change their relations to the whites, by emigrating to lands west of the Mississippi, and beyond the limits of our States, and to a condition, there-social, political, moral, and religious-that could, as they viewed it, never be realized where they were. The entire scheme, however, was based on the voluntary consent of the Indians to remove, and upon the granting of the appropriate privileges and powers to them, in their new homes, by the government, for their security, preservation, exaltation, and happiness. I repaired to New York, and met the gentlemen who had originated this benevolent scheme.

At a preliminary meeting, it was-" Resolved, That the Rev. Eli Baldwin, Colonel McKenney, and the Rev. Dr. Brodhead, be a committee to draft a constitution, which shall be to direct the proceedings of a proposed association for the salvation of the Indian race."

The following preamble and constitution were read in presence of a number of citizens of various denominations, from the Reformed Dutch, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Moravian churches, at the consistory chamber, corner of Nassau and Ann streets, the Rev. Dr. McLeod being chairman, and Rev. Eli Baldwin, secretary :

PREAMBLE.

The situation of the scattered remains of the Aborigines of this country, involving, on the one side, the wrongs, the calamities, and the probable extermination of an interesting race of men; and on the other side, the great perplexity of the government of the United States, arising from its unwillingness, as well as from its want of power, to interfere with the sovereignty of the States' governments, has for a long time employed the skill of the statesman, and the benevolence of the religious community.

Although what has been done, has neither accomplished the magnanimous and enlarged views of our government, nor realized the expectations of religious enterprise; yet, from the experience of the past, we have arrived at the conclusion that the harmony of these United States, the preservation of the American Indians from total extermination, and, consequently, the cause of humanity, require some prompt and decisive measures, calculated to carry into effect the only alternative left-namely, the final and speedy removal of the scattered remains of the Indian tribes from within the jurisdictional limits of sovereign States, to such place or places as will put them fully within the sovereign control of the federal

government, so as to prevent the calamities of the past, and secure the perpetuity of their rights, in the future. Therefore, in order to promote an object so imperative and desirable, an Association is hereby formed, under the following

CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE I.

This Association shall be known by the style of "THE INDIAN BOard, for THE EMIGRATION, PRESERVATION, AND IMPROVEMENT of the ABORIGINES OF NORTH AMERICA."

ARTICLE II.

The acting members of this Association shall not exceed thirty in number; not less than one-half of whom shall be residents of the city of New York; all of whom shall have signed the Constitution; and seven shall constitute a quorum at a meeting regularly convened.

ARTICLE III.

The officers of this Association shall be, a President, five Vice-Presidents, a Corresponding Secretary, (who shall be authorized to employ a clerk,) and a Treasurer, chosen by ballot out of the acting members of the Association.

ARTICLE IV.

This Board engages to afford to the emigrant Indians, all the necessary instruction in the arts of life, and in the duties of religion.

ARTICLE V.

This Board is pledged to co-operate with the federal government of the United States, in its operations in Indian affairs; and at no time contravene its laws.

ARTICLE VI.

This Association invite the citizens of the United States, without respect to sect or party, religious or political, to co-operate with them in this benevolent enterprise.

ARTICLE VII.

This Board shall fill up vacancies, occurring from any cause, by ballot.

ARTICLE VIII.

and shall have power to elect honorary members by ballot; no choice, !! be made at the same meeting in which they are proposed. Perd, shall have the privileges of members, with the exception of a

ARTICLE IX.

rations or amendments of this Constitution shall be made, unless con

curred in by three-fourths of the acting members; and no proposed amendment shall be acted upon, at the same meeting at which it may be submitted.

A ballot being cast, the following were chosen officers of the Association :

Hon. STEPHEN VAN RENSSELAER, President.

Rev. ALEXANDER MCLEOD, D. D.,

PHILIP MILLEDOLAR, D. D.,

JACOB BRODHEAD, D. D.,

CORNELIUS D. WESTBROOK, D. D.,

ABRAHAM VAN NEST, Esq.,

Vice-Presidents.

Rev. ELI BALDWIN, Corresponding Secretary.

JNO. CLARK, M. D., Treasurer.

To a letter enclosing a copy of the constitution to General Van Rensselaer, the following reply was addressed to the Corresponding Secretary

"ALBANY, August 4, 1829.

