democracy in america-1- 第92部分

The　seventh　article　of　the　treaty　concluded　in　1791　with　the　Cherokees　says：　…　〃The　United　States　solemnly　guarantee　to　the　Cherokee　nation　all　their　lands　not　hereby　ceded。〃　The　following　article　declared　that　if　any　citizen　of　the　United　States　or　other　settler　not　of　the　Indian　race　should　establish　himself　upon　the　territory　of　the　Cherokees；　the　United　States　would　withdraw　their　protection　from　that　individual；　and　give　him　up　to　be　punished　as　the　Cherokee　nation　should　think　fit。＇

The　Union　treats　the　Indians　with　less　cupidity　and　rigor　than　the　policy　of　the　several　States；　but　the　two　governments　are　alike　destitute　of　good　faith。　　The　States　extend　what　they　are　pleased　to　term　the　benefits　of　their　laws　to　the　Indians；　with　a　belief　that　the　tribes　will　recede　rather　than　submit；　and　the　central　government；　which　promises　a　permanent　refuge　to　these　unhappy　beings　is　well　aware　of　its　inability　to　secure　it　to　them。　*y　

＇Footnote　y：　This　does　not　prevent　them　from　promising　in　the　most　solemn　manner　to　do　so。　　See　the　letter　of　the　President　addressed　to　the　Creek　Indians；　March　23；　1829　（Proceedings　of　the　Indian　Board；　in　the　city　of　New　York；　p。　5）：　〃Beyond　the　great　river　Mississippi；　where　a　part　of　your　nation　has　gone；　your　father　has　provided　a　country　large　enough　for　all　of　you；　and　he　advises　you　to　remove　to　it。　　There　your　white　brothers　will　not　trouble　you；　they　will　have　no　claim　to　the　land；　and　you　can　live　upon　it；　you　and　all　your　children；　as　long　as　the　grass　grows；　or　the　water　runs；　in　peace　and　plenty。　　It　will　be　yours　forever。〃

The　Secretary　of　War；　in　a　letter　written　to　the　Cherokees；　April　18；　1829；　（see　the　same　work；　p。　6）；　declares　to　them　that　they　cannot　expect　to　retain　possession　of　the　lands　at　that　time　occupied　by　them；　but　gives　them　the　most　positive　assurance　of　uninterrupted　peace　if　they　would　remove　beyond　the　Mississippi：　as　if　the　power　which　could　not　grant　them　protection　then；　would　be　able　to　afford　it　them　hereafter！＇

Thus　the　tyranny　of　the　States　obliges　the　savages　to　retire；　the　Union；　by　its　promises　and　resources；　facilitates　their　retreat；　and　these　measures　tend　to　precisely　the　same　end。　*z　〃By　the　will　of　our　Father　in　Heaven；　the　Governor　of　the　whole　world；〃　said　the　Cherokees　in　their　petition　to　Congress；　*a　〃the　red　man　of　America　has　become　small；　and　the　white　man　great　and　renowned。　　When　the　ancestors　of　the　people　of　these　United　States　first　came　to　the　shores　of　America　they　found　the　red　man　strong：　though　he　was　ignorant　and　savage；　yet　he　received　them　kindly；　and　gave　them　dry　land　to　rest　their　weary　feet。　　They　met　in　peace；　and　shook　hands　in　token　of　friendship。　　Whatever　the　white　man　wanted　and　asked　of　the　Indian；　the　latter　willingly　gave。　　At　that　time　the　Indian　was　the　lord；　and　the　white　man　the　suppliant。　　But　now　the　scene　has　changed。　　The　strength　of　the　red　man　has　become　weakness。　　As　his　neighbors　increased　in　numbers　his　power　became　less　and　less；　and　now；　of　the　many　and　powerful　tribes　who　once　covered　these　United　States；　only　a　few　are　to　be　seen　…　a　few　whom　a　sweeping　pestilence　has　left。　　The　northern　tribes；　who　were　once　so　numerous　and　powerful；　are　now　nearly　extinct。　　Thus　it　has　happened　to　the　red　man　of　America。　　Shall　we；　who　are　remnants；　share　the　same　fate？

