Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-06-20
The Red Wan In Civilization.

A lady correspondent of the Graphic, who
has paid a visit TO the Indian Territory,
writes The five civilized tribes-viz., the
Cherokees ChOctaws, Creeks, Chickasaws
and Seminolcs-have already made great
strides in civilization. and have demonstrated
what they can attain TO under advantageous
circumstances. Their children are apprecia-
tive, quick and intelligent In visiting their
schools We were astonished at their aptness,
their true inbon politeness, and their prof.
cheney in their various studies. We should
have enjoyed transplanting some of these
children to the white schools in the States.
l know they could have put to the blush
many of the children of our aristocracy, who
have been led to look upon the Indian intel
lectually as on level or even beneath the
negroes. And, by-the-by, there are many
negroes living in the territory, most of them
having been slaves of the Indians before the
war There is freedman's school near Mus
cogee, which is supported by the Creeks.
just beyond is q school for Indian children.
We visited them both, and must acknowledge,
even at the risk of offending our Republican
friends, that the contrast was so great that
never before have we seen the negro appear
to greater disadvantage. And the argument
so often used in favor Of the natural capabil-
ity Of the black man, viz. that his present
dullness is not his by nature, but arises from
the fact that his forefathers have been kept
in a state of subjecton, denied education,
and so on, loses its weight here, for do not
suppose it possible for the ancestors of these
black children to have been stepped into
greater ignorance than the fathers and grand
fathers of these same bright-faced Indian
children. In this Indian school we met a
boy II years old with face that once having
seen one would always remember. A rich
olive complexion, dark, liquid brown eyes,
mi G;p1,,aug
n1ination, went to make up the features of
his handsome face. But the soul that looked
from his eyes, the intellectually stamped
upon his features, the true dignity of his face
we cannot describe. He did not know his
letters when he entered the school one year
previous. He was now a fine reader and
writer, understood arithmetic thoroughly
through multiplication, and was well versed
in geography and grammar, and lie was but
one among others equally bright and inter
esting. The children all seemed so orderly
and well behaved that We inquired of one Of
the teachers if they were not easily govern
ed. She replied with great dignity: Very
easily. 1t is only when there is white blood
in them that We have any trouble" We WIS.,
tied the male and female seminaries in the
Cherokee nation, where we found young gen
tlemen studying Latin and Greek and the
higher mathematics, and beautiful young
girls, VINO We're hne musicians, good french
and German scholars, and who, in point Of
intellect, grace, beauty and refinement of
manner, would be an adornment to any soci-
ety. l know this will be called one-sided
view of the Indians, and admit that we met
with others (the NeZ Perces for instance,)
living in squalor and filth, with their painted
faces, their blankets and gewgaws, their med
icine men beating their lodge poles and chant
ing their incantations over the sick and dy-
ing; but these were all those who had either
lately been brought hither, or who, having
lived here longer, had not come much in con
tact with the whites