616  Halketi’s Historical Notes.on. 
need not; therefore; be surprised, te find 
that; the’ Indians, do, not, seruple, even; at 
the present day, to express, through, their 
dine, their decided reluctance. to receive 
the, instructions | of the missionaries : and 
this fact ought to operate as an indispen- 
sable ground for using the utmost Caution 
in‘évery endeavour to convert them. 
‘There’ is a’ passage’ in Dr. Morse’s In- 
dian Report to the American Government, 
which, appears, closely connected with this 
subject. The zealous and beneyolent feel- 
ings of that writer have naturally made 
him very sanguine with regard to the mea- 
sures he has suggested for the improve- 
ment of the. Indians; but can it escape 
observation, that in the very first speech 
which, he addressed to them in_conse- 
quence: of his mission (in June 1820), 
while he was holding out to that unfortu- 
nate race his cheering prospects of the fu- 
ture, most. melancholy—-may we not add 
most galling—were the truths told to them 
of the past! 
**< Brothers, your father, the President 
of the United States, with whom I have 
conversed on the present state of the In- 
dians who live ‘under his jurisdiction, and 
with many pious Christians also, far and 
near, are thinking of you for good; and are 
now engaged in devising together the best 
means to promote your welfare. We per- 
ceive that your numbers and your strength 
are diminishing; that, from being a nu- 
merous and powerful people, spread over a 
wide and fertile country, in which was 
plenty of game for your support, you have 
become few and feeble; that you possess 
but. small tracts of land, compared with 
what your fathers possessed ; and your 
game, on which you formerly depended 
upon for your support, is gone. We see 
that there is no place on earth where you 
and your brethren can go and dwell, un- 
molested, in the state in which your fa- 
thers lived. We see that you cannot many 
years longer live in any part of the United 
States. in the hunter-state. The white 
people will push their settlements in every 
direction, and destroy your game and take 
away your best lands. You have not 
strength to defend yourselves, were you 
disposed to make war with the white peo- 
ple: they have become too powerful to be 
resisted, or restrained in their course. 
**« In these circumstances, your father, 
the president, and the good white people, 
extensively feel for you. We perceive that 
you are cast down and discouraged, that 
you are perplexed, and ‘know not what to 
do. | Your,situation, and that of your red 
brethren generally, .has lately excited .an 
unusual interest. I,am authorised to say 
to you, that the American nation, the ciyil 
as Well as the religious part of it, are now 
ready to extend to you the hand of sincere 
friendship, to aid you in rising from your 
depressed state;~ and inthe best ways 
which can be devised; ‘to ‘save you from 
the: Indians.of North America. 
that rain ‘which, seems), inevitablesin your, 
present course, and to ‘cause youyto share» 
with us‘all the blessings; both, civil and, 
religious; which (we;ourselves enjoyysn We’ 
fully believe; from the. recent, events:\,0f, 
Providence, that God has-great blessings in, 
store for you, and the: rest) ,of-your red) 
brethren in-our country; if, you/will ‘aceepty 
them: and that you may yet ‘see good: 
days, according to the. days:im;whiely you 
have seen eyil.’ This»is) our ‘most ;ardent; 
desire. Let not. then your spirits. sink, 
within you. Hope in-God, whojis able to 
save and to bless yous ‘Trust in-him and, 
he will not leave you,;but will.,be the; 
health of your countenance;.a refuge from, 
all your troubles, a present help;in ame ‘of 
need.’ ” ae 
The result of this conference: was by. 
no means satisfactory: Captain Pol+ 
lard, indeed (a chief of the mock-con= 
verted Senecas), acknowledged, that 
such was their situation that they» ust 
have the gospel; and_ stated, ‘that, 
“houses for religious worship,.and for 
schools, were built. among ‘for. 
their use 5 and that when once. built 
they remain.” But Saguoaha; or Red- 
Jacket, refused to give an immediate 
answer; but some months after» trans- 
mitted to the governor and“ state““of 
New York a speech, in which the fol- 
lowing are some of the grievances cont 
plained of: 
“ The first subject to which we aotakd 
call the attention of the governor, is the 
depredation daily committed by the white 
people upon the most valuable. timber on 
our reservations. This has been a subject 
of complaint for many years: but now, ard 
particularly at this season of the year, it: has 
become an alarming evil, and calls: for the 
immediate interposition of the governensin 
our behalf. agit 
“ Our next subject of complaint is the 
frequent theft of our horses and ‘cattle :by 
the whites, and their habit of taking and 
using them when they please, and without 
our leave. These are evils which'seem to 
increase upon us, and call loudly for pa 
dress. 
“ Another evil arising from the preMare 
of the whites upon us, and our unavoidable 
communication with them, is the frequency 
with which our Indians are thrown into 
gaol, and that too for the most. tsfing 
causes. This is yery galling to our “feel 
ings, and should not be allowed *to” 
extent to which our white “neighbours; i 
order to gratify their’ bad Line nd 
carry this practice. SEES Het 
* In our hunting and fishitie; “t00, “we 
are greatly interrupted: our venison “is 
stolen from the trees where we haye hung 
it to be reclaimed after, the_c 
hunting camps have Geen fire 
we have been warned that, wey 5 i 
