Year: 1874

We call the attention Of our religious
friends of all denominations to the significant
letter from Gen. Custer, quoted by Mr.
William Welsh on Monday last IN the Episco-
pal Convention. Mr. Welsh is known as a
most earnest and persistent friend and de-
fender of the Indians, and one whose policy
has been to civilize as well as Christianize
them, not only by teaching them habits of
industry and thrift, but by showing them
that Christianity really does mean honesty and
fair dealing to a red man as to a white.
The difficulties which Mr.. Welsh and his COM
rades in the Indian Commission have met
from the whites everybody knows when they
tell us how successful their efforts have been
among their red friends, we are apt to sus-
pect them of too sanguine feeling, and to
fear that their hopes have cOlOred their
Judgment. But Gen. Custer is certainly an i'm
partial witness; and we are glad to cite his
voluntary hearty evidence in proof of the fact
which we have urged for years. that the In
dian is neither ga red devil" !" nor problem"
internal or otherwise, but only man, very
like ourselves, more easily reused to anger
perhaps by foul treatment, and more easily
conciliated by fair dealing and kindness. The
Santee guides in the Black Hills expedition
were subjected to sharp and strict test. Gen.
Custer not only commends them as soldiers,
but emphatically as men; free from the pre-
"vailing vices Of young men," and he doubts
whether like number of white men of the
"same age could be collected in any commu-
unity of the same size whose moral bearing
"would excel if equal theirs" Many heart
will be touched by the Generals little story of
the old familiar hymns sung at nightfall in
the wilderness by these men, "whO but few
"years ago roamed over the country in q
estate of barbarous wildness."


We find in our exchanges Of the same date
another little incident, even more cheerful in
it's promise. A certain Mr.. Travelli, with his
wife, now very aged people, were sent in
their youth to Singapore as missionaries by
the American Board. Soon after their arrival
their attention was attracted by Chinese
boy waiting on the table of the American
Consul, and he was taken by them into the
school which they established for Chinese
children, "where the object was to educate
the boys thoroughly in Chinese by native
"teachers and In English by the mission
"aries.n Returning to this country on account
of Ill health they lost sight of this boy, Chang
Lai Sun, who remained in the school. Not
long ago. however, Mr.. Travelli, in his home
in Pennsylvania village, received letter
from his old pupil, giving sketch of his his
tory. He had found his way to this country,
entered Hamilton College in this State, was
graduated there and returning to China, was
employed as teacher in the Chinese arsenal, and
afterward as English secretary to the Imperial
Commissioner. Through his influence and
after twenty years of effort, the Chinese
Government was induced to appropriate a
million and half of dollars to send
one hundred and twenty students from
the best families to Europe and this country
to be educated. The limit of their stay is
to be fifteen years. Mr.. Lai Sun is Assistant
Commissioner to this mission, experimenting
the boys who are in this country. "Can auy
Zone doubt" be writes TO bis old .teasAar