The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-06


good In society: and when we come up here
to hold our sacred feasts before God, and to
commune with each other and TO receive new
strength. the thought that impresses itself
on ones heart is, oh, that we could go home
and carry with us the enthusiasm that
would vitalize all the churches and church
members, until this work should not be
left to few of the members of the churches
or to a portion of the churches themselves
Why, Mr.. Chairman, should il be that even
in New England alarge part of the churches
withhold their contributions from this
American Board? Why is it that in the
young and growing West, one thous-
and of the sixteen hundred churches
still withhold their offerings from the cause
of the Master when he said 600 we into all
the world:" Is it because they are weak ;
They are not all weak and if they are weak
now theywill never become strong while all ther
sympathies are bound up in their own per-
sonal and immediate interests. / have read,
I remember within four years of one little
church in this State Of Maine that has but
four members, and yet they sent five dollars
to the treasury of the American Board.
(applause). Now is it not our work and
function here to go and carry with us this inhu-
ence which began 60 or 20 years ago in con-
nection with these aboriginal tribes, carry
forth that same spiritual power that prompted
them until this little one has become thous
ands, and See to it that every member of the
body of Christ in this land hears that COM
mand-coming home to one man as much as
to another-"Go We either in person or by
proxy, and preach the gospel to every
creature
will say nothing further upon our re-
commentator. We feel this tender interest
in this beloved work; and we cannot part
from such a long and precious companion
ship except as we transfer it, if possible. to
those that seem to us the nearest of our
spiritual kin.
The report was followed by remarks from
Gen. e. Whittlesey, Secretary of the Board
of Indian Commissioners, on the part of the
government.
Address OF Gen. Whittlesey.
Very little need be added to the able pa
per presented by DR. Means and to what has
been said in the report of the Committee.
and by DR. Bartlett who has just preceded
me. / only wish to say two things. The
first is that we have learned that the Indian
is man a cruel man it may be, wild
man, a savage man, revengefnl man, but
after all man, needing the same gospel, the
same blessed Savior, i'll whom we believe,
This has been recognized by the American
Board from the beginning, and the record
of the Board upon the Indian question is
one for which if this were a political assem-
bly,, should say of course we have great
reason to be proud, but for which
we have greater reason to thank
God The government has learned the
same great fact respecting the Indian, that
he is man. Especially since the peace poll
icy was inaugurated by President Grant
there has been great improvement in the
treatment of the Indian which is not per-
haps fully understood throughout the count
ry yet. During the last session Of Congress
measures were passed-multitudes were in
troduced; l think3I counted up 153 separate
bills relating to Indian matters. Of course
most of those introduced now sleep in the
committee rooms, but measures were passed
Of great Importance relating to education
and the ownership of property by the Indi-
ans. The appropriations for the ben efits
of the Indians, for the establishment and
the management and the support of Indian
schools during the last session of Congress
were nearly twice as large as at any previous
session; and the present secretary of the in
terror and the present Commissioner of In
dian affairs, both heartily interested in Indi-
an education, have made up their estimate
fol the next session. There are members Of
Congress here present and | call upon them
to be ready to vote for these APP
preparations more than double the
amount appropriated last winter APP
plause. II will not be enough to educate
all the Indian children of the country as the
people of Portland are educating their chill
dren, but as much perhaps as can be wisely
used at present
Now this is just hint to show you that
the government at Washington are taking
hold of this matter of educating the Indian
youth in earnest, and perhaps that part of
the work may soon be left entirely to the
government
The other thing which I wanted to say is
that we have learned that the Indian is our
countryman, (Applause) that he ought to be
fellow citizen with us, as well as fellow
man living in the same country. And the
government is learning this great truth also
and is carrying it into practice. After nun
bred years of laundering, with the best in
tentions it is true, after giving more than any
other people have ever given for the support
of dependent and conquered race, after
making treaties with petty tribes aud SO
feasting their pride and their sense of self
Importance, the government has ceased to re-
gard these tribes now as independent nations
and is treating them as part of the people Of
our common country, bringing them under the
same laws that govern ourselves, and impos-
ing upon them some ofthe same burdens which
we have to bearsas citizens OF free country
Since 1872 no treaty has been made with an
Indian tribe. We make agreements and bar
gains with them to purchase portions of the
territory which they have possession of and
the right of occupancy; but we make no
more treaties with the Indians. They are
men they are our countrymen; they are the
native Americans, if there are any native
Americans in this land. (Applause) Now
this same truth the churches are also learn
ing this American Board is learning
it; and though we have followed p rhaps
as a religious body somewhat in the steps
of the government, treating the Indians as
foreigners, teaching them a language which
we do not speak ourselves, spending large
amounts of money in printing books for them
in their own languages, and thus building
up the walls of separation between them
and us, yet now the time seems to have ar
rived, as we have expressed in this
report of the committee, to change our
policy toward them and to treat
them no longer as foreigners but
to transfer these missions to home board
and thus declare that the Indians belong
rather to domestic missionary work than to
the foreign work. Applause.
WESTERN AFRICAN MISSION
Rev. S. G. Willard of Colchester, Conn,
chairman of the committee on Western Cen
trail Africa, in his report on the missions in
that part of the world, referred to the obsta-
cles in the way of prosecuting the work, but
could see no reason for Encouragement, MOI
for any change in the stations The report
specially notices the patience, cons fancy, cour-
age, hopefulness and perseverance of the mis-
sionaries. to the sacrifice of health, and often
of life, to which they are called-and the death
of Mr.. Bagster. But it is to be remembered that
the command of Christ is $50 ye into all the
world and preach the Gospel to every crea.
ture" Africa is not to be left out, and he
who gives the order will fulfill the promise,
10, am with you Away, even to the end Of
the world
The report was adopted.
EUROPEAN TURKEY.
The report of the committee, to whom was
referred the mission in European Turkey, was
presented by Rev. E. III. Byington of Monson,
Mass. The report states that the work has
been carried forward during the year with