Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-01-07
shall we Have an indIan state.

q
We. are indebted to. Mr., Buchanan foI
a new idea in his message-an idea in
which poetic Justice is mingled with
practical philanthropy and possible, nay
actual, progression. The Indian, de-
cade after decade driven farther towards
the setting sun, and melting away like
mists upon the mountains before the
blaze of civilization, has at length been
surrounded, and finds the circle of fire
approaching him from the west as well
as from the east. Driven more and
more together, they have in one portion
of our domain founded more compact
colonies, and as a result, have worked
out a portion of the problem of progress.
In the words of MIR. Buchanan, ''the
tribes of Cherokees, Choctaws, Chicka-
saw and Creeks settled in the Territory
set apart for them next to Arkansas, are
rapidly advancing in education, and in
all the arts of civilization and self gov
ernment." This Indian Territory is
south Of Kansas, and has a fertile pro-
life soil. The inhabitants have cotton
corr farms, settled abb tations, in short,
are becoming imbued with accumulative
and money getting propen=i:ies; some
of these Indians are men of We tn and
own large plantations, tell 1t not
in Gath, publish it not in the streets #
A~skalon."2 numerous negroes They
a e, in fact, quite extensive s'a seholdori
The wea'thier Indians, it. is said, live in
fine housess-andk keep Disadvantages,
and quite affect the airs of grand seign.
ors. They have schools, churches, and
oDl ON 0rraniuoA nnunrn
ment with constitution and laws model.
led after our own. Thus it will be seen
that they have already the requisites fol
the formation of one of the sovereign
and independent States of our confeder'
acy, and with Mr.. Buchanan. we may
indulge the agreeable anticipation thai
at no very distant day, they will be in
c~orporated into the Union. 1t is posi-
BILE that thus a remnant of that unforta'
nate rice who once claimed the whole
country as their birth-right may be rep
resented in the councils of the nation
and serve as monuments to mark what
once was. 1t will be a singular and In,
teresting sight to SEQ the son of the rec
man. the free rover of the forest whose
! fathers have been scattered like leaves
before the wind from the path of the
white men, sitting in peaceful comPan
ionship with the ~conquering race III tht
halls of Legislation, the distinctive marks
&C. their origin but family discernible Is
the cnsrges of civilization. Whethe'
the Indians themselves desire to form
State and to be adm,tre1 into the Union
does not appear. OF cousse, Ii; mani
festation of such a desire would be i
necessary preliminary. We have NJ
doubt that the new Indian State woulo
be creditaLly represented and creditabl.
governed; but the interminable SLAYER.
question would again be thrust forward
The Indians being shareholders, tn
North would find a thousand obstacle
to interposc to their admission, and per
haps the South itself might not feel vii
ling to consort with such allies but as
measure of tardy justice as well as o
humanity, we all should be willing t.
extend our hands to lift our Indian
brother on to the platform of intelligenc
aud civilization upon which we stand
-BaHimore Dil'utcA.