＇Footnote　z：　To　obtain　a　correct　idea　of　the　policy　pursued　by　the　several　States　and　the　Union　with　respect　to　the　Indians；　it　is　necessary　to　consult；　1st；　〃The　Laws　of　the　Colonial　and　State　Governments　relating　to　the　Indian　Inhabitants。〃　（See　the　Legislative　Documents；　21st　Congress；　No。　319。）　2d；　The　Laws　of　the　Union　on　the　same　subject；　and　especially　that　of　March　30；　1802。　（See　Story's　〃Laws　of　the　United　States。〃）　3d；　The　Report　of　Mr。　Cass；　Secretary　of　War；　relative　to　Indian　Affairs；　November　29；　1823。＇

＇Footnote　a：　December　18；　1829。＇

〃The　land　on　which　we　stand　we　have　received　as　an　inheritance　from　our　fathers；　who　possessed　it　from　time　immemorial；　as　a　gift　from　our　common　Father　in　Heaven。　　They　bequeathed　it　to　us　as　their　children；　and　we　have　sacredly　kept　it；　as　containing　the　remains　of　our　beloved　men。　　This　right　of　inheritance　we　have　never　ceded　nor　ever　forfeited。　　Permit　us　to　ask　what　better　right　can　the　people　have　to　a　country　than　the　right　of　inheritance　and　immemorial　peaceable　possession？　　We　know　it　is　said　of　late　by　the　State　of　Georgia　and　by　the　Executive　of　the　United　States；　that　we　have　forfeited　this　right；　but　we　think　this　is　said　gratuitously。　　At　what　time　have　we　made　the　forfeit？　　What　great　crime　have　we　committed；　whereby　we　must　forever　be　divested　of　our　country　and　rights？　　Was　it　when　we　were　hostile　to　the　United　States；　and　took　part　with　the　King　of　Great　Britain；　during　the　struggle　for　independence？　　If　so；　why　was　not　this　forfeiture　declared　in　the　first　treaty　of　peace　between　the　United　States　and　our　beloved　men？　Why　was　not　such　an　article　as　the　following　inserted　in　the　treaty：　…　'The　United　States　give　peace　to　the　Cherokees；　but；　for　the　part　they　took　in　the　late　war；　declare　them　to　be　but　tenants　at　will；　to　be　removed　when　the　convenience　of　the　States；　within　whose　chartered　limits　they　live；　shall　require　it'？　　That　was　the　proper　time　to　assume　such　a　possession。　　But　it　was　not　thought　of；　nor　would　our　forefathers　have　agreed　to　any　treaty　whose　tendency　was　to　deprive　them　of　their　rights　and　their　country。〃　

Such　is　the　language　of　the　Indians：　their　assertions　are　true；　their　forebodings　inevitable。　　From　whichever　side　we　consider　the　destinies　of　the　aborigines　of　North　America；　their　calamities　appear　to　be　irremediable：　if　they　continue　barbarous；　they　are　forced　to　retire；　if　they　attempt　to　civilize　their　manners；　the　contact　of　a　more　civilized　community　subjects　them　to　oppression　and　destitution。　　They　perish　if　they　continue　to　wander　from　waste　to　waste；　and　if　they　attempt　to　settle　they　still　must　perish；　the　assistance　of　Europeans　is　necessary　to　instruct　them；　but　the　approach　of　Europeans　corrupts　and　repels　them　into　savage　life；　they　refuse　to　change　their　habits　as　long　as　their　solitudes　are　their　own；　and　it　is　too　late　to　change　them　when　they　are　constrained　to　submit。

The　Spaniards　pursued　the　Indians　with　bloodhounds；　like　wild　beasts；　they　sacked　the　New　World　with　no　more　temper　or　compassion　than　a　city　taken　by　storm；　but　destruction　must　cease；　and　frenzy　be　stayed；　the　remnant　of　the　Indian　population　which　had　escaped　the　massacre　mixed　with　its　conquerors；　and　adopted　in　the　end　their　religion　and　their　manners。　*b　The　conduct　of　the　Americans　of　the　United　States　towards　the　aborigines　is　characterized；　on　the　other　hand；　by　a　singular　attachment　to　the　formalities　of　law。　　Provided　that　the　Indians　retain　their　barbarous　condition；　the　Americans　take　no　part　in　their　affairs；　they　treat　them　as　independent　nations；　and　do　not　possess　themselves　of　their　hunting　grounds　without　a　treaty　of　purchase；　and　if　an　Indian　nation　happens　to　be　so　encroached　upon　as　to　be　unable　to　subsist　upon　its　territory；　they　afford　it　brotherly　assistance　in　transporting　it　to　a　grave　sufficiently　remote　from　the　land　of　its　fathers。　

