at Washington, once said to me, when I was urging the subject of civilization on him; "I see and admire your manner of living, your good warm houses; your extensive fields of corn, your gardens, your cows, oxen, work-houses, waggons, and a thousand machines, that I know not the use of. I see that you are able to clothe yourselves, even from weeds and grass. In short you can do almost what you choose. You whites possess the power of subduing almost every animal to your use. You are surrounded by slaves. Every thing about you is in chains, and you are slaves yourselves. I fear if I should exchange my pursuits for yours, I too should become a slave. Talk to my sons, perhaps they may be persuaded to adopt your fashions, or at least to recommend them to their sons; but for myself, I was born free, was raised free, and wish to die free." It was in vain to combat the good man's opinions with argument. "I am perfectly content," he added, "with my condition. The forests and rivers supply all the calls of nature in plenty, and there is no lack of white people to purchase the surplus products of our industry." This is the language that is held by the Indians in this quarter generally. Like all people in a state of ignorance, they are bigoted, and obstinately adhere to their old customs and habits. 'Tis in vain to attempt to bend the aged oak to our purposes. The tender sapling, however, can be made to yield to our efforts, and bend to our will.

"The Missionary establishment now forming near the Osages, I have no doubt will tend very much to promote the civilization of those tribes, so far at least, as regards the rising generation. Few, if any, of those now above the age of fifteen, will ever wholly abandon their present savage pursuits.

"It is a singular fact, however, that although the Indians who have attained the age of twenty-five years and upwards, generally refuse instruction, yet they seem by no means averse to have their children taught our arts.

"I will conclude this communication with the following proposition, which you may make use of as you think proper. It is for the Government, by compact with the Indians, to cause to be surveyed certain dstricts of the Indian lands, suitable for the purpose, in the same manner that the United States lands are surveyed; only I would recommend that the Tines should be more dis

tinctly marked. Whenever an Indian evinced a serious disposition to settle himself permanently, and to pursue civilized habits, a portion of this land, from 160 to 640 acres, as might be proper, should be allotted to him, patented to him by the Government, and secured to him and family forever. He should not have the right to sell, or alienate it, in any manner, except by the express permission of the President of the United States, nor should it be held liable for debts. I believe that by locating each Indian family, disposed to adopt our mode of living, on a tract of land, of their own distinctly marked out, and permanently secured to them, Government would greatly promote the scheme of civilization. You would thus give them, at once, a distinct and permanent property, an interest in the soil, instead of a vague, transient, undivided, property in a vast extent of country, from which the art of a few of his leaders may expel him forever at any time. Each individual may thus be secured in his own right. He may have a house, where he and his family, may live securely on the fruits of their own industry. Each may sit under his own vine and fig tree, and have none to make him afraid. At present each individual Indian is emphatically an outcast in his own territory. We are perpetually norrowing their limits by purchases. By degrees they resign to us their best lands, and find themselves at length hemmed up, like a herd of Buffaloes, in a remote corner of their once boundless possessions. Here they sit down in despair; they have no longer a home or a country. Yet here we pursue them, and importune them to become farmers, after their spirits are broken, and after they have unwillingly deprived themselves of the power of possesing what a farmer values most, an independent home.

I forbear any farther remarks on this subject for the present. A little reflection, will, I am sure, satisfy you that it is worthy of consideration. GEO. SILBY.

Extinction of Indian title to State of Missouri, and part of Arkan

saw Territory.

"In the year 1817, the Indian title (by different Treaties,) had been extinguished to about 70,000 square miles, a tract as large as

up

the whole of New-England, included within the following boundaries. Beginning at the mouth of the Kanzas, three hundred miles the Missouri river, in lat. 39° 5′ north, and running north over a rich country, 100 miles, to the head of the little river Platte; then east, over naked sterile ridges, 160 miles, to the river des Moines, (river of the monks) then down that river, 16 miles, to its mouth in the Mississippi. South of the Missouri, the line begins at Prarie de Flu, thirty miles below the mouth of the Kanzas, and runs south, 254 miles down that river to Arkansaw; then down that river, supposed 250 miles, to the Mississippi."*

The above limits embrace the whole state of Missouri, and the eastern part of Arkansaw Territory.

Education Establishments.

