第63章

It is here deserving of notice, that what instruments of this sort they do form, are completely formed.The small spots of corn they cultivate are thoroughly weeded, and hoed.A little neglect in this part would, indeed, reduce the crop very much; of this experience has made them perfectly aware, and they act accordingly.It is evidently not the necessary labor, that is the obstacle to much more extended culture, but the distant return from that labor.I am assured, indeed, that, among some of the more remote tribes, the labor thus expended, much exceeds that given by the whites.The same portions of ground being cropped without remission, and manure not being used, they would scarce yield any return, were not the soil most carefully broken, and pulverized, both with the hoe and the hand.In such a situation, a white man would clear a fresh piece of ground.It would perhaps scarce repay his labor the first year, and he would have to look for his reward in succeeding years.On the Indian again, succeeding years are too distant to make sufficient impression, though, to obtain what labor may bring about in the course of a few months, he toils even more assiduously than the white man.The wages of labor with him, are lower than with the white man, for his wants are fewer.But for this, the range of materials, coming within reach of his effective desire of accumulation, would be even more limited than it is, and the amount of instruments formed by him, less.

Similar observations will apply to all the remnants of the race, scattered through the parts of the North American continent, to which the industry and enterprise of the white man, have brought modern arts and civilization.

They can no where be said to form an agricultural people.All the great tracts of land, reserved for their use, throughout the continent, retain their native forest character; and it is only at great intervals, where spots of soil appear offering peculiar facilities for cultivation, that the riches of the earth are even partially brought into action.When such materials are neglected, it is not to be supposed that others, requiring greater strength of the accumulative principle to form them into instruments, will be put to use.None, therefore, even of the most common handicrafts, which they see the white man continually exercising, are to be found among them.The axe, and the knife, are almost their only tools.Their houses, their furniture, their clothing and utensils are all similar, and of a sort to serve only the needs of the moment.Nothing is either reserved or provided for a futurity in any ways distant.Their stock of instruments being thus confined to such as are of the most quickly returning orders, a vast mass of materials is neglected, which by another race, governed by other principles of action, are converted, or converting, into the means of abundantly supplying the necessities, and enjoyments of a numerous population.

They thus afford a striking instance, of the effects resulting from a great deficiency of strength in the accumulative principle.They have skill, adequate to the formation of instruments, capable of ministering to the necessities and comforts of a numerous population, for with the powers of fire, the axe, and the hoe, the great agents in converting the forest to the field, they are well acquainted; they have industry, content with a very moderate, if immediate reward; yet, from inadequate strength in this principle, these all lie inert, and useless, in the midst of the greatest abundance of materials; and, the means for existence in the time to come not being provided, as what was future becomes present, want and misery arrive with it, and these tribes are disappearing before them.The white man robs their woods and waters of the stores with which nature had replenished them, and the arts, by the communication of which he would compensate for the spoliation, are despised.

Though the civilized man may be truly said to have been the greatest enemy of the Indian, yet he has not always been so wilfully, and, in many instances, he has endeavored to be his benefactor.But, though his endeavors may occasionally, for a time, have arrested the progress of the evil, they have never altogether removed it, or been of permanent advantage.Of all attempts of the kind, that of the Jesuits, in Paraguay, seems to have been productive of most good, and to have given the fairest promise of ultimate success.This partial success, is evidently to be traced, to the usual talent of those fathers, in a clear perception of the actual circumstances of the condition, and disposition of the men with whom they had to deal, and to their usual ability in converting these circumstances into means of accomplishing the ends they had in view.

Their plan presents two great features.They wrought upon the Indians through that, which was alone in them capable of exciting to extended action, their love of their several nations, and devotion to their interests: they took every means to show them that they could, and would, promote these interests, and thus identifying themselves with the national existence and prosperity, transferred to their order, a large portion of the strong feelings arising from benefits received from, and obligations and duties owing to his tribe, which are the great movers, and rulers, of the being of the Indian.

The efforts of the missionaries seem first to have been directed to convince the chiefs, and leaders, of the several tribes to which they penetrated, of the sincerity of their desire to be of service to them.As the messengers of a religion, promising peace on earth, and immortal happiness after death, they had claims on their attention which are foreign to our subject.Besides these however, as the possessors of the arts and powers of civilization, they had others, which were more palpable to the comprehension of the savage.