democracy in america-1-第81章

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　says　Mr。　Cass；　〃we　cannot　err　in　anticipating　a　progressive　diminution　of　their　numbers；　and　their　eventual　extinction；　unless　our　border　should　become　stationary；　and　they　be　removed　beyond　it；　or　unless　some　radical　change　should　take　place　in　the　principles　of　our　intercourse　with　them；　which　it　is　easier　to　hope　for　than　to　expect。〃＇

At　the　first　settlement　of　the　colonies　they　might　have　found　it　possible；　by　uniting　their　forces；　to　deliver　themselves　from　the　small　bodies　of　strangers　who　landed　on　their　continent。　*j　They　several　times　attempted　to　do　it；　and　were　on　the　point　of　succeeding；　but　the　disproportion　of　their　resources；　at　the　present　day；　when　compared　with　those　of　the　whites；　is　too　great　to　allow　such　an　enterprise　to　be　thought　of。　　Nevertheless；　there　do　arise　from　time　to　time　among　the　Indians　men　of　penetration；　who　foresee　the　final　destiny　which　awaits　the　native　population；　and　who　exert　themselves　to　unite　all　the　tribes　in　common　hostility　to　the　Europeans；　but　their　efforts　are　unavailing。　　Those　tribes　which　are　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　whites；　are　too　much　weakened　to　offer　an　effectual　resistance；　whilst　the　others；　giving　way　to　that　childish　carelessness　of　the　morrow　which　characterizes　savage　life；　wait　for　the　near　approach　of　danger　before　they　prepare　to　meet　it；　some　are　unable；　the　others　are　unwilling；　to　exert　themselves。

＇Footnote　j：　Amongst　other　warlike　enterprises；　there　was　one　of　the　Wampanaogs；　and　other　confederate　tribes；　under　Metacom　in　1675；　against　the　colonists　of　New　England；　the　English　were　also　engaged　in　war　in　Virginia　in　1622。＇

It　is　easy　to　foresee　that　the　Indians　will　never　conform　to　civilization；　or　that　it　will　be　too　late；　whenever　they　may　be　inclined　to　make　the　experiment。

Civilization　is　the　result　of　a　long　social　process　which　takes　place　in　the　same　spot；　and　is　handed　down　from　one　generation　to　another；　each　one　profiting　by　the　experience　of　the　last。　　Of　all　nations；　those　submit　to　civilization　with　the　most　difficulty　which　habitually　live　by　the　chase。　Pastoral　tribes；　indeed；　often　change　their　place　of　abode；　but　they　follow　a　regular　order　in　their　migrations；　and　often　return　again　to　their　old　stations；　whilst　the　dwelling　of　the　hunter　varies　with　that　of　the　animals　he　pursues。

Several　attempts　have　been　made　to　diffuse　knowledge　amongst　the　Indians；　without　controlling　their　wandering　propensities；　by　the　Jesuits　in　Canada；　and　by　the　Puritans　in　New　England；　*k　but　none　of　these　endeavors　were　crowned　by　any　lasting　success。　　Civilization　began　in　the　cabin；　but　it　soon　retired　to　expire　in　the　woods。　　The　great　error　of　these　legislators　of　the　Indians　was　their　not　understanding　that；　in　order　to　succeed　in　civilizing　a　people；　it　is　first　necessary　to　fix　it；　which　cannot　be　done　without　inducing　it　to　cultivate　the　soil；　the　Indians　ought　in　the　first　place　to　have　been　accustomed　to　agriculture。　　But　not　only　are　they　destitute　of　this　indispensable　preliminary　to　civilization；　they　would　even　have　great　difficulty　in　acquiring　it。　　Men　who　have　once　abandoned　themselves　to　the　restless　and　adventurous　life　of　the　hunter；　feel　an　insurmountable　disgust　for　the　constant　and　regular　labor　which　tillage　requires。　　We　see　this　proved　in　the　bosom　of　our　own　society；　but　it　is　far　more　visible　among　peoples　whose　partiality　for　the　chase　is　a　part　of　their　national　character。

＇Footnote　k：　See　the　〃Histoire　de　la　Nouvelle　France；〃　by　Charlevoix；　and　the　work　entitled　〃Lettres　edifiantes。〃＇

Independently　of　this　general　difficulty；　there　is　another；　which　applies　peculiarly　to　the　Indians；　they　consider　labor　not　merely　as　an　evil；　but　as　a　disgrace；　so　that　their　pride　prevents　them　from　becoming　civilized；　as　much　as　their　indolence。　*l　

