Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-02-04
Far the Enquire
.,.v,sY AMONG THE INDIANS

arts Of life and government. Various reasons
were hazarded as to the causes which nae
enabled these tribes to make greater progress
than those in the Northwest; but no one, us iaf
as | saw. mentioned the true solution OF Tue
question. And vet it is manifest, and really II
seems to me, that no one could long remain IN
doubt. after ~perusing the closing statement OF
some of these articles, setting out the TACT tha'
these tribes have adopted .So"tAern anst't",
tions: negro slavery prevails among them anu
MANY of them are large shareholders.
The fact, that tho four leading tribes now
located in our Southwestern region-the Chero'
KEGS, Choctaws, Greeks and Cnlcka-a%S-iiAu
adopted slavery on a large scale, and that II
| also prevailed to some extent among the shaw
nees and Dclawares, had attracted my attention
some years ago; nor was | ignorant OF the ,nr-
ther fact, that the advance which those tribes
had made. in the arts Of civilized life, CORES
pended almost exactly, in a ratio, With the IN
tent to which they had adopted the peculiar
institution" Where the most negro slaves
Sere found there had been made the greatest
progress in civilization and improvement among
The Indians. Where few or 10 slaves were 10
De met with, there the Indians remained mere
| ,avages. A little reflection served to connect inc
two things together, and to convince me- that
| civilization among the Indians was TIC result
If their adoption Of negro slavery.
Circumstances enabled me to prosecute an
enquiry into this subject, with much advan'
tage; for, though dcbarrcd from opportunities
for an extensive personal intercourse with the
| tribes | have named, yet | was thrown into
| contact with persons of intelligence and Oh
servation. who had possessed the means and
the capacity to form trustworthy opinions in
regard to the matter. In particular | derived
much information from a gentleman formerly a
resident in Virginia, now an inhabitant oil
Southwestern Missouri, almost on the line OF
the Cherokee country, and whose avocatlons
lead him frequently, at regular intervals, into
the Indian territory. Like all others with
whom | have discussed this subject, he reprc,
S ants these people Us having III ,de great aud
wo lderful advancement in civilization. Tho
! country is much improved-good roads, line
farms, handsome houses, tourishing villages,
| churches, schools, court-houscs-in short, all
the means and appliances OF an advanced civil
cation, are found among them to such an extent,
that the traveller can barely distinguish the
Indian territory from the States occupied by
white men. Books and newspapers are issued
in the Indian languages-regular elections take
place-legislative bodies aSsemblc-laws are
duly enacted and publishcd-justicc is admin
istered in formal and decorous courts, by
Judges and counsel before %juries regularly en-
pannelled-the Sabbath is dccently observed,
and religious services performed-the sound OF
1.-The church-going bell is heard through the
land. and all the avocations Of trade and indus
try are systematically pursued. And all this,
| contend, is owing to the existence of negro
slavery among these people. Such is the con-
current testimony of all who have written or
spoken on this subject. Numbers OF slaves
are found among these tribes. and some Indian
gentlemen, especially among the most advanced
tribe, the CheroSecS, possess large bodies OF
slaves, in some instances rs many AS a hundred
and fifty. But the most convincing proof that
the owership of slaves alone has produced this
condition OF things, is, that it does not exist
where there are no negro slaves. None OF the
Indian tribes have made any advance without
slaves. And even among the slaye-holdlng
tribes the fact is established; for the Indians
who have no slaves, even there, are vagabonds,
~loafers, dependent upon their more prudent or
more fortunate s!ave.owning brethren, still
idle savageS, half hunter, half thief, altogether
worthless.
And, gentlemen, the reason is manifest. All
civilization depends primarily upon two things
labor and su5ordination to lac. Without
these civilization is impossible; and domestic
slavery among the Indians secures both, whilst
in its absence neither can he found to any ben
cficial extent. The Indian will not work, 6ut
he sciU make a negro cork. Refusing to
labor, the Indian cannot remain in one place; he
must wander about in his hunting, his fishing,
his fighting, his traficking; he feels no love
for any particular place. and therefore no in
~tercStin its improvement. He has no home.
But once possessed Of slaves he must locate
he canno, drag them around after him, through
AID over forests and swarnps and mountains
and great rivcrs-nor would his wild and I'M
| certain resources furnish means for their sup.
port. Perforce he must select 4 home, and
this is the foundation Of progress. Soon he
finds peace, too, to be necessary to his interests.
! lie cannot engage in wars with every neigh
Dor, upon the least pretext when he has a sood
| home, fair prospects and valuable property a,
risk. The responsibilities Of civilized life
grow upon him. Savage isolation must end
And, above all, his mind is impressed with the
necessity Of law and subordination to regular
government. How is he to maintain his OWL
authority over his slaves without tho aid o.
others and the sanction Of legal enactmcntS
TO him, obedience to law becomes as much {
necessity as we white Shareholders find it &c
be to US; and slavery among the Indians exer
clses the same restraining and conservative in
luence which it excrtS in the slaveholdin2
States of the Union.
And with the adhesion to a settled home and
the submission to an orderly government
come all the advantages and improvements o
civilized and Christian life. The school-mas
ter, the missionary, the artizan and the arts,
clnnot follow tho wandering savagcs through
their misrations; or il they could do So, tlci,
lessons and labors would be Of little worth
amidst the exigcncics Of a nomadic aud preda
tory life. But once induced to establish a per
manent residence, the Indian is open TO all tn,
influences Of education, art and Christianity
his faculties are developed, his aspirations are
elcvated-hc becomes q refined and reSpscta
bic man.
Last Winter, several delegations viSitet
Washington city from distant, savage and al
most unknown tribes of the West and North
west; and with one Of them came n halfbreed
an educated and cultivated man, with whom
enjoyed more than one agreeable conversation
Speaking Of the state Of his own, and somt
neighboring tribes, | at length asked him wha
he thought would be the effect Of the intro
duction of negro slavery among his people,
At first HI was startled, and declared that i
would render his people yet more idle and dis
~sipated-their two great evils. | asked hin
whether he had ever been among the South
ern Indians-thosc who owned slaves. II,
never had been, and had never thought Of the
matter. A few questions. o few statements o
the condition of the Southern Indians, and
could see that his own good sense and know
edge of the character and wants Of his tribc
satisfied him of the benefits they would receive
fiom the adoption Of slavery. His conclusion
was, 81 believe it would save my people"
1t is with the Indian as it has been with al
other nations. No people has ever become
civilized except upon the basis Of domestic Stare
ry. 1t is the foundation upon which all i'm
prOvement has rested; without it, all mankind
would yet be savagcs. 1t is the sole hope q
J c.ly,fion fnr Tho tDd;,n, ,ritl,n,,t ~ In ,,,,ct