The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-02-14

mittee upon the subject. Several of the
members requested me To reduce my re-
marks to naimlscript and to present
them.
Mfr Chairman the Indians Of the Uni
ted States are peculiarly the wards of the
patton. ard very justly they should be
50 regarded and 50 dealt with. They were
once the proud p1ssessCrs Ct odr
soil but TO the neXorable decree of fate
they have succumbcd, and the Teutonic
race. against which in its progress all
less civilized peoples have given away and
retired has pressed them westward. and
the plains and forests of the eastern Slope
and seaboard of America. once their hap
by haunts and hunting grounds. is inhab-
tied no longer by them. except by the re-
nartS of Il few scattered tribes which
almost have been. but not entirely, abb
sCrhed by contact with the white man
and his allies.
Il he white settlers Of America. while
they wreSted from the aborigines the soil
on which they dwelt. which on account
of the nomadic habits of the Indian tribes
could hardly be said to he possessed by
them have been from the earliest period
of our history imbued with laudab!e
feeling that justice and humanity reqmr-
ed that the Indians should receive Gov
eminent consideration and protection.
that they might acquire fixed abodee, and
Nv civiliZing Influences they might, in the
course Of time. become cosharers IN the
blessings Of free Government.
THE last tribe left lingering on the
sceqle of these once royal domains Is the
Croatans or Hatteras Indians, illhablt-
ING the State of North Carolina, about SO
Al. fI in 10
cf Robeson. Scotland Richmond, and
Columbus. and there they have been for
u period so long THAT the memory of man
frnneth not to the contrary thereof
Thar they have not claimed the attention
of the National Government before Is 4
matter which excites great surprise and
is hard to be explained. unless the small
ness of their number and the lack of ed
ucation and enlightenment among them
and the want of proper philanthropy
among their neighbors. has caused them
10 he entirely overlooked And vet the
nublic mind has been directed To them
ON more than one occasion when they
have shocked the country by some atro-
city which is incident to the INDIAN char
acter.
There are in the settlement i'm Robe
son county. where they chiefly reside
about 5000 souls. and with the scattered
families in adjoining counties the num-
her may run to 2.G00 men. making the
tribe about 1900 people. y number Of
Them have migrated TO Georgia, MissiSS-
inpi and Florida. where they. have become
absorbed in the body polite. They are
the most interesting people in America,
and no tribe can appeal stronger to the
render sympathieS and the generous benef-
iccnce of the American people, than the
Croatan Indians Of North Carolina. lhey.
beyond cavl or doubt. are the descend
ANTS of the lost colony of Sir Walter Raj
eish about which there have been for
over three hundred years many sad re-
Elections.
Those at all familiar with the ATTEMPT
at colonization made by our English an
ceStors may recall the efforts Of that gal
liant knight and learned and ambitious
favorite of Queen Elizabeth.
Not only would Sir Walter throw his
cloak ON the wet ground that it might
serve footcloth for the dainty shoe of
Elizabeth. hut he sought 10 extend the
domains of her Most Gracious Majesty
that her reign. might become memorable
in the annals of history and her Empire
strengthened and enriched.