democracy in america-1- 第101部分

I　myself　saw　in　Canada；　where　the　intellectual　difference　between　the　two　races　is　less　striking；　that　the　English　are　the　masters　of　commerce　and　manufacture　in　the　Canadian　country；　that　they　spread　on　all　sides；　and　confine　the　French　within　limits　which　scarcely　suffice　to　contain　them。　　In　like　manner；　in　Louisiana；　almost　all　activity　in　commerce　and　manufacture　centres　in　the　hands　of　the　Anglo…Americans。


But　the　case　of　Texas　is　still　more　striking：　the　State　of　Texas　is　a　part　of　Mexico；　and　lies　upon　the　frontier　between　that　country　and　the　United　States。　　In　the　course　of　the　last　few　years　the　Anglo…Americans　have　penetrated　into　this　province；　which　is　still　thinly　peopled；　they　purchase　land；　they　produce　the　commodities　of　the　country；　and　supplant　the　original　population。　　It　may　easily　be　foreseen　that　if　Mexico　takes　no　steps　to　check　this　change；　the　province　of　Texas　will　very　shortly　cease　to　belong　to　that　government。

If　the　different　degrees　…　comparatively　so　slight　…　which　exist　in　European　civilization　produce　results　of　such　magnitude；　the　consequences　which　must　ensue　from　the　collision　of　the　most　perfect　European　civilization　with　Indian　savages　may　readily　be　conceived。＇

The　Indians；　in　the　little　which　they　have　done；　have　unquestionably　displayed　as　much　natural　genius　as　the　peoples　of　Europe　in　their　most　important　designs；　but　nations　as　well　as　men　require　time　to　learn；　whatever　may　be　their　intelligence　and　their　zeal。　　Whilst　the　savages　were　engaged　in　the　work　of　civilization；　the　Europeans　continued　to　surround　them　on　every　side；　and　to　confine　them　within　narrower　limits；　the　two　races　gradually　met；　and　they　are　now　in　immediate　juxtaposition　to　each　other。　The　Indian　is　already　superior　to　his　barbarous　parent；　but　he　is　still　very　far　below　his　white　neighbor。　　With　their　resources　and　acquired　knowledge；　the　Europeans　soon　appropriated　to　themselves　most　of　the　advantages　which　the　natives　might　have　derived　from　the　possession　of　the　soil；　they　have　settled　in　the　country；　they　have　purchased　land　at　a　very　low　rate　or　have　occupied　it　by　force；　and　the　Indians　have　been　ruined　by　a　competition　which　they　had　not　the　means　of　resisting。　　They　were　isolated　in　their　own　country；　and　their　race　only　constituted　a　colony　of　troublesome　aliens　in　the　midst　of　a　numerous　and　domineering　people。　*t　

＇Footnote　t：　See　in　the　Legislative　Documents　（21st　Congress；　No。　89）　instances　of　excesses　of　every　kind　committed　by　the　whites　upon　the　territory　of　the　Indians；　either　in　taking　possession　of　a　part　of　their　lands；　until　compelled　to　retire　by　the　troops　of　Congress；　or　carrying　off　their　cattle；　burning　their　houses；　cutting　down　their　corn；　and　doing　violence　to　their　persons。　　It　appears；　nevertheless；　from　all　these　documents　that　the　claims　of　the　natives　are　constantly　protected　by　the　government　from　the　abuse　of　force。　　The　Union　has　a　representative　agent　continually　employed　to　reside　among　the　Indians；　and　the　report　of　the　Cherokee　agent；　which　is　among　the　documents　I　have　referred　to；　is　almost　always　favorable　to　the　Indians。　　〃The　intrusion　of　whites；〃　he　says；　〃upon　the　lands　of　the　Cherokees　would　cause　ruin　to　the　poor；　helpless；　and　inoffensive　inhabitants。〃　And　he　further　remarks　upon　the　attempt　of　the　State　of　Georgia　to　establish　a　division　line　for　the　purpose　of　limiting　the　boundaries　of　the　Cherokees；　that　the　line　drawn　having　been　made　by　the　whites；　and　entirely　upon　ex　parte　evidence　of　their　several　rights；　was　of　no　validity　whatever。＇


Washington　said　in　one　of　his　messages　to　Congress；　〃We　are　more　enlightened　and　more　powerful　than　the　Indian　nations；　we　are　therefore　bound　in　honor　to　treat　them　with　kindness　and　even　with　generosity。〃　But　this　virtuous　and　high…minded　policy　has　not　been　followed。　　The　rapacity　of　the　settlers　is　usually　backed　by　the　tyranny　of　the　government。　　Although　the　Cherokees　and　the　Creeks　are　established　upon　the　territory　which　they　inhabited　before　the　settlement　of　the　Europeans；　and　although　the　Americans　have　frequently　treated　with　them　as　with　foreign　nations；　the　surrounding　States　have　not　consented　to　acknowledge　them　as　independent　peoples；　and　attempts　have　been　made　to　subject　these　children　of　the　woods　to　Anglo…American　magistrates；　laws；　and　customs。　*u　Destitution　had　driven　these　unfortunate　Indians　to　civilization；　and　oppression　now　drives　them　back　to　their　former　condition：　many　of　them　abandon　the　soil　which　they　had　begun　to　clear；　and　return　to　their　savage　course　of　life。

＇Footnote　u：　In　1829　the　State　of　Alabama　divided　the　Creek　territory　into　counties；　and　subjected　the　Indian　population　to　the　power　of　European　magistrates。


