The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-05-11
An Indian PhiIanthroujst,

rev MI bFdluSru, a Well-kEOWn mis-
slonary among the Indians, relates
that on once Offering to instruct a num-
Der of redskins in the truths of Christ
ianity their leader thus addressed him:
Why should you desire the Indians to
become Christians? The Christians
are so much worse than the Indians.
The Christians lie steal and drink
worse than Indians. They first taught
the Indians to get drunk. We will not
consent, therefore, to become Christ
aims, lest we should be as bad rs they.
We viii live as our fathers lived, and
go where our fathers are when we die"
Whether \. j. Blackwell, the rich
and erratic red man who owns the
towns of Blackwell and David City. in
the Indian Territory, has been moved
by a like sentiment. is not yet known.
But he has announced that he Will
build at he latter place temple for the
perpetuation of Indian religions, said
building to cost no less a sum than
$4,000 THE groves were Gods first
tabernacles," and in them crude hu-
mainly was wont to carry on IT'S cult.
1t will, therefore, be interesting ~ see
how the Indian ideal of the worship of
the Great Spirit shall be interpreted in
temple of so costly and magnificent
design as that contemplated by Mr..
Blackwell.
The religion of the red men. based as
ship. with the sun as the chief diety. is
essentially an astrological religion. The
Indian argument is that as the sun
diffuSes warmth and nourishment for
them and their animals, they are in
duty bound to worship that luminary.
This is better philosophy than that of
the ethnologists who seek for the origin
of such a simple cult in the most remote
corners of the globe. The four elements
of wind. water, fire and earth-the four
great Indian gods corresponding with
the four quarters of the compass-may
or may not be identical with the four
great gods of the Mayas. The associa-
ton of the rabbit with the moon by
American Indians. Asiatic tribes and
South American Bushmen may in each
case have been suggested independent
ly by those spots which, especially at
the first quarter of the moon, present
on its form outlines more or less SuggeS
tive of the rabbit In Genesis vi, 3, is a
statement in which the Indian believes,
in common with the Jew, the Christian
and several Oriental peoples. The i'm
mortal author of Lalla Rookh notes
this fact in connection with the glories
of the wine of Shiraz:
1.-THE nectar that hallowed by love
Could bring down the angels of God from
their sphere
Who for wine of this earth left the foun-
And forgot Heavens joys in the joys we
had here
Not a few of the Indian tribes. too,
hold heicolor green in great reverence,
as do also many sects of the Persians.
those of them who believe in the trans
migration of the soul averTing that the
souls of the faithful, after leaving the
body, pass into the crops Of green birds.
y further analogy may be found in the
creed of those Turkish misogynists
i ~. IL
ly of Heaven is reserved for women,
and that those alone who wear green
on earth can hope 10 enjoy Paradise.
1t is immaterial, however, to what
extent the crude Indian creed may be
identified with the creeds of Christen-
dom and of the Orient. The Indians
we are led to believe,
Sees God in clouds and hears Him in the
wind.
And simple Nature to his faith has given
Beyond the snow-capped peaks a humble
heaven.
To be contents his soul desire:
He seeks no Angels wing. no seraph's fire:
But hopes. admitted TO the equal sky,
His faithful dog viii bear him company"
The special point of interest about
the Indian philanthropist' scheme is
as to how a creed of such primitive and
refreshing innocence as is hat of his
fathers can be preached amid the gOr-
geouS surroundings OF the temple he
proposes to erect. In some Stonehenge,
in the solitude Of some vast forest, the
flock of the restless Medicine Man
would feel itself far more at home
than in David city. But the fact Of
Indians worshiping in so grand an edi-
flee the Great Spirit Of their happy
hunting grounds. and worshiping him
there in accordance with the dictates
of their own hearts and souls and In
accordance with the customs Of the
savagery Of their forefathers. will
make the shrine at David City Curl
osity, indeed.