The Portland daily press., 1882-10-04
nau fiaIdS

| LOW u6lQS.
Whatever be the final decision with regard
to the Santee aud Sissiton stations, in the re-
gion OF Fort Berthold and Devils Lake. and
IN the region of Cheyenne River and Standing
| ROCK, where the Indians are for the most part
! In pagan degradation, our missionary work
should now be pressed with renewed vigor.
These are open fields, and there will be no in
| terIerence with sister societies.
! Among the other bands of Indians the Ameri
| can Board does not seem called to labor. The
| Presbyterian, the Protestant Episcopal, and
tno Methodist churches have the other agen-
cies assigned to them and have formally un-
dertaken, as they are abundsntly able, to sus-
| tain missions in them.
Ii IL should be suggested that at some of these
| agencies mission work is not pressed by other
societies as vigorously as is desirable, still for
| us TO assume work In those agencies would be
justly regarded as intrusive. We are not called
| upon to do what ether missionary societies
| have begun and are liable to accomplish
! Neither Is the American Board or any So
| ciety whose funds are supplied by private con-
| tributioas, justified in undertaking work
which belongs to the government, and to meet
the expense Of which the government has not
| to levy taxes upon the citizens, but merely to
draw upon fands belonging to the Indians,
and which, by treaty stipulations, have been
| deposited with the government and accepted
ia trust for this very purpose. 1t may perhaps
surprise some to learn that the number of
Indians our country is so small; not
two-thirds as many, all told, as the population
| OF the single city of Boston or st. Louis. 1t
| Will be greater surprise to learn what rights
| In property the laws recognize in the Indians,
| what actual cash investments, payable in
nuities, the United States Treasury holds for
them, and what large sums are now annually
| expended upon them. There is property
| enough belonging to the Indians to meet all
the expenses OF their school education and in
| dustrial training, and to set set them up with
| fair beginning in civilization. The money
| ought TO be so used and it will be when thebon
| est Christian sentiment of the people speaks
| out loud enough TO be heard in Congress.
In spite of broken treaties, forcible removals
and frauds of contractors, may we not believe
that our government, on the whole. is endeav-
cring to deal justly by the Indians? Shall we
overlook the fact that many of the dificntles
OF the Indian problem are due to the dstribu-
tion of the powers ofsgovernment under the
Constitution, which. though admirable in the
ory, has certain practical disadvantages? Some
of the faut-fnding with the government is
fault finding with the Constitution of the
United States. We must put up with the draw
backs for the sake of the excellencies 1t is
best to keep the legislative and
the executive functions distinct and
indepe ndent, although treaties with Great
Britain, as well as treaties with Indian tribes,
which the Executive makes and which bind
tue government, may not be duly carried into
effect, because Congress, which holds the purse
strings, refuses or neglects to make the nee
esssry appropriations.
Is it not proof of willingness on the part of
the government to do what it can that it ap-
propriates annually, upon 260, 600 Indians, the
sum of four and a quarter million of dollars?
Need we doubt that with such light as may be
thrown upon the qaestion by intelligent discus
sion in the country at large, the legislative as
we'll as the executive department of the gov
ernment will d. what is needful to educate and
elevate the wards of the nation?
Their religious instruction is the province of
missionary societies. For this the government
can do nothing but keep its hands off and allow
Christians free scope. What has been done
and is doing for the religious welfare of the
Indians may surprise those who are accustom-
cd to hear slurs cast upon foreign mission soci-
eties, till they have come to believe that these
societies are only interested in the heather in
Africa or in the Cannibal Islands The truth
is that more efforts have been and are made
ten times over, there have been greater expen-
ditures of money and of precious lives, for the
heathen in our own land than for any heathen
abroad. Our various societies, this very year
of grace, have twice as many missionaries
among the 100000 Indians of this country as
they have among the two hundred millions of
heathen in Africa.