＇Footnote　l：　〃In　all　the　tribes；〃　says　Volney；　in　his　〃Tableau　des　Etats…Unis；〃　p。　423；　〃there　still　exists　a　generation　of　old　warriors；　who　cannot　forbear；　when　they　see　their　countrymen　using　the　hoe；　from　exclaiming　against　the　degradation　of　ancient　manners；　and　asserting　that　the　savages　owe　their　decline　to　these　innovations；　adding；　that　they　have　only　to　return　to　their　primitive　habits　in　order　to　recover　their　power　and　their　glory。〃＇　

There　is　no　Indian　so　wretched　as　not　to　retain　under　his　hut　of　bark　a　lofty　idea　of　his　personal　worth；　he　considers　the　cares　of　industry　and　labor　as　degrading　occupations；　he　compares　the　husbandman　to　the　ox　which　traces　the　furrow；　and　even　in　our　most　ingenious　handicraft；　he　can　see　nothing　but　the　labor　of　slaves。　Not　that　he　is　devoid　of　admiration　for　the　power　and　intellectual　greatness　of　the　whites；　but　although　the　result　of　our　efforts　surprises　him；　he　contemns　the　means　by　which　we　obtain　it；　and　while　he　acknowledges　our　ascendancy；　he　still　believes　in　his　superiority。　War　and　hunting　are　the　only　pursuits　which　appear　to　him　worthy　to　be　the　occupations　of　a　man。　*m　The　Indian；　in　the　dreary　solitude　of　his　woods；　cherishes　the　same　ideas；　the　same　opinions　as　the　noble　of　the　Middle　ages　in　his　castle；　and　he　only　requires　to　become　a　conqueror　to　complete　the　resemblance；　thus；　however　strange　it　may　seem；　it　is　in　the　forests　of　the　New　World；　and　not　amongst　the　Europeans　who　people　its　coasts；　that　the　ancient　prejudices　of　Europe　are　still　in　existence。


＇Footnote　m：　The　following　description　occurs　in　an　official　document：　〃Until　a　young　man　has　been　engaged　with　an　enemy；　and　has　performed　some　acts　of　valor；　he　gains　no　consideration；　but　is　regarded　nearly　as　a　woman。　　In　their　great　war…dances　all　the　warriors　in　succession　strike　the　post；　as　it　is　called；　and　recount　their　exploits。　　On　these　occasions　their　auditory　consists　of　the　kinsmen；　friends；　and　comrades　of　the　narrator。　　The　profound　impression　which　his　discourse　produces　on　them　is　manifested　by　the　silent　attention　it　receives；　and　by　the　loud　shouts　which　hail　its　termination。　The　young　man　who　finds　himself　at　such　a　meeting　without　anything　to　recount　is　very　unhappy；　and　instances　have　sometimes　occurred　of　young　warriors；　whose　passions　had　been　thus　inflamed；　quitting　the　war…dance　suddenly；　and　going　off　alone　to　seek　for　trophies　which　they　might　exhibit；　and　adventures　which　they　might　be　allowed　to　relate。〃＇

More　than　once；　in　the　course　of　this　work；　I　have　endeavored　to　explain　the　prodigious　influence　which　the　social　condition　appears　to　exercise　upon　the　laws　and　the　manners　of　men；　and　I　beg　to　add　a　few　words　on　the　same　subject。

When　I　perceive　the　resemblance　which　exists　between　the　political　institutions　of　our　ancestors；　the　Germans；　and　of　the　wandering　tribes　of　North　America；　between　the　customs　described　by　Tacitus；　and　those　of　which　I　have　sometimes　been　a　witness；　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　the　same　cause　has　brought　about　the　same　results　in　both　hemispheres；　and　that　in　the　midst　of　the　apparent　diversity　of　human　affairs；　a　certain　number　of　primary　facts　may　be　discovered；　from　which　all　the　others　are　derived。　　In　what　we　usually　call　the　German　institutions；　then；　I　am　inclined　only　to　perceive　barbarian　habits；　and　the　opinions　of　savages　in　what　we　style　feudal　principles。

