The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-02-02
INKLlNGS FROM THE FRONTIER;
Life and Observations among Civilized
Indians.
FIsHoMING Cry, c.. !

FIsHOMING City, c. N, Jan. s, 1860.
TO the Editor ofAte National Era:
have endeavored in vain to possess myself
of some work on the history origin, and pro
gress, of the four nations OF civilized Indians
now iourishing between the thirty-third and
thirty parallels of north latitude.
1t appears to me that historians have not paid
that attention to the history of the various
tribes of the aboriginal poSsessors Of this CONT
nent which justice to once powerful but now
conquered and fallen people demands of them.
The poor Indians have been subjugated, driven
from their hunting grounds, banished from the
soil that contains the graves Of their fathers.
Many tribes have become entirely extinct :;
others, after becoming contaminated by con-
tact with the vices of civilization, have been
continually moving farther and farther west
ward, as civilization calls for more room while
still others are assiduously engaged in the laud
able enterprise of preparing themselves to take
their station in the ranks of civilization on an
equality with their white conquerors. And yet
| believe there is no complete history Of the
North American Indians now extant. True
there are some very good books treating on the
manners and customs of our aborigines, and on
Indian wars, but none that can claim to be
complete even succinct histories of that peo
pie to whom we owe so much
i candidly confess my ignorance of the past
of these people, and doubt not that the great
mass of the American public know as little on
the subject as do.
1t is surprising to see how little even the In
dams themselves know Of their former history
farther back than one or two generations. Their
traditions seem to be vague, and the legends of
the old men rather romantic and unreliable.
Much as the want of a reliable history of the
aboriginal races of North America may be felt
in the world of letters, far be it from me to pre-
sumo to supply the desideratum. / hope, how
ever, that the pen of some able and erudite
writer will ere long be applied to the task.
In this series of IakIings," it is my inten-
ton to give few impressions of life among the
civilized Indians, in my usual ofihand, desulto-
ry style. But, before setting out on narration
of Individual and personal observations, permit
me to take cursory glance at few incidents
of their former history.
| had occasion to refer somewhat to the four
nations in letter published in the Era last
spring. But as these people are destined, at a
future day not far distant. to elicit considerable
public attention, some knowledge in relation to
them NAV not be deemed amiss For, although
their territory may not be partitioned off, and
laid open for promiscuous and indiscrimnate
settlement by squatters from the ranks of civil
ization as certain politicians seem TO desire it
should be, yet the Indians themselves will
probably enact laws and offer inducements to
young men of intelligence, enterprise, and good
moral character, who may be disposed to come
among them, and help them to work out their
destiny.
The Catalogues, or Cherokees, by which name
they are now known, claim to have been the |
sovereigns of all that country now under the |
jurisdiction of the Southeastern States, from
time immemorial. The first we know of them
is their discovery on the occupancy of America
by the British. The Cherokees still proudly |
boast that Powhatan and Pocahontas were of
their race. Like some of the tribes of Central
Mexico at the time of the Spanish conquest, |
these people were once Pagans, and worshipped
the sun.
Our colonies found them to be powerful
and numerous people, subsisting principally by |
the chase, and having some idea of agriculture |
in its rudest and most primitive form. At
first, treaties were made, and the whites and
their red neighbors remained for some time in
friendly relations. But as the colonies in
creased in numbers and grew in strength, the
whites became more bold and rapacions. "A |
contest for the possession of the soil sprang up
between the original owners and the white in
terlopers, which resulted in wars, and the final
subiugation of the Cherokees.
At an early period in our colonial history, |
the Cherokees were very Troublesome 70 the
frontier settlers of the Carolinas.
In 1890, the French sent emissaries to stir