THE WESTERN COUNTRY 279 



him the land. Because, says he, for the common peace 

 and the security of property, general laws are preferred 

 by states, according to which one man may possess an 

 acre of land, or none at all, and another may own 

 thousands without being set at defiance because the 

 property is unequally shared. 



But are there not similarly accepted laws as be- 

 tween nation and nation, ancient and sacred laws, re- 

 gardless of complexion or faith? Is not that reason- 

 able for one which is right for another? Is not the 

 reproach, that he fails to cultivate large possessions, 

 to be brought against the citizen of the United States 

 as well as against the Indian, and no question raised 

 as to title? In his bitterness against the poor In- 

 dians the same author continues : ; They are devils in 

 ' the guise of men ; without truth and without faith ; 

 ' to be won by no kindness ; breakers Of promises ; 

 ' barbarous in war, &c." Mere abuse, which touches 

 others besides the original inhabitants of America. 

 He lets fall this judgment however : : These nations 

 are so far degenerated from humanity, so insus- 

 ceptible of every magnanimous feeling, so extrava- 

 ' gant in all their boundless passions, so faithless, so 

 ' incapable of civilization, that for the good order and 

 ' well-being of the world it is dangerous to allow them 

 ' to dwell in it longer." -The author is loud in his 

 professions that it would give him pleasure to know 

 that the whole race was exterminated but with singu- 

 lar mildness he contents himself with proposing: 

 ' that instead of making treaties of peace with them, 

 ' and thus tacitly granting them the rights of nations 

 1 and of property, they should without ceremony be 

 " compelled to give up the land of their fathers, to 



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II 