Within these limits, I may say, indeed, within the whole of that part of the United States, which lies west of the Mississippi river, but three Education Families have as yet been planted; these are named Dwight, among the Cherokees on the Arkansaw river; Union and Harmony, among the Osages. These Establishments were coetaneously made. The first, was projected, and has been conducted by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions; the other two, by the United Foreign Missionary Society. I introduce my account of these Establishments with the following

"Extract of a letter from the Rev. Dr. Milledoler, Corresponding Secretary of the United Foreign Missionary Society, dated, NewYork, Nov. 30th, 1819, addressed to the Secretary of War.

"Since my last communication which I had the honor to make to you in behalf of the U. F. M. Society, the Board of Managers have received a letter from their agents, Rev. Messrs. Chapman and Vinall,† dated, Cherokee nation, Dardanelles, 400 miles up the Arkansaw, July 17, 1819.

Brown's Western Gazetteer. I do not find the Treaties which authenticate the above statement. I give it on Mr. Brown's authority.

+Mr. Vinall, in ascending the Arkansaw river, overcome by his great fatigues and privations, was unable to proceed with his companions to the end of his journey. He was left in the best practicable situation, languished and

"Aided as they were by the government of the United States, and by their agents in that quarter, they met with a very friendly reception from the Indians.

"Their disposition towards us will appear from the following Talk, dictated by Speaker, a principal chief in a council held at fort Detroit, and addressed to their emigrant brethren, whom they shortly expect to join on the Arkansaw.

Fort Deposit, Cherokee Nation, June 23, 1819.

"Friends and Brothers,

"We have had the pleasure to have had Messrs. Chapman and Vinall, missionaries from New-York with us two days. They have come a great way. We approve of their object. We wish our children to be educated, and we are much pleased to know that they, as well as the good men that have sent them to us, are disposed to do good to our children. We feel the want of those things, which they will teach our children, and which we are sensible will prove beneficial to them. They come well recommended. They have recommendations from the Department of War, and also from the Department of State, and from the honor ble Society which have sent them. We do therefore request all those chiefs who are now in the Arkansaw country, to receive these missionaries kindly, as our friends and brothers, and render them all the assistance in their power in establishing schools among the Cherokees, and in endeavoring to etablish schools among the neighboring tribes and thus let us manifest by our conduct, that the Cherokees are not behind any other red people in acknowledging the endeavors of good white men, to raise our youth to equal privileges, with those of any nation of the Earth.

We are your friends and brothers,

By the beloved man, a King.

Speaker,

John Brown, Sen'r. and by other

Chiefs to the number, in all, of twenty-four."

TO REUBEN LEWIS, ESQ. U. S. Agent.

died, a martyr to his pious zeal to save the Indians. He was a young man of respectable talents, eminent piety, and devoted to the cause of missions. His spirit, we trust, is with the host of martyrs in heaven.

"The above talk was presented by Maj. Lewis (our missionaries being sick at the time) to a council of the principal chiefs on the Arkansaw convened to receive it, and was received in a very favorable manner. They determined to locate the desired establishment not many miles from the east line of their country, "because, (to use their own language) wherever white man sets down his foot, he never could be made to take it up, but it grew and spread with astonishing rapidity." They also reserved to themselves the privileges of removing the missionaries, if their future operations should be found injurious to the rights of the nation. These Indians are represented by our agents, as extremely desirous of having their children instructed; and they also speak very favorably of the site which has been marked out for the missionary establishment.

"With respect to the sums wanted to carry into effect our missionary plans, I can only say, that a single establishment, on the plan contemplated in our general principles, will necessarily incur a heavy expenditure; but as our views are not confined to a single establishment, and we intend, if means are afforded, to plant one star after another, until the whole western wilderness shall be lighted up, from Arkansaw to the Missouri; we are ready thankfully to receive, and faithfully to apply, all the means that the friends of missions among ourselves, and the munificence of the general government, shall place at our disposal.

"As soon as our agents shall have returned from their tour, who are daily expected, and we shall have been favored with an answer to this communication, we shall be ready and disposed to commence our exertions."

App. E. e.-Rep. p. 36.

I begin this article with a general description of that part of the extensive Territory of Arkansaw, which embraces all the stations of the Education Families, mentioned under this head. This description is furnished to my hand by His Excellency, Gov. MILLER, in a letter, dated, "Post of Arkansaw, Sept. 2, 1820,* as follows: