第28章

Ihavebeenassuredthatthiseffectoftheapproachofthewhitesisoftenfeltattwohundredleagues’distancefromtheirfrontier。Theirinfluenceisthusexertedovertribeswhosenameisunknowntothem;andwhosuffertheevilsofusurpationlongbeforetheyareacquaintedwiththeauthorsoftheirdistress。*e[Footnoted:"Fiveyearsago，"（saysVolneyinhis"TableaudesEtats—Unis，"p。370）"ingoingfromVincennestoKaskaskia，aterritorywhichnowformspartoftheStateofIllinois，butwhichatthetimeImentionwascompletelywild（1797），youcouldnotcrossaprairiewithoutseeingherdsoffromfourtofivehundredbuffaloes。Therearenownoneremaining;theyswamacrosstheMississippitoescapefromthehunters，andmoreparticularlyfromthebellsoftheAmericancows。"]

[Footnotee:ThetruthofwhatIhereadvancemaybeeasilyprovedbyconsultingthetabularstatementofIndiantribesinhabitingtheUnitedStatesandtheirterritories。（LegislativeDocuments，20thCongress，No。117，pp。90—105。）ItisthereshownthatthetribesinthecentreofAmericaarerapidlydecreasing，althoughtheEuropeansarestillataconsiderabledistancefromthem。]

BoldadventurerssoonpenetrateintothecountrytheIndianshavedeserted，andwhentheyhaveadvancedaboutfifteenortwentyleaguesfromtheextremefrontiersofthewhites，theybegintobuildhabitationsforcivilizedbeingsinthemidstofthewilderness。Thisisdonewithoutdifficulty，astheterritoryofahunting—nationisill—defined;itisthecommonpropertyofthetribe，andbelongstonooneinparticular，sothatindividualinterestsarenotconcernedintheprotectionofanypartofit。

AfewEuropeanfamilies，settledindifferentsituationsataconsiderabledistancefromeachother，soondriveawaythewildanimalswhichremainbetweentheirplacesofabode。TheIndians，whohadpreviouslylivedinasortofabundance，thenfinditdifficulttosubsist，andstillmoredifficulttoprocurethearticlesofbarterwhichtheystandinneedof。

Todriveawaytheirgameistodeprivethemofthemeansofexistence，aseffectuallyasifthefieldsofouragriculturistswerestrickenwithbarrenness;andtheyarereduced，likefamishedwolves，toprowlthroughtheforsakenwoodsinquestofprey。Theirinstinctiveloveoftheircountryattachesthemtothesoilwhichgavethembirth，*fevenafterithasceasedtoyieldanythingbutmiseryanddeath。Atlengththeyarecompelledtoacquiesce，andtodepart:theyfollowthetracesoftheelk，thebuffalo，andthebeaver，andareguidedbythesewildanimalsinthechoiceoftheirfuturecountry。Properlyspeaking，therefore，itisnottheEuropeanswhodriveawaythenativeinhabitantsofAmerica;itisfaminewhichcompelsthemtorecede;ahappydistinctionwhichhadescapedthecasuistsofformertimes，andforwhichweareindebtedtomoderndiscovery！

[Footnotef:"TheIndians，"sayMessrs。ClarkeandCassintheirReporttoCongress，p。15，"areattachedtotheircountrybythesamefeelingswhichbindustoours;and，besides，therearecertainsuperstitiousnotionsconnectedwiththealienationofwhattheGreatSpiritgavetotheirancestors，whichoperatestronglyuponthetribeswhohavemadefewornocessions，butwhicharegraduallyweakenedasourintercoursewiththemisextended。’Wewillnotsellthespotwhichcontainsthebonesofourfathers，’isalmostalwaysthefirstanswertoapropositionforasale。"]

Itisimpossibletoconceivetheextentofthesufferingswhichattendtheseforcedemigrations。Theyareundertakenbyapeoplealreadyexhaustedandreduced;andthecountriestowhichthenewcomersbetakethemselvesareinhabitedbyothertribeswhichreceivethemwithjealoushostility。Hungerisintherear;warawaitsthem，andmiserybesetsthemonallsides。Inthehopeofescapingfromsuchahostofenemies，theyseparate，andeachindividualendeavorstoprocurethemeansofsupportinghisexistenceinsolitudeandsecrecy，livingintheimmensityofthedesertlikeanoutcastincivilizedsociety。Thesocialtie，whichdistresshadlongsinceweakened，isthendissolved;theyhavelosttheircountry，andtheirpeoplesoondesertthem:theirveryfamiliesareobliterated;thenamestheyboreincommonareforgotten，theirlanguageperishes，andalltracesoftheirorigindisappear。Theirnationhasceasedtoexist，exceptintherecollectionoftheantiquariesofAmericaandafewofthelearnedofEurope。

IshouldbesorrytohavemyreadersupposethatIamcoloringthepicturetoohighly;IsawwithmyowneyesseveralofthecasesofmiserywhichIhavebeendescribing;andIwasthewitnessofsufferingswhichIhavenotthepowertoportray。

