|
IGNORANCE
I think it is Montaigne who has said, that
ignorance is the softest pillow on which a man can rest his head. I
am sure it is true as to everything political, and shall endeavor to
estrange myself to everything of that character. I indulge myself on
one political topic only, that is, in declaring to my countrymen the
shameless corruption of a portion of the Representatives to the
first and second Congresses, and their implicit devotion to the
treasury. I think I do good in this, because it may produce
exertions to reform the evil, on the success of which the form of
the government is to depend. |
Edmund
Randolph
3 Feb 1794 |
IMMIGRATION
FROM THE OLD WORLD
Among the ancients, the redundance of
population was sometimes checked by exposing infants. To the
moderns, America has offered a more humane resource. Many, who
cannot find employment in Europe, accordingly come here. Those who
can labor do well, for the most part. Of the learned class of
emigrants, a small portion find employments analogous to their
talents. But many fail, and return to complete their course of
misery in the scenes where it began. Even here we find too strong a
current from the country to the towns; and instances beginning to
appear of that species of misery; which you are so humanely
endeavoring to relieve with you. Although we have in the old
countries of Europe the lesson of their experience to warn us, yet I
am not satisfied we shall have the firmness and wisdom to profit by
it. The general desire of men to live by their heads rather than
their hands, and the strong allurements of great cities to those who
have any turn for dissipation, threaten to make them here, as in
Europe, the sinks of voluntary misery. |
David
Williams
14 Nov 1803 |
INDEPENDENCE
AND SOVEREIGNTY
[The proposal to establish a new] form of
government... is a work of the most interesting nature, and such as
every individual would wish to have his voice in... Should a bad
government be instituted for us in future, it had been as well to
have accepted at first the bad one offered to us from beyond the
water without the risk and expense of contest. |
Thomas
Nelson
1776 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / TRANSITION TO AGRICULTURE
I consider the business of hunting as already
become insufficient to furnish clothing and subsistence to the
Indians. The promotion of agriculture, therefore, and household
manufacture, are essential in their preservation, and I am disposed
to aid and encourage it liberally. In truth, the ultimate point of
rest and happiness for them is to let our settlements and theirs
meet and blend together, to intermix, and become one people.
Incorporating themselves with us as citizens of the United States,
this is what the natural progress of things will, of course, bring
on, and it will be better to promote than to retard it. Surely it
will be better for them to be identified with us, and preserved in
the occupation of their lands, than be exposed to the many
casualties which may endanger them while a separate people. I have
little doubt but that your reflections must have led you to view the
various ways in which their history may terminate, and to see that
this is the one most for their happiness. And we have already had an
application from a settlement of Indians to become citizens of the
United States. It is possible, perhaps probable, that this idea may
be so novel as that it might shock the Indians, were it even hinted
to them. Of course, you will keep it for your own reflections; but,
convinced of its soundness, I feel it consistent with pure morality
to lead them towards it, to familiarize them to the idea. …
|
Benjamin
Hawkins
18 Feb 1803 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES
… I am safe in affirming, that the proofs
of genius given by the Indians of North America place them on a
level with whites in the same uncultivated state. The North of
Europe furnishes subjects enough for comparison with them, and for a
proof of their equality. I have seen some thousands myself, and
conversed much with them, and have found in them a masculine, sound
understanding. I have had much information from men who had lived
among them, and whose veracity and good sense were so far known to
me, as to establish a reliance on their information. They have all
agreed in bearing witness in favor of the genius of this people. As
to their bodily strength, their manners rendering it disgraceful to
labor, those muscles employed in labor will be weaker with them,
than with the European laborer; but those which are exerted in the
chase, and those faculties which are employed in the tracing an
enemy or a wild beast, in contriving ambuscades for him, and in
carrying them through their execution, are much stronger than with
us, because they are more exercised. I believe the Indian, then, to
be, in body and mind, equal to the white man. I have supposed the
black man, in his present state, might not be so; but it would be
hazardous to affirm, that, equally cultivated for a few generations,
he would not become so. |
Chastellus
(Marquis de) 7 June 1785 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES
… I am to thank you for your attention to
my queries on the subject of the Indians. I have sent many copies to
other correspondents, but as yet have heard nothing from them. I
shall proceed, however, in my endeavors, particularly with respect
to their language, and shall take care so to dispose of what I
collect thereon, as that it shall not be lost. The attention which
you pay to their rights, also, does you great honor, as the want of
that is a principal source of dishonor to the American character.
The two principles on which our conduct towards the Indians should
be founded, are justice and fear. After the injuries we have done
them, they cannot love us, which leaves us no alternative but that
of fear to keep them from attacking us. But justice is what we
should never lose sight of, and in time it may recover their esteem.
|
Benjamin Hawkins
13 Aug 1786 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / CHEROKEES
Having now finished our business and finished
it I hope to mutual satisfaction, I cannot take leave of you without
expressing the satisfaction I have received from your visit. I see
with my own eyes that the endeavors we have been making to encourage
and lead you in the way of improving your situation have not been
unsuccessful; it has been like grain sown in good ground, producing
abundantly. You are becoming farmers, learning the use of the plough
and the hoe, enclosing your grounds and employing that labor in
their cultivation which you formerly employed in hunting and in war;
and I see handsome specimens of cotton cloth raised, spun and wove
by yourselves. You are also raising cattle and hogs for your food,
and horses to assist your labors. Go on, my children, in the same
way and be assured the further you advance in it the happier and
more respectable you will be.
Our brethren, whom you have happened to meet here from the West and
Northwest, have enabled you to compare your situation now with what
it was formerly. They also make the comparison, and they see how far
you are ahead of them, and seeing what you are they are encouraged
to do as you have done. You will find your next wants to be mills to
grind your corn, which "by relieving your women from the loss
of time in beating it into meal, will enable them to spin and weave
more. When a man has enclosed and improved his farm, builds a good
house on it and raised plentiful stocks of animals, he will wish
when he dies that these things shall go to his wife and children,
whom he loves more than he does his other relations, and for whom he
will work with pleasure during his life. You will, therefore, find
it necessary to establish laws for this. When a man has property,
earned by his own labor, he will not like to see another come and
take it from him because he happens to be stronger, or else to defen&
it by spilling blood. You will find it necessary then to appoint
good men, as judges, to decide contests between man and man,
according to reason and to the rules you shall establish. If you
wish to be aided by our counsel and experience in these things we
shall always be ready to assist you with our advice.
My children, it is unnecessary for mc to advise you against
spending all your time and labor in warring with and destroying your
fellow-men, and wasting your own members. You already see the folly
and iniquity of it. Your young men, however, are not yet
sufficiently sensible of it. Some of them cross the Mississippi to
go and destroy people who have neVer done them an injury. My
children, this is wrong and must not be; if we permit them to cross
the Mississippi to war with the Indians on the other side of that
river, we must let those Indians cross the river to take revenge on
you. I say again, this must not be. The Mississippi now belongs to
us. It must not be a river of blood. It is now the water-path along
which all our people of Natchez, St. Louis, Indiana, Ohio,
Tennessee, Kentucky and the western parts of Pennsylvania and
Virginia are constantly passing with their property, to and from New
Orleans. Young men going to war are not easily restrained. Finding
our people on the river they will rob them, perhaps kill them. This
would bring on a war between us and you. It is better to stop this
in time by forbidding your young men to go across the river to make
war. If they go to visit or to live with the Cherokees on the other
side of the river we shall not object to that. That country is ours.
We will permit them to live in it.
My children, this is what I wished to say to you. To go on in
learning to cultivate the earth and to avoid war. If any of your
neighbors injure you, our beloved men whom we place with you will
endeavor to obtain justice for you and we will support them in it.
If any of your bad people injure your neighbors, be ready to
acknowledge it and to do them justice. It is more honorable to
repair a wrong than to persist in it. Tell all your chiefs, your
men, women and children, that I take them by the hand and hold it
fast. That I am their father, wish their happiness and well-being,
and am always ready to promote their good.
My children, I thank you for your visit and pray to the Great
Spirit who made us all and planted us all in this land to live
together like brothers that He will conduct you safely to your
homes, and grant you to find your families and your friends in good
health. |
Address
to the Cherokee Nation
10 Jan 1806 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / CHEROKEES
…So much in answer to your inquiries
concerning Indians, a people with whom, in the early part of my
life, I was very familiar, and acquired impressions of attachment
and commiseration for them which have never been obliterated. Before
the Revolution, they were in the habit of coming often and in great
numbers to the seat of government, where I was very much with them.
