736 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1805. 



have left them as the constitution 

 found them, under the direction or 

 discipline of the state, or church au- 

 thorities, acknowledged by the se- 

 veral religions societies. The abo- 

 riginal inhabitants of these countries, 

 I have regarded with the commise- 

 ration their history inspires. En- 

 dowed witli the faciiilics and the 

 rights of men, breathing an ardent 

 love of liberty and independence, 

 and occupying a country which left 

 them no desire but to be undis- 

 turbed, the stream of overliowing 

 population from other regions di- 

 rected itself on these shores. With- 

 out power to divert, or habits to 

 contend against it, they have been 

 overwhelmed by the current, or 

 driven before it. Now reduced 

 "within limits too narrow for the 

 hunter-state, humanity enjoins us to 

 teach them agriculture and the do- 

 mestic arts ; to encourage them to 

 that industry which alone can ena- 

 ble them to maintain their place in 

 existence, and to prepare them in 

 time for that state of society, which, 

 to bodily comforts, adds the im- 

 provement of the mind and morals. 

 We have, therefore, liberally fur- 

 nished Ihcm with the implements of 

 husbandry and household use : we 

 have placed among them instructors 

 in the arts of first necessity ; and 

 they are covered with the aegis ©f 

 the law against aggressors from 

 among ourselves. But, the endea- 

 vours to enlighten tljeni on the fate 

 which awaits their present course of 

 life, to induce them to exercise their 

 reason, follow its dictates, and 

 change their pursuits with the change 

 of circumstances, have powerful ob- 

 stacles to encounter. They are 

 combated by the habits of their bo- 

 dies, prejudices of their m.inds, ig- 

 norance, pride, and the inlluence of 



interested and crafty individuals 

 among them, who feel themselves 

 something in the j)resent order of 

 things, and fear to become nothing 

 in any other. These persons in- 

 culcate a sanctimonious reverence 

 for the customs of their ancestors ; 

 that whatever they did must bo 

 done through all time ; that reason 

 is a false guide, and to advance un- 

 der its counsel in their physical, 

 moral, or political condition, is peri- 

 lous innovation : that their duty is 

 to remain as their creator made 

 them, ignorance being safety, and 

 knowledge full of danger. In short, 

 my friends, among them also is sieen 

 the action and counter-action of 

 good sense and of bigotry. "^I'hey 

 too have their anti-philosophists, 

 who find an interest in keeping 

 things in their present state ; ^ho 

 dread reformation, and exert all 

 their faculties to maintain the as- 

 cendency of habit over the duty of 

 improving our reason, and obeying 

 its mandates. In giving these out- 

 lines, I do not mean to arrogate ta 

 myself the merit of measures. That 

 is due, in the first place, to the re- 

 llccting character of our citizens at 

 large, who, by the weight of public 

 opinion, influence and strengthen 

 the public measures. It is due to 

 the sound discretion with %vhich 

 they select from among them- 

 selves those to whom fhey confide 

 the legislative duties. It is due to 

 the zeal and wisdom of the charac- 

 ters thus selected, who lay the 

 foundation of public happiness in 

 wholesome laws, the execution of 

 which alone remains for others ; 

 and it is due to the able and faithful 

 auxiliaries, whose patriotism has as- 

 sociated them with me in the execu- 

 tive functions. During this course 

 of administration, and in order to 



disturb 