Chapter　XVIII：　Future　Condition　Of　Three　Races　…　Part　III

In　1830　the　State　of　Mississippi　assimilated　the　Choctaws　and　Chickasaws　to　the　white　population；　and　declared　that　any　of　them　that　should　take　the　title　of　chief　would　be　punished　by　a　fine　of　1；000　and　a　year's　imprisonment。　　When　these　laws　were　enforced　upon　the　Choctaws；　who　inhabited　that　district；　the　tribe　assembled；　their　chief　communicated　to　them　the　intentions　of　the　whites；　and　read　to　them　some　of　the　laws　to　which　it　was　intended　that　they　should　submit；　and　they　unanimously　declared　that　it　was　better　at　once　to　retreat　again　into　the　wilds。＇

If　we　consider　the　tyrannical　measures　which　have　been　adopted　by　the　legislatures　of　the　Southern　States；　the　conduct　of　their　Governors；　and　the　decrees　of　their　courts　of　justice；　we　shall　be　convinced　that　the　entire　expulsion　of　the　Indians　is　the　final　result　to　which　the　efforts　of　their　policy　are　directed。　　The　Americans　of　that　part　of　the　Union　look　with　jealousy　upon　the　aborigines；　*v　they　are　aware　that　these　tribes　have　not　yet　lost　the　traditions　of　savage　life；　and　before　civilization　has　permanently　fixed　them　to　the　soil；　it　is　intended　to　force　them　to　recede　by　reducing　them　to　despair。　　The　Creeks　and　Cherokees；　oppressed　by　the　several　States；　have　appealed　to　the　central　government；　which　is　by　no　means　insensible　to　their　misfortunes；　and　is　sincerely　desirous　of　saving　the　remnant　of　the　natives；　and　of　maintaining　them　in　the　free　possession　of　that　territory；　which　the　Union　is　pledged　to　respect。　*w　But　the　several　States　oppose　so　formidable　a　resistance　to　the　execution　of　this　design；　that　the　government　is　obliged　to　consent　to　the　extirpation　of　a　few　barbarous　tribes　in　order　not　to　endanger　the　safety　of　the　American　Union。

＇Footnote　v：　The　Georgians；　who　are　so　much　annoyed　by　the　proximity　of　the　Indians；　inhabit　a　territory　which　does　not　at　present　contain　more　than　seven　inhabitants　to　the　square　mile。　　In　France　there　are　one　hundred　and　sixty…two　inhabitants　to　the　same　extent　of　country。＇

＇Footnote　w：　In　1818　Congress　appointed　commissioners　to　visit　the　Arkansas　Territory；　accompanied　by　a　deputation　of　Creeks；　Choctaws；　and　Chickasaws。　This　expedition　was　commanded　by　Messrs。　Kennerly；　M'Coy；　Wash　Hood；　and　John　Bell。　　See　the　different　reports　of　the　commissioners；　and　their　journal；　in　the　Documents　of　Congress；　No。　87；　House　of　Representatives。＇

But　the　federal　government；　which　is　not　able　to　protect　the　Indians；　would　fain　mitigate　the　hardships　of　their　lot；　and；　with　this　intention；　proposals　have　been　made　to　transport　them　into　more　remote　regions　at　the　public　cost。

Between　the　thirty…third　and　thirty…seventh　degrees　of　north　latitude；　a　vast　tract　of　country　lies；　which　has　taken　the　name　of　Arkansas；　from　the　principal　river　that　waters　its　extent。　　It　is　bounded　on　the　one　side　by　the　confines　of　Mexico；　on　the　other　by　the　Mississippi。　　Numberless　streams　cross　it　in　every　direction；　the　climate　is　mild；　and　the　soil　productive；　but　it　is　only　inhabited　by　a　few　wandering　hordes　of　savages。　　The　government　of　the　Union　wishes　to　transport　the　broken　remnants　of　the　indigenous　population　of　the　South　to　the　portion　of　this　country　which　is　nearest　to　Mexico；　and　at　a　great　distance　from　the　American　settlements。

We　were　assured；　towards　the　end　of　the　year　1831；　that　10；000　Indians　had　already　gone　down　to　the　shores　of　the　Arkansas；　and　fresh　detachments　were　constantly　following　them；　but　Congress　has　been　unable　to　excite　a　unanimous　determination　in　those　whom　it　is　disposed　to　protect。　　Some；　indeed；　are　willing　to　quit　the　seat　of　oppression；　but　the　most　enlightened　members　of　the　community　refuse　to　abandon　their　recent　dwellings　and　their　springing　crops；　they　are　of　opinion　that　the　work　of　civilization；　once　interrupted；　will　never　be　resumed；　they　fear　that　those　domestic　habits　which　have　been　so　recently　contracted；　may　be　irrevocably　lost　in　the　midst　of　a　country　which　is　still　barbarous；　and　where　nothing　is　prepared　for　the　subsistence　of　an　agricultural　people；　they　know　that　their　entrance　into　those　wilds　will　be　opposed　by　inimical　hordes；　and　that　they　have　lost　the　energy　of　barbarians；　without　acquiring　the　resources　of　civilization　to　resist　their　attacks。　　Moreover；　the　Indians　readily　discover　that　the　settlement　which　is　proposed　to　them　is　merely　a　temporary　expedient。　　Who　can　assure　them　that　they　will　at　length　be　allowed　to　dwel