From its organization, the American Board
Foreign Missions planned for work among the
North American Indians, and has continued it
to this day. Within two and seventy years
more than twenty tribes have shared its labors:
Cherokees. Choctaws, Chickassws, Greeks,
Osages, Chippewas or Ojibways, Ottawas,
Wyandottes, Munsees. Senecas, Tuscareras,
Csyugas, 0nondagas, Stockbridges, Pawnees,
Sioux, Nez Perces, Flatheads, Kayvses, Canine
waga or Iroquois and Abenaquis. From first
to last, the Board had expended up to 1877 on
the heathen at home, more than million and
quarter of dollars, supported among them
more than thousand missionaries and teach
ers, and organized more tn IN fifty Christian
churches, into which had been gathered be-
tween four and five thousand communicates.
The first great successes OF the Board, in the
establishment of schools and churches and con-
versions of souls, were in our Indian missions.
While the work dragged slowly in the East,
and its was doubtful whether our missionaries
could gain foot-hold in Asia, the deepest inter-
est of the Christian public in the new Board
OF Missions was awakened and sustained by
thrilling narratives of heroic sacrifices of Indi'
au missionaries, and wonderful movements of
divine grace in Indian converts. Samuel
Worcester, the first Secretary of the
American Board, made his grave in
the Indian country. Jeremiah Evarts.
the second Secretary, displayed his mar
velous abilities in pleading for Indian
rights and managing Indian missions. Elias
Cornelius, the third secretary, poured out his
soul in the most tender strains OF his eloquence
when preaching to the Indians sermons which
were blessed to the conversion of many. The
first converts gathered into churches in the
history of the Board, and the largest nunber
for long period, were Indian converts. The
interest now manifested by men in high places
in Indian industrial education bears no COM
parison In proportion to the enthusiasm OF that
early period when men travelled miles through
the wilderness to visit the grand missionary
stations of the American Board in Northern
Georgia, whore the Indians were taught farm
ing, blacksmithing and wagon making and
where Southern rivers were first damned and
water power was utilized for grst-mills and
saw-miils The Secretary of War of the
United States placed funds at the disposal of
the Board. Gen. Andrew jackson, in COM
mand OF United States troops, visited the In
dians, and urged them to support the Mission
School. President Monroe, in his tour through
the South, pushed through the woods and APP
Deared suddenly one morning among the toll
ing missionaries, to their amazement, for ev-
erything was in undress; he inspected their
schools and asked about their work, and when
they showed plan for q modest, mex pensive,
new building, he told them to put up finer
structure, of brick and in the most substantial
manner, and he would see that it was paid for.
Despite all disappointments, and notwith-
standing the fading away of ancient tribes,
that is bright page of history on which is re-
corded what the Holy Spirit of God has done
for the Indians OF this country through the
American Board of Foreign Missions.
Since this paper was in preparation, and
while the Prudential Committee were con-
sidering the adyisabilty of transferring to
Home Board the two stations of Santee and
Sisston where the fereiaa work is finished, q
respectful overture has been received from the
Executive Committee of the American Mis-
sionary Association inviting us to inrust to
them the care of the whele Dakota Mission,
that they may unite it with their other work,
and hereafter limit themselves exclusively to
missionary labors in this country; this Invitation
being coupled with the statement thai they
will relinquish their work in Africa and trans
fer to the American Board the property and
the income of invested funds at their disposal
which may be available + i African Missions
provided legal obstacles do not exist.
In the closing days Of the mission year the
Committee have bot been able to give due con-
sideration to this very grave proposal. There
are evidently some great practical difficulties
in the way. The Executive Committee of the
American Missionary Association IS not pre-.
pared to take any further formal action till
after the next Annual Meetir & of the Associa-
tion, October oath. All The elements necessary
to wise decision are not yet before as and
cannot be at present. 1t seems expedient tor
the Board to refer the matter with full power
to the Prudential Committee, to be chosen at
this meeting, or to refer it to select Com
mittee.
| Aoout mile south OF the government build
| ings are those of tho Episcopal mission, COM
| prsing church and parsonage, and an indus
| trial school for girls. The Episcopslians sus-
| tam one church and two chapels, two clergy
men and five helpers, and report 141 commu
| MI