"MY DEAR SIR:-On my return on Saturday, from an official tour to Lake Erie, I received Dr. Westbrook's letter, and the constitution of the Indian Board, &c. I congratulate you, and the friends of the poor Aborigines of our country, on the organization of the Board. I anticipate the happiest results. I only regret that my distance from New York will render me less efficient than I wish. To co-operate with the government in the laudable undertaking, will be my pride. "My recent return from a fatiguing journey is my apology for not attending the meeting on Wednesday.

"Very respectfully your friend, &c.

S. VAN RENSSELAER."

It was resolved, at a meeting of the Board held at Dr. McLeod's church, Chambers-street, on the afternoon of the 28th, to invite me to deliver an address to the public meeting which was called to assemble at that church. In pursuance of which, the following letter was addressed to me, by the Corresponding Secretary :

"NEW YORK, July 29, 1829.

"DEAR SIR :-At a meeting of the Indian Board, for the emigration, preservation, and improvement of the Aborigines of North America,' held yesterday afternoon, the following resolution was passed, viz:

"Resolved, That the secretary invite Colonel McKenney to deliver an address at the public meeting, to be held at Dr. McLeod's church, in Chambers-street, on the 5th proximo, at half-past seven o'clock, P. M.

"Permit me, sir, earnestly to entreat your compliance with the above. From a long acquaintance with Indian affairs, (as the head of the department) you are doubtless conversant with many facts and circumstances, calculated to interest the feelings, and inform the minds of the public; these would be peculiarly grateful on that occasion, and facilitate the future operations of the Board. "It is scarcely necessary to say, that a favorable answer to the above, will give personal pleasure to, sir,

"Your obedient servant,

ELI BALDWIN, Cor. Sec'y."

ANSWER.

"NEW YORK, July 30, 1829.

"To the Rev. ELI BALDWIN, Corresponding Secretary, &c., &c.

"DEAR SIR :-I am just favored with your letter of yesterday, informing me of a resolution of your Board, embracing an invitation to me to deliver an address at the public meeting, to be held in Dr. McLeod's church, in Chambers-street, on the 5th proximo; and conveying your own earnest entreaty that I would comply with the wishes of the Board.

"In T

to state, that having been sent on here, by the Executive, in est made by you, in behalf of the Association, then about with such information as I might possess, in the furtherintentions towards the Indians, I do not well see decline to render any aid which you might consider on the great object you have in view; and, however at more efficient service might be rendered in this part of tions, by others better qualified for the task than I feel mybe present at the meeting, and, as far as I may be able, act the wishes of your Board.

"I am, Reverend sir, &c., &c.

THOMAS L. MCKENNEY."

ADDRESS.

There are, to use the words of a distinguished citizen of Virginia, two problems yet to be solved, both having, so far, puzzled the ingenuity of the politician, and baffled the wisdom of the sage. "One of these relates to the black population which we carry in our bosom; the other to the red population which we carry on our back." The inquiry is, how shall we, upon principles of sound policy, work out solutions that shall provide a remedy for the evils of the one, and a plan for the civilization and preservation of the other. These are questions, it must be admitted, of grave import. They are full of interest, and demand the untiring exertions of the wise and good, to answer them practically and satisfactorily.

Our business, on the present occasion, is with our red population—the remains of a once lofty and independent, but now degraded race; a people, who are, in all respects, entitled to our sympathies, and not to ours, only, but those, also, of the civilized world. Any appeal which can be made in behalf of the Aborigines of America, we consider as entitled to the privilege of passing, not the bounds of neighborhood, only, but of the republic. Every heart, no matter on what spot of earth it pulsates, must feel, if it have become humanized, the deepest interest in any proposition that looks to their rescue from the savage, and elevation into the civilized and Christian state.

Perhaps there are some in this assembly, who question the extent to which the sympathies of our race are claimed for our Indians. If so, we would refer such to Plymouth and to Jamestown; to Samoset and Massasoit, at the one place, and to Pocahontas at the other. It were not difficult to fancy these distinguished natives in the midst of this assembly, prepared to defend, by their own simple, but powerful eloquence, the claims assumed for their race. Massasoit would appear, doubtless, arrayed in the habiliments of his northern forests; with moccasins and leggins, made of the