The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1888-04-14
THE PRESIDENT AND THE METH0-
DISTS.

EHE fhhSlDbNl AND 1nL MIL nO
DISTS. /
The following letter was written by
the president in response to resolu-
tioD adopted at a session OF the Phila-
delphia annual conference Of the Meth
Odist Episcopal church, held III Phila |
delphia, March %, 1883:
Washington, -. c., March 29 -lteV
lanes Morrow, ID. d., PhiIadelphIa-
Nv Dear Sir:-I have received rom
YOU certain resolution is passed III the |
annual conference OF the Methodist |
Episcopal church held at PhiladeIphIa |
on the goth inst. The action taken by
this a3senbIaYe of Christian men has
greatly surprised and disappointed me.
They declare: That this conference
earnestly protests against the recent
action Of the government III excluding
the use of native languages III Inc cdn-
cation OF the Indians, and etpeCisiIy
the exclusion al the Dakota Bible
among these tribes, whcr" II was lpr-
merIy used That white admitting
that there are advantages in teaching
English 10 the lndian-, 1" compel them
to receive all religious Instruction III
that language would practically hinder
their receiving it in the most effective
way. The line Of power travels with
the human heart, and the heart OF the
Indian is in his language. That II IL
IN harmony with the genius of our
country, a free church in "A tree state,
that the operation of all missionary
societies should be untrammeled by
state interference.
ilnut nunfna the FlIlpS OF the
Indian bureau on the subject and con-
tinucs:-
The government seeks in its manage
mnnt of the Indians TO Civilizc them,
and TO prepare them for that contact
with the world which necessarily ac-
companies civilization Maniiestly
nothing is more important to the Indian
from this point of view than know
ledge of the English language. All the
| efforts of those having the matter In
charge tend to the ultimate mixture of
the Indians with our other people, thus
making one community equal in all
those things which pertain to Ameri-
can citizenship. But this ought not 10
he done while the Indians are entirely
ignorant of the English language. l.
seems to me it would be cruel mock
without this shield from imposition
and without this weapon to force their
wav in self support and Independence.
Nothing can be more consistent, then,
, than to insist upon the teaching oi
English In our Indian schools. 1t Will
not do to permit these wards OF the
nation, in their preparation to become
their own masters, to indulge III Their
barbarous language because 1t Is easier
5 for them or because IT pleases them
| The action of the conference, therefore
, surprises me, If by it they mean to
3 protest against such exclusion az Is pre-
3 scribed in the order.
r 1t will be observed that text books
: in the vernacular are what are pro
1 hibited, aud oral instruction, the entire
curriculum must be i'll English. Thes,
s are the terms used to detlue the ele
|. ments of an ordinary secular educa
|, ton, and do not refer to religious o
IS moral teaching. Secular teaching i
u the object of the ordinary government
h schools, but surely there can be no OBJ
s lection to reading chapter in tn
It Bible in English, or in Dakota,
o English could not be understood, u
70 the daily opening of those schools, a
r il done in very many other well regu
d lated secular schools. Il may be tina
n use of words in the vernacuiar may b
n sometimes necessary to aid in commu
IS nicating d knowledge of the Euglis
d language, but the use of the vcrnacU
V lar should not be encouraged or con
,e timed bevond the limit of such neces
IS sity; and the text books the 'oral in
s,ructioT in general sense, and tn
al curriculum certainly should be j
Of English. In missionary schools mor'
10 and religious instruction may be give
j. IN the vernacular as an auxiliary
g. English in conveying such instruction
tol / cannot believe that the rules of tE
IN Indian bureau were at hand when th
IN resolutions before me were adopted
III If they were think they were strange
C. ly misunderstood, though the mild az
10 mis- sion that there are advantages
Jr teaching English to the lndians,' ind
" Gates that there is a wide difference D.
lr tween those who appear cautiously
is make such an admission and the maj
A. others interested in Indian imprOv
30 ment who deem such teaching the pa
as amount object of immediate effeC
r. The ruIes referred to have been mod
an fed and changed in their phraseolos
i. to meet the views of good men wi
s. seek to aid the government in its b'
d, nevolent intentions until il was su-
S; posed their meaning was quite pla
3. and their purpose satisfactory. The
need be 10 fear that in their execute
dc they will at all interfere with the pla
re of those who sensibly desire the il
Ok provement and welfare of the Indian
lie At any rate, until it is demonstrat,
he that these rules operate as impedimen
he to Indian advancement they will
all adhered to, while the government W
of continue to invoke the assistance of {
is, Christian people and organizations
rn this very important and interesti
fly part of the labor intrusted to 1t. You
all very truly, GROVER CLEvELAND