﻿HISTORY 
  OF 
  THE 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  IROQUOIS 
  391 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  no 
  occasion 
  to 
  precipitate 
  the 
  technical, 
  very 
  vague, 
  

   and 
  very 
  unsubstantial 
  condition 
  of 
  citizenship 
  upon 
  the 
  people 
  

   of 
  the 
  Six 
  Nations. 
  It 
  would 
  only 
  facilitate, 
  while 
  they 
  are 
  poor, 
  

   the 
  transfer 
  of 
  their 
  lands 
  to 
  hungry 
  white 
  men 
  without 
  benefit 
  

   to 
  their 
  people 
  at 
  large. 
  . 
  . 
  The 
  Six 
  Nations 
  will 
  make 
  better 
  

   citizens 
  by 
  a 
  still 
  longer 
  struggle 
  among 
  themselves, 
  if 
  supported 
  

   generously 
  and 
  charitably 
  by 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  their 
  true 
  friends. 
  

  

  General 
  Carrington 
  gives 
  sound 
  reasons 
  why 
  citizenship 
  and 
  

   partition 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  enforced 
  or 
  hastened, 
  and 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  added 
  

   that 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  advanced 
  and 
  intelligent 
  Iroquois 
  hold 
  

   the 
  same 
  opinions. 
  They 
  can 
  not 
  see 
  what 
  they 
  would 
  gain 
  by 
  

   citizenship, 
  and 
  they 
  realize 
  the 
  dangers 
  and 
  difficulties 
  of 
  par- 
  

   tition. 
  One 
  great 
  difficulty 
  comes 
  in 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  descent. 
  Mr 
  

   Jackson 
  differed 
  from 
  General 
  Carrington 
  on 
  the 
  main 
  question, 
  

   but 
  admitted 
  the 
  difficulties. 
  He 
  said 
  : 
  

  

  In 
  my 
  opinion, 
  the 
  proper 
  way 
  to 
  civilize 
  the 
  Indians 
  of 
  New 
  

   York 
  is 
  to 
  secure 
  a 
  division 
  of 
  their 
  lands 
  in 
  severalty, 
  and 
  place 
  

   them 
  in 
  full 
  citizenship 
  ; 
  but 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  questions 
  and 
  diffi- 
  

   culties 
  to 
  be 
  overcome 
  before 
  this 
  can 
  be 
  done 
  without 
  injury 
  to 
  

   the 
  rights 
  of 
  the 
  Indians. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  judgment 
  of 
  some 
  who 
  know 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  Iroquois 
  

   best, 
  they 
  have 
  made 
  a 
  remarkable 
  advance 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  half 
  cen- 
  

   tury; 
  and 
  the 
  future 
  is 
  full 
  of 
  hope 
  for 
  them 
  if 
  guidance 
  and 
  

   aid 
  are 
  not 
  replaced 
  by 
  unwise 
  coercion. 
  Many 
  live 
  well 
  and 
  

   are 
  highly 
  esteemed. 
  They 
  are 
  in 
  demand 
  in 
  various 
  industries, 
  

   and 
  some 
  judicious 
  business 
  training 
  would 
  increase 
  the 
  demand. 
  

   The 
  growing 
  contact 
  with 
  intelligent 
  and 
  reputable 
  white 
  people 
  

   is 
  one 
  important 
  factor; 
  the 
  recognized 
  advantages 
  of 
  essential 
  

   branches 
  of 
  education 
  in 
  business 
  are 
  telling 
  favorably 
  on 
  the 
  

   question 
  of 
  schools. 
  Old 
  feasts 
  and 
  customs 
  have 
  lost 
  their 
  

   hold, 
  and 
  dances 
  which 
  were 
  once 
  religious 
  are 
  now 
  but 
  frolics. 
  

   Church 
  membership 
  compares 
  fairly 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  white 
  com- 
  

   munities. 
  The 
  census 
  of 
  1890 
  reported 
  12 
  church 
  buildings, 
  18 
  

   ministers, 
  and 
  1074 
  communicants 
  in 
  New 
  York. 
  In 
  temper- 
  

   ance 
  organizations 
  they 
  surpass 
  their 
  white 
  neighbors. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  history 
  now 
  given 
  this 
  gradual 
  change 
  and 
  progress 
  

   may 
  be 
  seen. 
  Many 
  savage 
  features 
  had 
  disappeared 
  before 
  

   1800; 
  and 
  the 
  Indians 
  who 
  had 
  fought 
  New 
  York 
  men 
  a 
  little 
  

  

  