198 NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST. 



not gain much distinction or influence among them without 

 this quahty. These two warriors have obtained as much 

 fame as any others whose deeds were done or life passed 

 within the Hmits of these notes. 



I have mentioned the error of the laws regulating trade 

 and intercourse with the Indians. There is a great and radi- 

 cal error in the plan of civilisation. The attempt is made to 

 reduce the roving and free spirit of the child of the forest at 

 once to the drudgery of a systematic, continued industry, to 

 the toil to which man is reconciled in the civilized condition 

 only by his urgent wants, and his restless desires and ambi- 

 tion. But the red man is w^ithout the incitements, he feels 

 not the wants, and of course will not assume the burden and 

 labor, of civilized life. Why should he change his whole 

 habit and system of life, and giving up ease and liberty, take 

 to himself toil and slavery ? His condition does not require 

 it, and his nature, spirit and habits, all revolt at it. But at 

 the same time that he is invited to this disagreeable change, 

 he is impelled to an acquaintance with artificial wants, by 

 sending clothing, comforts, luxuries and gewgaws to him ; 

 and his ambition is raised by these displays, and cherished 

 by reading. It is all precocious and impractical. It is 

 like attempting to make a child w^alk erect at once, before it 

 has made the primary locomotive process by crawling. 

 Civilisation will not come per saltum. It is a creature that 

 neither will fly nor leap. It is the creature of artificial wants 

 and extra-natural appetites ; those again are the creatures of 

 habit, and habit in its turn is generated by circumstances. 

 Tlirough all these conditions man must pass in his progress 

 to civihsation. Instead, therefore, of attempting to bring 

 the red man at once into the unnatural state of civilisation, it 

 should be done by degrees. He should be placed in an 

 intermediate state, where the wants arc fewer and the labor 



