The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-07-01
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4 few notes upon the snhlec. of an
lndian Reservation may lbs of interest
to your readers, Ny way of lite. dur
ing tho I,ast twenty i've years, has le,l
me througi. the happy hunting grounds"
of the Cnoctaws. Creeks, Cherokees,
Chickssaws, kickapoos, Delawares,
Comanches, Apaches. pueblos, No
hayes, Papacoes, Pimas, Maricopas,
Yamas, Mission Southern Calif.rnia)
Diggers, Pah-tetes, Washocs and many
other subordinate tribes. have seen
''the noble rel man" at Isis best, and at
bis worst. count myself particular
ly careful in the matter of putting
my impressions upon any sIbiect on
paper, and avoid. rs far IA possible.
asking special credencs for what, as a
newspaper correspondent, | may have
TO say on any subject.
And.yet in matter involving de
liberately formed opinions upon sub
ect concerning which so widely diver
gent beliefs prevail, AS do prevail! re-
lative to "the Indian question" and
the present method of the general gov
ernment in dealing with these wards oi
the nation, made an exception, and
submit what / have TO say as the work
of one who has had somewhat exceptional
opportunities for observing, and, by
the same token, for comparing, results
Just twenty five years ago l attended
on several occasions the services Of a
Synod Of the Presbyterian church held
in a town in Southern Arkansas.
Among the delegates tothe Synod were
several elders and few Presbyters oI
full Indian blood from the contiguous
Indian Territory, presumably Cboctaws
and Chickasaws. Accompanying them
were several Indian girls en- route for
educational establishments in other
portions of the country. In gravity
Of demeauor and apparent seriousness
anil feryor of religious con1uct these
delegates to the Synod who wore "the
shadowy livery of sthe burnished sun"
suffered nothing by comparison with
the pure and earnest men Of othel
blood who had accompanied thcm tc
the convocation. To me, knowing the
| Indian, as was the case at that time
| only through the medium of the novelist
and the newspaper man, the proceed
iugs Of that Synod, so far as they cam,
under my observation, were in the ma
ture of an revelation and as do no
belong to that particular class Of mer
who imagine they create u. title to ad
miration by ayowing their disbelief in
| Christianity, then became convinced
and am still convinced, that the system
which made those Choctaw delegates
to the Arkansas Synod what they were
might safely be relied upon to extent
tie bounds of the work and in the end
humanize, civilize and evangelize th
red man from the Assiniboine TO the
/ Gulf.
/ In less than = year alter the event
Just above noted failing health induces
me to become member Of govern
ment expedition the route ofwhich con
mencing at Memphis, Tennesses, la
directly through the Indian Territory
Passing through that region | had a'
opportunity of seeing the Indian a
perhaps, sshis best Schools an,
churches and other residences Of civil
zation presented themselves along til
line of march. The expedition hal nc
passed by more than an holla marc
the boundary Of the Territory before
/ deputaton Of the leading men Of til
Indian nation called UPON the superb