I knew much the great Ontassete', the warrior and orator of the
Cherokees; he was always the guest of my father, on his journeys to
and from Williamsburg. I was in his camp when he made his great
farewell oration to his people the evening before his departure for
England. The moon was in full splendor, and to her he seemed to
address himself in his prayers for his own safety on the voyage, and
that of his people during his absence; his sounding voice, distinct
articulation, animated action, and the solemn silence of his people
at their several fires, filled me with awe and veneration, although
I did not understand a word he uttered. That nation, consisting now
of about 2,000 warriors, and the Creeks of about 3,000 are far
advanced in civilization. They have good cabins, enclosed fields,
large herds of cattle and hogs, spin and weave their own clothes of
cotton, have smiths and other of the most necessary tradesmen, write
and read, are on the increase in numbers, and a branch of Cherokees
is now instituting a regular representative government. Some other
tribes are advancing in the same line. On those who have made any
progress, English seductions will have no effect. But the backward
will yield, and be thrown further back. Those will relapse into
barbarism and misery, lose numbers by war and want, and we shall be
obliged to drive them with the beasts of the forest into the stony
mountains. |
John
Adams
11 Jun 1812 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / CHOCTAW NATION
I learn with great satisfaction that you have
leased to us three stations of one mile square each on the road from
Chickesaws to Natchez, and one on the Pearl river; and you desire me
to send you a paper under my own hand to show to your warriors that
these lands are not sold but lent. I now accordingly declare that
the property in those lands remains in your nation, that they are
lent to us for a rent of four hundred pounds weight of powder
annually, and that your nation has a right to take them back at
their pleasure; and this paper now signed by my own hand will be
evidence of these things to future generations. We will, according
to your desire, settle but one white family on each section, and
take care that they conduct themselves peaceably and friendly toward
you; or being made known to me that they do otherwise they shall be
removed. They will be placed there merely f6r the accommodation of
our paper carriers and travellers.
My children, you have asked whether I did not promise to send you
ploughs to enable you to improve in husbandry? I did promise it and
immediately sent the ploughs; but by a mistake in forwarding them,
they were delayed some time before we knew of it. You must, however,
have received them before this time.
You ask if I did not promise to send your deputation ten rifles for
yourselves and other deserving warriors? I did not promise it. You
said they would be acceptable, but I said nothing in reply. But
although I did not promise, yet to show my good will to you, I will
send you the rifles.
You ask if we will allow commissions to you according to your rank
and medals and commissions to such chiefs as you may appoint to
assist in the government of your country? It has not been a custom
with us to give commissions to our friends among the red men; and it
is a new thing. We will take it into consideration. We wish to do
what is agreeable to you, if we find we can do it with prudence.
We shall be willing to give medals to a certain number of
distinguished chiefs who aid you in the government of your country,
and who manifest dispositions to preserve peace and friendship
between your nation and ours. We wish you, therefore, to recommend
such to us.
My children, persevere in your friendship to the United States. We
will never injure you nor permit you to be injured by any white
people, and we trust you will take care that none of our people are
injured by yours. Encourage among you the cultivation of the earth,
raising of cattle, spinning and weaving, and we will assist you in
it. With plenty of food and clothing you will raise many children,
multiply, be strong and happy. May the Great Spirit protect and
prosper you in all your just pursuits. Farewell. |
Address
to the Choctaw Nation
13 Mar 1805 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / COEXISTENCE WITH
Your favor of October 31st has been duly
received, and I thank you for the communication of the report of the
Committee of Friends. It gives me great satisfaction to see that we
are likely to render our Indian neighbors happier in themselves and
well affected to us; that the measures we are pursuing are
prescribed equally by our duty to them, and by the good of our own
country. It is a proof the more of the indissoluble alliance between
our duties and interest, which if ever they appear to lead in
opposite directions, we may be assured it is from our own defective
views. It is evident that your society has begun at the right end
for civilizing these people. Habits of industry, easy subsistence,
attachment to property, are necessary to prepare their minds for the
first elements of science, and afterwards for moral and religious
instruction. To begin with the last has ever ended either in
effecting nothing, or ingrafting bigotry on ignorance, and setting
them to tomahawking and burning old women and others as witches, of
which we have seen a commencement among them. |
James
Pemberton
16 Nov 1807 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / COEXISTENCE WITH
I hope the Governor will be able to settle with
the Sacs and Foxes without war, to which, however, he seems too much
committed: If we had gone to war for every hunter or trader killed,
and murderer refused, we should have had general and constant war.
