- tC a 
5 os HE 
M ON TEHILY 
MAGAZINE. 
No. 142.] 
_ f, 
[No. A. “of Vou. 12 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS~~ UF 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SiR, 
i eae late arrival in this city of a de- 
= putation of Cherokee Chiefs, hav- 
ing, fiom their appearance, excited confi- 
derable attention, has induced the follow- 
ing {tatement and obfervations relative to 
thar nation. 
To {peak generally, the progrefS of the 
ufeful arts, avaricty of manufactures, and 
pa iuits of agriculture, is fo greatamonelt 
thefe people, as oe effectually to re- 
move prejudices ‘that formerly exifted 
againtt the Red-men OE Amer-ca. 
fon travelling through the Cherckee coun- 
try isagreeably furprifed to find the cards 
and the {pinning-wheel in ule in almcft 
every family. They raife the cotton and 
the indigo, {pin and dye the yarn, and 
weave it into handfome cloth, wih which 
they clothe their families in a decent and 
comfortable manner in the habits of the 
-white-people. There are more than one 
thoufand {pinning wheels, and upwards of 
one hundred eae, in the Cherokee na- 
tion, which are all in uje with much in- 
dutiry. Among them are found filver- 
{miths, blackfmiths, coupers, fadiers, tan- 
ners, fhoemakers, and wheelwr.ghts. Spe- 
cimens ot thele manufaétures may be feen 
_at the houfe of Mr. Morin io this city. 
Thele mechanics are principally 
taught. Partof their too's are furnifhed 
by the public, and pait by themfelves. 
The plough and the hoe are in common 
vie amongit them. By the afliftance of 
fome white men, they make large quan 
ties of faltpetre and powder, wih svhich 
their own people are fupplied at a much 
cheaper rate titan formerly ; and fome ts 
carried out of their country to fell to the 
white people in Georgia and Teneflee. 
They have feveral grift mills, and one 
faw mill. So tar have they changed the 
huniing- life for purfuits leading to civili- 
zation ; and ali this has been done fince 
the year 1794, when there was not a pair 
of cards, fpinning wheel, or loom, or even 
amechanic, in their nation, They have 
large ftocks ef black-catile, horfes, and 
other domeftic animals: they make fome 
butter, and checle of a good quality is 
MONTHLY Mac., No. 14.29: 
A per-- 
felf-. 
made in asumbero’ femilies. Since agri- 
culture and the domeitic arts have become 
the principal object of purfuit, their po- 
pulation has evidently increafet. 
Thete are now feven {/cncols in their 
country, where more than one hundred 
children are taught reading and writing, 
and fome of them arithmetic. They are 
faft emerging from a itate of barbarity to 
a {tate i improved and amiable fociety, 
and, under the countenance and fofering 
hand of 
States, will become ufetu! citizens, and 
will contribute no» inconfiderabie portion 
to the freogth of our country, to which 
they are be coming every day more and 
more attached, from intereft and affetion. 
‘There has formerly exifted an erroneous 
epinion, that the aborigines of this coun- 
try could not be brought toa fkate of civi- 
ization. -A great patt of the Cherokees 
are now actually civilized. To fix ihe 
precife point wherggbarbartty ceafes, and 
civilization begins, 1s perhaps impo{hbie. 
Many of thefe people have confiderable in- 
formation, and great decency of manners : 
thefe are {trong marks of civilization. If 
in any {ciety it be required that every 
individual be weil informed, and decent in: 
manners, before that focie!y could be enti- 
tled 10 the appellation of civilized foc cletys 
I do not know what confioerable dilkritt 
of any country would be entitled :o the 
appellation, “The taét is, the Cherokees 
bave made confiderable aavances Mm civili- 
zation, the confileration of which will ef- 
ford much fatisfaction to the Goveinment, 
tothe Adminitration, and io the friend 
of men every where. It has been tome 
expence to the Government, but it has 
faved more expence. Jt has alinoft dea 
ftroyed their thir: fcr war, hich, al- 
though it flattered the price of the war- 
rior, pan if perfifted in, eveniually termi- 
nate in their extinéticn. But in the revo- 
Jution of events their Sie oo has becn 
placed in the hands of the United States, 
whole magnanimity, ‘it eh will 
not let then perith. 
1 have feveral times vifited the principal 
fchool, which is under the patronage of 
tne Government, The progrefs of the 
Pp ~ ehildren 
the Government of the United © 
