Hunted by the red men, and deprived of their coverts by the whites, the beasts soon began to fly from their old haunts. The Indians, thus gradually losing their last stay, had no other resource, than to sell parts of their grounds, to supply the absence of their ordinary food and clothing, by such as were used among the new-comers. Game continued to disappear: immense tracts were sold for trifling sums; and the few tribes, which remain on this side of the Mississippi, are at length penned up in reservations, which, for their animals, can scarcely be worth the possession. In this manner, they have lost their ordinary resource of subsistence; and, at the same time, have been obliged to adopt the more expensive diet, clothing, and furniture, of the whites.* Had they adopted all our modes of life, they might have still supported their numbers. But they adhered * When the Indians were selling the western half of Delaware, 'We are sensible,' said they, 'that the land is everlasting, and the few goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone.' 'Besides, we are not well used with respect to the lands still unsold by us. Your people daily settle on these lands, and spoil our hunting.' COLD. App. p. 64. So, in another place, 'Our deer are killed,' say they, in such quantities, and our hunting countries grown less every day, by the settlement of white people, that game is now difficult to find, and we must go away in quest of it.' Ibid. p. 81. The same idea was always present to their minds. It is customary with us,' said the Onondaga chief, 'to make a present of skins, whenever we renew our treaties. We are ashamed to offer our brethren so few, but your horses and cows have eat the grass our deer used to feed on.' Ibid p. 64. to their old habits, as long as they had any grounds to spare; and, when, at length, they had stripped themselves of nearly all, it was necessary to pass, by a single leap, from the savage to the civilized state. So sudden a change was impossible. The Indians were unable to understand our modes of agriculture: their numbers daily grew less, by deaths or emigration: few marriages took place to supply the vacuity: their spirits sunk: their pride was gone; and, instead of labouring to procure subsistence, they only exerted themselves to obtain what might purchase a dram, and make them forget their ruin. A part of the time they spent in senseless intoxication; and the lucid interlapse of sobriety was occupied only in mourning over the recollection of past importance, and trembling at the prospect of speedy annihilation. They become weak, idle, and improvident; and, destitute alike of ability and disposition to labour, they either sit down and welcome death, or quit their paternal seats for more congenial abodes. Nearly all the land, which is now owned by the United States, or by the states separately, has been fairly purchased from the aborigines; and some of it has been purchased several times over. To civilized men, perfidy appears to be a leading trait in the character of the Indians; but they are certainly faithful, so far as their principles go; and perhaps it would be difficult to find the people, that can boast of doing more. They consider no treaty as binding, unless it is begun and concluded, on their part, in the most unconstrained and voluntary manner. A lack of food, or a superiority of force, has often compelled them to treat of peace; and they never suppose such treaties obligatory, any longer than their new supplies continue, or their numbers appear too small. The whites have a different opinion; and questions of this kind can only be decided by arms. But, while we are enforcing our rights, let us not forget our magnanimity. The Indians are not equal to us, in any respect; and, whatever may have been the justice of treating them with severity, while we were yet a cluster of feeble and distracted colonies, it is now our duty to take care of beings, who are no longer competent to take care of themselves. It is the genius of our government, to be humane; and cases have often occurred, in which it has voluntarily parted two nations, who would otherwise have exterminated each other. But the Indians seldom come within M'AFF. Hist. West. War, p. 43. 'It was long since discovered, by the Indians themselves,' says a correspondent of the secretary at war, in a letter dated at Cincinnati, March 22, 1814, and but for the humane policy, which has been pursued by our government, the Delawares, Kickapoos, and Shawanoese, would long since have been out of our way. The country claimed by the Osages abounds with every thing that is desirable to a savage. The Indians of the tribes above mentioned have occasionally intruded upon them,-a war was the consequence, which would have given a sufficient opening for emigration. But our government interfered and obliged the hostile tribes to make peace.' the sphere of its immediate influence. It is almost impossible to obtain true information, or disinterested advice; and the government is obliged to commit such affairs to its representatives, who do not always partake of its humanity. Hard bargains, and still harder treaties, are sometimes made with the aborigines. Such they have continued to fly from, or to violate: but it has seldom happened, we believe, that they have evaded a contract, or infringed a treaty, which was perfectly equitable on their side. In most of our negotiations, they have laboured under many disadvantages; and one of the greatest, is, their abject humility, when subdued by force. With the exception of a wolf, taken in the toils, there is scarcely any being so prostrate and spiritless as a conquered Indian. It is a part of their system to consider themselves as at the absolute disposal of the victor. They do not feel as if they could claim any rights: they propose nothing, and object to nothing; but submit, like things inanimate, to the dictation of their masters. They sign any thing, if it will only set them at liberty; and their conduct soon demonstrates, that the signature was made for no other purpose. THE UNITED STATES. CHAPTER I. Voyages of Columbus-of the Cabots-of L'Escarbot-Spirit of Discovery damped in England Sir Humphrey Gilbert's two Voyages Sir Walter Raleigh's Enterprises-Failure of his first Colony-of the Second-Bartholomew Gosnald's Expedition-First Settlement of Virginia under Newport, Gosnald, and Ratcliffe Adventures of Captain John Smith -New Charter obtained-Expedition of Newport, Gates, and Somers-Administration of Lord Delawar-A third Charter obtained-Marriage of Pocahontas with Mr. Rolfe -Expedition against Port Royal-Administration of Mr. Yeardly of Captain Argal-Female Emigrants-Tyranny of Governor Sir John Harvey-Moderation of his successor, Sir William Berkeley-Increase of the Colony during the Civil War-Settlement of Maryland-Prosecution of Clayborne-Revolutions in Maryland-Appointment of Governor Philip Calvert, by the Proprietor, Lord Baltimore-Population. IT is stated, by the English historians, that, while Christopher Columbus was soliciting the Spanish court to embark in his project of discovery, Bartholomew was secretly despatched, to gain over their Henry VII.; but, being captured by pirates, on the way, he did not reach England, and obtain an audience, until his brother had already given the New World to Castile and Leon.* Bartholomew, how * See Note (A.) at the end of the volume. A |