The process to be followed, in my opinion, when a murder has been
committed, is first to demand the murderer, and not regarding a
first refusal to deliver, give time and press it. If perseveringly
refused, recall all traders, and interdict commerce with them, until
he be delivered. I believe this would rarely fail in producing the
effect desired; and we have seen that, by steadily following this
line, the tribes become satisfied of our moderation, justice, and
friendship to them, and become firmly attached to us. The want of
time to produce these dispositions in the Indians west of the
Mississippi, has been the cause of the Kanzas, the Republican, the
Great and the Wolf Panis, the Matas, and Poncaras, adhering to the
Spanish interest against us. But if we use forbearance, and open
commerce for them, they will come to, and give us time to attach
them to us. The factories proposed on the Missouri and Mississippi,
as soon as they can be in activity, will have more effect than as
many armies. It is on their interests we must rely for their
friendship, and not on their fears. |
Henry
Dearborn
(Secretary of War)
20 Aug 1808 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / CREEKS
You promise, in your letter of October the 23d,
1787, to give me in your next, at large, the conjectures of your
philosopher on the descent of the Creek Indians from the
Carthaginians, supposed to have been separated from Hanno's fleet,
during his periplus. I shall be very glad to receive them, and see
nothing impossible in his conjecture. I am glad he means to appeal
to similarity of language, which I consider as the strongest kind of
proof it is possible to adduce. I have somewhere read, that the
language of the ancient Carthaginians is still spoken by their
descendants, inhabiting the monntainous interior parts of Barbary,
to which they were obliged to retire by the conquering Arabs. If so,
a vocabulary of their tongue can still be got, and if your friend
will get one of the Creek languages, the comparison will decide. He
probably may have made progress in this business; but if he wishes
any enquiries to be made on this side the Atlantic, I offer him my
services cheerfully; my wish being like his, to ascertain the
history of the American aborigines. |
Edward
Rutledge
18 Jul 1788 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / CREEKS / TREATY SIGNED
We have just concluded a treaty with the
Creeks, which is important, as drawing a line between them and
Georgia, and enabling the government to do, as it will do, justice
against either party offending. |
Mr.
Randolph
14 Aug 1790 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / FRONTIER WAR
Our news from the westward is disagreeable.
Constant murders committing by the Indians, and their combination
threatens to be more and more extensive. I hope we shall give them a
thorough drubbing this summer, and then change our tomahawk into a
golden chain of friendship. The most economical as well as most
humane conduct towards them is to bribe them into peace, and to
retain them in peace by eternal bribes. The expedition this year
would have served for presents on the most liberal scale for one
hundred years; nor shall we otherwise ever get rid of an army, or of
our debt. The least rag of Indian depredation will be an excuse to
raise troops for those who love to have troops, and for those who
think that a public debt is a good thing. |
Charles
Carroll
15 Apr 1791 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / LANGUAGES
I particularly take great interest in whatever
respects the Indians, and the present state of the Creeks, mentioned
in your letter is very interesting. But you must not suppose that
your official communications will ever be seen or known out of the
offices. Reserve as to all their proceedings is the fundamental
maxim of the Executive department I must, therefore, ask from you
one communication to be made to me separately, and I am encouraged
to it by that part of your letter which promises me something on the
Creek language. I have long believed we can never get any
information of the ancient history of the Indians, of their descent
and filiation, but from a knowledge and comparative view of their
languages. I have, therefore, never failed to avail myself of any
opportunity which offered of getting their vocabularies. I have now
made up a large collection, and afraid to risk it any longer, lest
by some accident it might be lost, I am about to print it But I
still want the great southern languages, Cherokee, Creeks, Choctaw,
Chickasaw. For the Cherokee, I have written to another, but £or
the three others, I have no chance but through yourself. I have
indeed an imperfect vocabulary of the Choctaw, but it wants all the
words marked in the enclosed vocabulary with either this mark (*) or
this (*). I therefore throw myself on you to procure me the Creek,
Choctaw, an4 Chickasaw; and I enclose you a vocabulary of the
particular words I want. You need not take the trouble of having any
others taken, because all my other vocabularies are confined to
these words, and my object is only a comparative view.
|
Benjamin
Hawkins
14 Mar 1800 |
INDIGENOUS
AMERICAN TRIBES / MIGRATION OF
I thank you for the extract of the letter you
were so kind as to communicate to me, on the antiquities found in
the western country. I wish that the persons who go thither would
make very exact descriptions of what they see of that kind, without
forming any theories. The moment a person forms a theory, his
imagination sees, in every object, only the traits which favor that
theory. But it is too early to form theories on those antiquities.
We must wait with patience till more facts are collected. I wish
your Philosophical Society would collect exact descriptions of the
several monuments as yet known, and insert them naked in their
Transactions, and continue their attention to those hereafter to be
discovered. Patience and observation may enable us in time, to solve
the problem, whether those who formed the scattering monuments in
our western country, were colonies sent off from Mexico, or the
founders of Mexico itself? Whether both were the descendants or the
progenitors of the Asiatic red men? |
Charles
Thomson
20 Sep 1787 |
|
