Of the 18th instant. The
Advertiser calls it" The Hazlewood Republic"
Away up on ths head waters of the Minnesota,
some for y miles above Fort R,dgley. in a corner
Of the misery strip of territory of which the
fruct Was reserved to the DakoGas all that re.
mains to them now Of the magnificent heritage 10
which they was born-in the wilderness.home Of
seven thou,a shiftlesa savases. the very Hades
Of Indian bs, s,bari.m, yet M with ehostly songs
and legends. the philosophers of Frnce and the
poets Of European regeneration have been out
stripped by the Dakota hunter. and veritable
Republic. organised. representative. free, with .
written constitution and code of laws, has been
established oil the bauks Of the Yellow Medicine.
A community Of Dakota Indians incl ding some
twenty FIVE families .renouncing the tribl system
the habits. the supsrsitons and the costume Of
their race, leapins at single vault across cen u,
rios of barb rism, have adopted at n,e, oy unani.
nous consent, the customs the dress, and at least
the elementary ideas of civiliz sd society.
The traditional principle of the community Of
property has been ahandoned-tbe whole tribal
fabric dissolved and society constructed on the
basis Of Justice TO the individual, and its relations
adjusted the prin ipal Of individual resp 'nsi-
billy. For this new order Of thing mrthodieal
organi zatou b IS been rffrced, in which all male
ad ats are represented an in which all directly
put cipsts. A President aud Secretary were reg
ularly elected. A Constitution and Code Of BY
Laws were written, aud the rights of property re,
cognized and defined. This is an abrupt transit
ton. certainly and presents the ph. nomenA not Of
growth but of transfnrma ion
One fuds the savage hunter Of year since.
dressed to day in the costume If the white man
the hair cut -hort aud the pant and ornaments
discarded--living in neat hoases of the simple
but conf r.able arChitec usual in frontier set
Elements, with an enclosed field Of fur or ave
acres around him TILED with the implements OF
from the despotism of tribal prescription is nc
longer beast Of budrn, but attends to the g-nlel
duties Of the household while the husband accepts
with pride the toll his recent pride dsdaiued.
The interior of these little houses, ssual'y bull
of logs, reminds ne of the simple and nnocen
cottage life of the exied Acadians. The rude
furniture, fashioned by their uneducated skill, il
in every rything imitation Of civilization, Th'
idea o comfort proceeds the idea Of elegance il
the growth of mind, and ordinary comforts arr
still novelties in Indian life. to which the senti
pent of property, itself novelty. gives a new
charm The rough bench or chair. tho bed o
bunk curtained with musketo gsuze, the iron stove
the various Ut nsils Of cookery. the set of tabl'
ware uTon the high, clean shelf, the lock ant
trunk, the suspended picture, the we'll filed lar
der. aud the cultivated gardens outside. incloseC
with neat fences all attest the gradual develop
meut Of the principle of acquisition, and The re
uuncistion Of the lazy doctrines of commdhty, -
To Uue familiar with the bleak comfortess entire
ly animal Ii u and reckless improvidence Of tn
DaEotas, this simple. domes' picture, sketche'
on that har.h aud desolate background. appeal
with the force Of d amatic contrast--vhile it ha
for the student the interest of new phase of his
torical development Of which the conditions ar
d, new, and the causes not apparent
And what power wrought this rsdieal revolu
tion in the midst of the DAkotasr Was It tn
spontaneous development of a la.ent ter deney &C
celebrated by the ex,gencies Of the new mode c
life forced on them by the policy of the Govern
ment? Was it the reflex influence Of the 6Si
a cation which surrounds th.mS Perhaps th.S
had the eff ct Of sugge'iOns or Of Arguments. b.
the hazlewood Republc was the fr it, in fact.
long years of thankless toll and Of heroic Sc
sacrifice the tardy results Of the dsspi.ed labo
# the Dakota Mission aries. Two excellent mel
thu Rev. Dr.. Williamson and the Rev. s. r Rigg
who have devoted their lives to the evangel Iatic
4 of the Sioux find in this the hrst sheAI Of The ha
n vest which is sPringing up { ON their joint labor
!, Men suesred at them aud ridiculrd the PiOus d
, yotior which seemed TO hem oh sc,lsss and yisio
N ary and in fact. it not by the incubation
ahstr.ct raliUinuG idraE hut by practical lesso