The Portland daily press., 1885-01-23
The Abo.igiues of ua.,,e.

Mr.. E. FL. Elwell, of the Transcript, deliver
ed the lecture in the free Mechanics course in
the library room at Mechanics Hall, last
night, on "The Aborigines of Maine,'' the
paper read lately before the Maine Historical
Society, to large and interested audience.
The following is an abstract OF the lecture:
Mr.. Elwell remarked that it is exceedingly
difficult for races in antagonsm to do Justice
to each other-to form right conceptions of
each others characters, which explains the
early growth of misconceptions between the
white man and the Indian which have con-
tinued to our day. To the Puritan the Indians
appeared only as fierce, blood thirsty, relent.
lees moi sters, degraded and incapable of inn
provement, and it is but recently that we have
come to see that this view is quite as far re-
moved from the actual truth as that which has
been favorite with the noVelists and poeta
We can afford to do justice to the Indians. As
an chronological study their status ought to in
terest us, while regard for those who have
gone before us should stir us to do Justice to
their memory. The Abort gines of Maine were
OF the Abenati branch OF the great Algonquin
family, and there is evidence that they were
an original people in name, msnners and Ian
guage. They called themselves smen, but the
name by which they were known to other
tribes" nakis"-signifes 'our ancestors
of the East" "Our Grandfathers," they were
called by forty tribes. The conception of the
Aoandhis, aS an ancient people, showing CIV
ilizstion which must have been the effect of
coutignity and of past fonrishing age, is con.
hrmed by thorough researches of Mr.. LELAND
into the still existing mythology of
the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes,
showing the original of these myths is
found only among the Abanakis. The essayist
then reviewed the physical qualities, the in-
telligence, social virtues and governmental in
stitutions, srts, language, etc, of the ALBANIA
kis, especially as exemDlfed In their great
chiefs or representative men, the conclusion
being that as an ancient people they stood well
in all these respects. Their worship of the
Great Spirit and Deliet in hereafter Of re-
wards and punishments showed them far on
the road toward the civilization of their sge
They possessed many manly qualities, and il
cruel and treacherous at times, they were but
little more than our forefathers aud they DOS
sessed the virtues of strong family affection
end love of liberty. Intercourse with the
white man was injurious to both, many OF the
white lapsing into savagery, while the Indians
acquired the vices of civilization. Their de.
generation was not because of incapablity for
development. but because they could only ad-
vance in their own way, and were too many
generations behind English civilization to
readily assimilate. Mr.. Elwell closed with an
eloquent plea that we should no longer con-
tinus to regard the AborigiDes of Maine as
"Children of the Devil,' ETC., bat rather
simply as men who had made considerable ad.
vance, but whose further progress was arrested
by contact with a civilization superior to theirs
which they could not suddenly assimilate.