230 



INDIANS, 



It is not by such means, however, nor any 

 similar forced process that has been acted upon, 

 nor any means that compel them to be " hewers 

 of wood and drawers of water," in a menial 

 capacity, that a just expectation can be raised 

 of any conversion in their state. Their natur- 

 ally high and independent spirit must be con- 

 sulted in the attempt to do them good ; and 

 this is best done by encouraging them, on all 

 favourable occasions, to become settlers on 

 their own lands, or lands which in common 

 justice should be assigned to them, as the 

 original proprietors of the soil. An Indian 

 sees acutely all the relative stations in society, 

 and feels keenly the contempt with which he 

 is often treated by white people, on account of 

 the colour of his skin. A short time ago, 

 Saccho Beeson, a chief of the Passamaquoddy 

 tribe, accompanied a deputation of Indians to 

 a convention in the state of Maine, for the pur- 

 pose of asserting their right of property in the 

 land where they were located. At the house 

 of accommodation they were put into a back 

 room for the night, with a small bit of a candle, 

 where the boots of a considerable number of 

 persons, who had arrived for the meeting, were 

 left. The next day this spirited chief com- 

 plained to the assembly, how badly Indians 



