Daily national Democrat., 1858-12-05

CAN THE INDIANS BE CIVILIZED ?-The fol.
lowing is communication to the New York
Tribune:
SIR: In consequence of the numerous one
sided and exaggerated statements in regard
TO the wild and savage nature of the Indians,
an idea has become prevalent that they can
not be civilized And so deep is the convic
tion in the minds of some that they really
suppose that nothing can be done bat to look
on while the tribes perish by whisky and
war, or by a natural decay To demonstrate
that this IS mistake and that the affrma-
tive of the above question is the truth. | ap-
pend the following from the Reports of the
Indian Department for 1878:
The Menominees of the Northern Superin
tendency cultivated last year 500 acres of
grain and vegetables, and the agent saws that
they make as good farmers as the people of
any other nation. They used up during the
year 23S,0OO feet of lumber for the following
/ purposes: For flooring &c. Of l00log houses,
$4,000 feet; for building church, 30 900 IT,,
for collins ana graveyard fences, ! 900 for
fences on the central farm, 5000 for two
stores, $4,000; for building houses for Stock
bridge Indians, 81 900.
/ The above was done by Indians Joseph
Ostroph, the school teacher, reports that their
children make good progress in writing and
arithmetic, that many Of them possess a good
talent for music, and solve the notes az easy
as they would say the A Be
| The agent of the Winnebagoes reports that
this tribe cultivated last year 200 acres of
wheat; $50 acres of oats ii l3 acres of corn /;
lO3 acres of turnips; 6 acres Of peas, beans
and buckwheat, beside numerous gardens
I They have also cut 200 tuns Of haV. and
mad e 200, 900 brick for chimneys and ovens.
In the school, forty girls made during the
year $50 garments in addition to their
studies. Fifty boys in the same school made
200 rods of fence, dug well, ana cultivated
three and half acres in good order as a gar
den, beside cutting hay enough to winter a
span Of horses. If, Mr.. Editor, it is borne in
mind that these people have labored under
dlseouraging circumstances having been NOV
ed from four different>States, and even row
not sure but they may be driven away again,
| think it must be admitted that. if they die
out it will be because they are either starved
or killed, and not because they are unable or
unwilling to work for a subsistence
There are several other tribes, as the Chero-
KEGS, Choetaws and Senekas, and some others
who in regard to schools and public improve
ments and the acquisition of wealth are 90
ing ahead on (at lease a par with their pale
faced neighbors
OF the Pueblo Indians, the Agen reports
that they are too far advanced in civilization
to be called Indians in the ordinary accepta-
tion of that term.
The Pimeas, another tribe who occupy, in
the ella Valley Il district about twenty miles
in length and four in breadth, live in villages
and raise fine crops Of corn, wheat mllet,
melons and pumpkins, and also cotton of ex-
eellent quality, which they spin and weave
into blankets of beautiful texture. They
number about eight thousand souls.
The Shoshonees, who occupy the great ba-
sin east of Utah, are fine race being indus
trious, temperate and cleanly in their habits
They are estimated to number 10000, and as
yet have no white men among them.
The Apacha Indians on the Gadsby pur-
chase, about the savageness of whom so much
has been written, expressed a willingness to
cultivate the soil on the first request of the
Agent to do so, and with n little instruction
soon had rs acres prepared and planted with
corn and pumpkins
And even the wild Comanchos ana other
tribes which have been the terror of both
MeXicans and Americans on the borders, are
found to be docile and apt to learn when
treated with humanity and justice they are
only hostile and revengeful because their do.
mains are invaded and their g1me destroyed
to such an extent that starvation often drives
them to desperation. 1t is believed that there
is not now a tribe within our territories but
that would raise subsistence from the soil
could they eprotected from Border. Ruf1ian
outrages, and have the necessary facilities in
seeds, and implements. and instructors. But
before they can be expected to conform to
our Government, they must have full and
impartial protection of our laws and a faith
full appropriation of all which our treaty
stipulations call for.