The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1868-02-20
NJ e N o RIAL.

w e w " ~ ] ~
To the President of the United States, the
Secretaries of War and of the interior,
the Commissioner Of IadiAn Affairs. and
the Members OF the Senate and House Of
Representatives:
The following memorial in relation to
the Aborigines Of our country, respect
fully represents, that the memOrialists
are members of the Society of Friends,
commonly called Quakers, and are re-
sentatives, now assembled in Confer
ence in the City of Baltimore, Of the Six
Yearly Meetings, or general Assemblies
of our People, whose members reside in
the States of New York, Vermont, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania. Delaware, Mary
land, Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois.
Michigan and Iowa, and in the District
of Columbia. For :, very long period,
the Society of Friends, from sympathy
with suffering humanity, have been
deeply interested in the Indians Of our
Country Since the first settlement of
the Friends on this continent, they have
always advocated and practicc'l . liberal
and just policy toward the Aborigines.
The efforts of VIM Penn for the benefit
of the tribes residing within the limits
of the State of Pennsylvania, have re-
ceived the admiration Of tue world
These efforts have been continued by
the Society to the present time. Our
records show, that in the winter Of 1895
90, delegation OF our people waited
upon the President Of the United States,
aud also on the Secretary OF State, un-
der whose particular care the Indians
ut .hat time were.acquainting them with
the concern of our Religious Society. for
the instruction of the Indians in the cul-
tivation Of their lands, and in otter sub
jects which would tend to their comfort
and Improvement. civilization and en-
iightenment. The President, George
Washington, then in Philadelphia, as
sured the delegation, that the benevolent
object OF the Friends, as thus set forth,
were fully approved by him. The Sec
retary of State also approved of the Oh
jects of Friends, and manifested desire
to CO operate with the Society in promo
ting the Indians welfare.
In pursuance of the designs and con-
Germ Of Friends thus officially approved,
the Society proceeded at their own ex-
pense to erect mills% at Wapokonetta,
and schools at that place, at Lewistown.
on the Auglaize River, and other places
in the State of Ohio, and at Cattaraugus
and Allegheny, in the State of New
York. Our records show, that one of
the Chiefs went into the mills at Wa
pokonetta, for the purpose of obtaining
instruction in the management of them,
in which be succeeded, and they were
placed under his charge. In 1904, un-
der the superintendence Of the person
placed among the Indians, by the
Friends, there we're raised on one farm
an abundance of different kinds of vege-
tables and other productions of the gar
den and field, and number of swine;
and the young Indian women had learn.
ed to spin and knit; and when the report
was made, I'd month 4th, 1905. these
young Indians were knitting yarn of
their own spinning In 1922. a tract of
land was purchased adjoining the Indi-
an Reservation at Wapokonetta, con-
tanning PA acres, on which the neces
sary buildings had been erected for a
school house and a dwelling house for
the Superintendent and his family
About twenty acres of the land were
cleared, and under cultivation, lesseninp
the cost of transporting provisions
This Improvement gave great satisfac-
tion to the Indians. The mills were in
good running order, under the manage
ment Of an Indian.
Members OF the Society. under a
religious concern, went to reside amongst
them in Ohio and New York, to instruct
them in agricultural pursuits, the me-
chanic arts. household economy, and
school learning; and these lahors were
continued, with marked and very salts
factory evidences of Improvement
Those tribes in Ohio. to whom our care
had been extended. have since gone, or
been removed west Of the Mississippi
River; and those at Cattaraugus and
Allegheny. have becom SO far advanced
in civilization and enlightenment, as
no longer to need our assistance and
care.
These simple facts are presented, in
order that you may see that our concern
is one Of long standing, and that you
may judge Of its character and its depth.
This long continued and active connec-
tion with the Indians, and the personal
acquaintance and affectionate friendship
OF our ancestors with some of the prom
inent Chiefs, as Red Jacket, Little Tur-
tie, Five Medals. Corn Planter and
others, have caused US to continue to be
close observers of the events affecting
their condition, from that time to the
present We have felt much, but have
seen no way for efficient action. The
picture of the treatment of these people,
as drawn in the Annual Reports OF the
Commissioner Of Indian Affairs for the
last six years, in the defence of Com
missioner Bogy." the Letters of the
Secretaries of War and Interior on the
Fort Phil Kearney Massacre, the Let
ter of the Secretary of the Interior of
July 18th, 1867, communicating infor-
nation touching the origin and progress
of Indian hostilities on the Frontiers
and the Report of the Condition Of the
Indian Tribes by Senator Doolittle,
Chairman of the Joint Special Commit.
tee of the two Houses of Congress, Jan.
Goth, 1867, is one which we do not feel
called upon to characterize. We have
vinwad IL over and oyer With dnuhla