Attheendoftheyear1831，whilstIwasontheleftbankoftheMississippiataplacenamedbyEuropeans，Memphis，therearrivedanumerousbandofChoctaws（orChactas，astheyarecalledbytheFrenchinLouisiana）。Thesesavageshadlefttheircountry，andwereendeavoringtogaintherightbankoftheMississippi，wheretheyhopedtofindanasylumwhichhadbeenpromisedthembytheAmericangovernment。Itwasthenthemiddleofwinter，andthecoldwasunusuallysevere;thesnowhadfrozenhardupontheground，andtheriverwasdriftinghugemassesofice。TheIndianshadtheirfamilieswiththem;andtheybroughtintheirtrainthewoundedandsick，withchildrennewlyborn，andoldmenuponthevergeofdeath。Theypossessedneithertentsnorwagons，butonlytheirarmsandsomeprovisions。Isawthemembarktopassthemightyriver，andneverwillthatsolemnspectaclefadefrommyremembrance。Nocry，nosobwasheardamongsttheassembledcrowd;allweresilent。Theircalamitieswereofancientdate，andtheyknewthemtobeirremediable。TheIndianshadallsteppedintothebarkwhichwastocarrythemacross，buttheirdogsremaineduponthebank。Assoonastheseanimalsperceivedthattheirmasterswerefinallyleavingtheshore，theysetupadismalhowl，and，plungingalltogetherintotheicywatersoftheMississippi，theyswamaftertheboat。

TheejectmentoftheIndiansveryoftentakesplaceatthepresentday，inaregular，and，asitwere，alegalmanner。WhentheEuropeanpopulationbeginstoapproachthelimitofthedesertinhabitedbyasavagetribe，thegovernmentoftheUnitedStatesusuallydispatchesenvoystothem，whoassembletheIndiansinalargeplain，andhavingfirsteatenanddrunkwiththem，accosttheminthefollowingmanner:"Whathaveyoutodointhelandofyourfathers？Beforelong，youmustdiguptheirbonesinordertolive。Inwhatrespectisthecountryyouinhabitbetterthananother？Aretherenowoods，marshes，orprairies，exceptwhereyoudwell？Andcanyoulivenowherebutunderyourownsun？Beyondthosemountainswhichyouseeatthehorizon，beyondthelakewhichboundsyourterritoryonthewest，therelievastcountrieswherebeastsofchasearefoundingreatabundance;sellyourlandstous，andgotolivehappilyinthosesolitudes。"Afterholdingthislanguage，theyspreadbeforetheeyesoftheIndiansfirearms，woollengarments，kegsofbrandy，glassnecklaces，braceletsoftinsel，earrings，andlooking—glasses。*gIf，whentheyhavebeheldalltheseriches，theystillhesitate，itisinsinuatedthattheyhavenotthemeansofrefusingtheirrequiredconsent，andthatthegovernmentitselfwillnotlonghavethepowerofprotectingthemintheirrights。Whataretheytodo？Halfconvinced，andhalfcompelled，theygotoinhabitnewdeserts，wheretheimportunatewhiteswillnotletthemremaintenyearsintranquillity。InthismannerdotheAmericansobtain，ataverylowprice，wholeprovinces，whichtherichestsovereignsofEuropecouldnotpurchase。*h[Footnoteg:See，intheLegislativeDocumentsofCongress（Doc。

117），thenarrativeofwhattakesplaceontheseoccasions。Thiscuriouspassageisfromtheabove—mentionedreport，madetoCongressbyMessrs。ClarkeandCassinFebruary，1829。Mr。CassisnowtheSecretaryofWar。

"TheIndians，"saysthereport，"reachthetreaty—groundpoorandalmostnaked。Largequantitiesofgoodsaretakentherebythetraders，andareseenandexaminedbytheIndians。Thewomenandchildrenbecomeimportunatetohavetheirwantssupplied，andtheirinfluenceissoonexertedtoinduceasale。

Theirimprovidenceishabitualandunconquerable。ThegratificationofhisimmediatewantsanddesiresistherulingpassionofanIndian。Theexpectationoffutureadvantagesseldomproducesmucheffect。Theexperienceofthepastislost，andtheprospectsofthefuturedisregarded。Itwouldbeutterlyhopelesstodemandacessionofland，unlessthemeanswereathandofgratifyingtheirimmediatewants;andwhentheirconditionandcircumstancesarefairlyconsidered，itoughtnottosurpriseusthattheyaresoanxioustorelievethemselves。"]

[Footnoteh:OnMay19，1830，Mr。EdwardEverettaffirmedbeforetheHouseofRepresentatives，thattheAmericanshadalreadyacquiredbytreaty，totheeastandwestoftheMississippi，230，000，000ofacres。In1808theOsagesgaveup48，000，000

acresforanannualpaymentof$1，000。In1818theQuapawsyieldedup29，000，000acresfor$4，000。Theyreservedforthemselvesaterritoryof1，000，000acresforahunting—ground。

Asolemnoathwastakenthatitshouldberespected:butbeforelongitwasinvadedliketherest。Mr。Bell，inhisReportoftheCommitteeonIndianAffairs，February24，1830，hasthesewords:

—"TopayanIndiantribewhattheirancienthunting—groundsareworthtothem，afterthegameisfledordestroyed，asamodeofappropriatingwildlandsclaimedbyIndians，hasbeenfoundmoreconvenient，andcertainlyitismoreagreeabletotheformsofjustice，aswellasmoremerciful，thantoassertthepossessionofthembythesword。ThusthepracticeofbuyingIndiantitlesisbutthesubstitutewhichhumanityandexpediencyhaveimposed，inplaceofthesword，inarrivingattheactualenjoymentofpropertyclaimedbytherightofdiscovery，andsanctionedbythenaturalsuperiorityallowedtotheclaimsofcivilizedcommunitiesoverthoseofsavagetribes。Uptothepresenttimesoinvariablehasbeentheoperationofcertaincauses，firstindiminishingthevalueofforestlandstotheIndians，andsecondlyindisposingthemtosellreadily，thattheplanofbuyingtheirrightofoccupancyhasneverthreatenedtoretard，inanyperceptibledegree，theprosperityofanyoftheStates。"

（LegislativeDocuments，21stCongress，No。227，p。6。）]

ChapterXVIII:FutureConditionOfThreeRaces—PartII

Thesearegreatevils;anditmustbeaddedthattheyappeartometobeirremediable。IbelievethattheIndi