The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-12-19

1914. ~ Oo HAOn
cannot recall the happy days. They are
gone: gone, forever and ever!! The
future! all is dark before me MY path
is obscure; my destiny inevitable. /
refuse to be comforted, because I am
,snpitied and xnLoved
ssAnd now we turn our weeping hearts
towards the Christian white man, to
wipe away the tears from our eyes, TO
make strong our broken hearts, and to
tighten our paths. Our only hope Of
salvation in the future, is Ito become
civilized, to embrace the Christian re-
ligion in hand and in heart, and to pray
to the God of the white man.
FIFTY gears ago our numbers were
many. Once we covered this great coun-
try. From East to West, and from
North to South, was The red mans coun-
try, and the red mans home To-day
we are few in number! We are fast
dwindling away falling like the leaves
OF the forest. to rise no more.
My hand trembles, and my heart aches
within me, while I stretch my feeble
hands towards the Christian white man,
in behalf Of my countrymen. / am
alone. standing before my dying coun-
trymen. stand here and there, (they
are 50 scattered. am doing all
can. to tell them about the Saviour Of
the world, who came to save that which
was lost Sabbath after Sabbath, I
stand before them, and point them to
the Lamb of God, who taketh away the
sins Of the world. am happy to say,
their attention to the Christian reli zion
Christians. But I cannot reach them
more than few in number, they are so
scattered in Minnesota. / am the only
missionary now living to such vast
numbers of my people I have no one
to assist me in the work.
81 now come to explain ono reason
which brought me down 20 the white
mans country. brought three of my
own children into the State of Minneso-
Ia, to 60 to school among the whites,
and be educated for usefulness in tho
future for their own people left them
in the hands of good teachers. Dat NTH
ont any means, trusting the Great Spirit
10 hear my prayers-that the Great
Spirit would give good minds. and good
hearts, to those who have the means to
help the poor Red Man.
my desires and wishes also are, and
wanted to speak to the proper authori-
ties for my Christian Indian Brethren.
to this eject That some means may be
adopted 50 that those Indians who have
become Christians, and the wild ones,
may not be obliged to live together
The Christian Indians naturally work
hard. till the soil, and provide for their
family comforts, pursuing industry, in
the hope of gathering the harvest Of
their labor. The Wild ones destroy tho
property of the industrious Indians
Our fences are destroyed and burned by
them. Our little crops are destroyed
before they are ripe for harvest To
sum sp the Whole, zee CANNOT live with ssem
Il Is issposs;Ne
s'When ] started from my Christian
Brethren, what I intended to do further,
was to ask the Government to give us .
tract OF land, say one or two townships,
exclusively for the Christian Indians, or
those who may follow in the way OF
christianity and civilization. Batevery-
thing looks dark before u.s. do not
think shall venture to do anything Of
the kind.
s'As return to my country west Of
the Mississippi. may venture to stay
few days in Baltimore, but should feel
more at home in the city of Philadel-
phia; know there lies the hearth sso~e Of
the great and noble man, VIM. Penn, the
Red Mans friend
Your unworthy brother,
JOHN JOHNSON"
Whose name among his own people is Enmeg.hbowh.
BENZ. HALLowELL.
The Committee sent the writer of this
letter 8l0O from the Indian fund, to
assist in the education of his children,
to whom he refers
Signed by direction and on behalf OF
the Committee.
BENZ. HALLOWELL, Secretary.
Baltimore, 10th Mo-. 31st, 1867.
EQUAL RIGHTS.