＇Footnote　b：　The　honor　of　this　result　is；　however；　by　no　means　due　to　the　Spaniards。　　If　the　Indian　tribes　had　not　been　tillers　of　the　ground　at　the　time　of　the　arrival　of　the　Europeans；　they　would　unquestionably　have　been　destroyed　in　South　as　well　as　in　North　America。＇

The　Spaniards　were　unable　to　exterminate　the　Indian　race　by　those　unparalleled　atrocities　which　brand　them　with　indelible　shame；　nor　did　they　even　succeed　in　wholly　depriving　it　of　its　rights；　but　the　Americans　of　the　United　States　have　accomplished　this　twofold　purpose　with　singular　felicity；　tranquilly；　legally；　philanthropically；　without　shedding　blood；　and　without　violating　a　single　great　principle　of　morality　in　the　eyes　of　the　world。　*c　It　is　impossible　to　destroy　men　with　more　respect　for　the　laws　of　humanity。

＇Footnote　c：　See；　amongst　other　documents；　the　report　made　by　Mr。　Bell　in　the　name　of　the　Committee　on　Indian　Affairs；　February　24；　1830；　in　which　is　most　logically　established　and　most　learnedly　proved；　that　〃the　fundamental　principle　that　the　Indians　had　no　right　by　virtue　of　their　ancient　possession　either　of　will　or　sovereignty；　has　never　been　abandoned　either　expressly　or　by　implication。〃　In　perusing　this　report；　which　is　evidently　drawn　up　by　an　experienced　hand；　one　is　astonished　at　the　facility　with　which　the　author　gets　rid　of　all　arguments　founded　upon　reason　and　natural　right；　which　he　designates　as　abstract　and　theoretical　principles。　　The　more　I　contemplate　the　difference　between　civilized　and　uncivilized　man　with　regard　to　the　principles　of　justice；　the　more　I　observe　that　the　former　contests　the　justice　of　those　rights　which　the　latter　simply　violates。＇

＇I　leave　this　chapter　wholly　unchanged；　for　it　has　always　appeared　to　me　to　be　one　of　the　most　eloquent　and　touching　parts　of　this　book。　　But　it　has　ceased　to　be　prophetic；　the　destruction　of　the　Indian　race　in　the　United　States　is　already　consummated。　　In　1870　there　remained　but　25；731　Indians　in　the　whole　territory　of　the　Union；　and　of　these　by　far　the　largest　part　exist　in　California；　Michigan；　Wisconsin；　Dakota；　and　New　Mexico　and　Nevada。　　In　New　England；　Pennsylvania；　and　New　York　the　race　is　extinct；　and　the　predictions　of　M。　de　Tocqueville　are　fulfilled。　…　Translator's　Note。＇

Situation　Of　The　Black　Population　In　The　United　States；　And　Dangers　With　Which　Its　Presence　Threatens　The　Whites

Why　it　is　more　difficult　to　abolish　slavery；　and　to　efface　all　vestiges　of　it　amongst　the　moderns　than　it　was　amongst　the　ancients　…　In　the　United　States　the　prejudices　of　the　Whites　against　the　Blacks　seem　to　increase　in　proportion　as　slavery　is　abolished　…　Situation　of　the　Negroes　in　the　Northern　and　Southern　States　…　Why　the　Americans　abolish　slavery　…　Servitude；　which　debases　the　slave；　impoverishes　the　master　…　Contrast　between　the　left　and　the　right　bank　of　the　Ohio　…　To　what　attributable　…　The　Black　race；　as　well　as　slavery；　recedes　towards　the　South　…　Explanation　of　this　fact　…　Difficulties　attendant　upon　the　abolition　of　slavery　in　the　Sout