However　strongly　the　vices　and　prejudices　of　the　North　American　Indians　may　be　opposed　to　their　becoming　agricultural　and　civilized；　necessity　sometimes　obliges　them　to　it。　　Several　of　the　Southern　nations；　and　amongst　others　the　Cherokees　and　the　Creeks；　*n　were　surrounded　by　Europeans；　who　had　landed　on　the　shores　of　the　Atlantic；　and　who；　either　descending　the　Ohio　or　proceeding　up　the　Mississippi；　arrived　simultaneously　upon　their　borders。　These　tribes　have　not　been　driven　from　place　to　place；　like　their　Northern　brethren；　but　they　have　been　gradually　enclosed　within　narrow　limits；　like　the　game　within　the　thicket；　before　the　huntsmen　plunge　into　the　interior。　The　Indians　who　were　thus　placed　between　civilization　and　death；　found　themselves　obliged　to　live　by　ignominious　labor　like　the　whites。　　They　took　to　agriculture；　and　without　entirely　forsaking　their　old　habits　or　manners；　sacrificed　only　as　much　as　was　necessary　to　their　existence。

＇Footnote　n：　These　nations　are　now　swallowed　up　in　the　States　of　Georgia；　Tennessee；　Alabama；　and　Mississippi。　　There　were　formerly　in　the　South　four　great　nations　（remnants　of　which　still　exist）；　the　Choctaws；　the　Chickasaws；　the　Creeks；　and　the　Cherokees。　　The　remnants　of　these　four　nations　amounted；　in　1830；　to　about　75；000　individuals。　　It　is　computed　that　there　are　now　remaining　in　the　territory　occupied　or　claimed　by　the　Anglo…American　Union　about　300；000　Indians。　　（See　Proceedings　of　the　Indian　Board　in　the　City　of　New　York。）　The　official　documents　supplied　to　Congress　make　the　number　amount　to　313；130。　　The　reader　who　is　curious　to　know　the　names　and　numerical　strength　of　all　the　tribes　which　inhabit　the　Anglo…American　territory　should　consult　the　documents　I　refer　to。　　（Legislative　Documents；　20th　Congress；　No。　117；　pp。　90…105。）　＇In　the　Census　of　1870　it　is　stated　that　the　Indian　population　of　the　United　States　is　only　25；731；　of　whom　7；241　are　in　California。＇＇　

The　Cherokees　went　further；　they　created　a　written　language；　established　a　permanent　form　of　government；　and　as　everything　proceeds　rapidly　in　the　New　World；　before　they　had　all　of　them　clothes；　they　set　up　a　newspaper。　*o

＇Footnote　o：　I　brought　back　with　me　to　France　one　or　two　copies　of　this　singular　publication。＇

The　growth　of　European　habits　has　been　remarkably　accelerated　among　these　Indians　by　the　mixed　race　which　has　sprung　up。　*p　Deriving　intelligence　from　their　father's　side；　without　entirely　losing　the　savage　customs　of　the　mother；　the　half…blood　forms　the　natural　link　between　civilization　and　barbarism。　Wherever　this　race　has　multiplied　the　savage　state　has　become　modified；　and　a　great　change　has　taken　place　in　the　manners　of　the　people。　*q

＇Footnote　p：　See　in　the　Report　of　the　Committee　on　Indian　Affairs；　21st　Congress；　No。　227；　p。　23；　the　reasons　for　the　multiplication　of　Indians　of　mixed　blood　among　the　Cherokees。　　The　principal　cause　dates　from　the　War　of　Independence。　　Many　Anglo…Americans　of　Georgia；　having　taken　the　side　of　England；　were　obliged　to　retreat　among　the　Indians；　where　they　married。＇

＇Footnote　q：　Unhappily　the　mixed　race　has　been　less　numerous　and　less　influential　in　North　America　than　in　any　other　country。　　The　American　continent　was　peopled　by　two　great　nations　of　Europe；　the　French　and　the　English。　　The　former　were　not　slow　in　connecting　themselves　with　the　daughters　of　the　natives；　but　there　was　an　unfortunate　affinity　between　the　Indian　character　and　their　own：　instead　of　giving　the　tastes　and　habits　of　civilized　life　to　the　savages；　the　French　too　often　grew　passionately　fond　of　the　state　of　wild　freedom　they　found　them　in。　　They　became　the　most　dangerous　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　desert；　and　won　the　friendship　of　the　Indian　by　exaggerating　his　vices　and　his　virtues。　　M。　de　Senonville；　the　governor　of　Canada；　wrote　thus　to　Louis　XIV　in　1685：　〃It　has　long　been　believed　that　in　order　to　civilize　the　savages　we　ought　to　draw　them　nearer　to　us。　　But　there　is　every　reason　to　suppose　we　have　been　mistaken。　　Those　which　have　been　brought　into　contact　with　us　have　not　become　F