Concluding remarks.

are the aborigines now? Melted away at the approach of the white man. The record of their history is a melancholy tale.

spread our blankets; you have got our country, but are not satisfied; you want to force your religion upon us.

"Brother, continue to listen. You say that you are sent to instruct us how to worship the Great Spirit agreeable to his mind, and if we do not take hold of the religion you white people teach, we shall be unhappy hereafter. You say that you are right and we are lost; how do you know this to be true? We understand that your religion is written in a book; if it was intended for us as well as you, why has not the Great Spirit given it to us, and not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers the knowledge of that book, with the means of understanding it rightly? We only know what you tell us about it; how shall we know when to believe, being so often deceived by the white people?

"Brother, you say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great Spirit; if there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the

book?

"Brother, we do not understand these things; we are told that your religion was given to your forefathers, and has been handed down from father to son. We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers, and has been handed down to us, their children. We worship that way. It teaches us to be thankful for all the favors we receive; to love each other, and to be united; we never quarrel about religion.

"Brother, the Great Spirit has made us all; but he has made a great difference between his white and red children; he has given us a different complexion, and different customs; to you he has given the arts; to these he has not opened our eyes; we know these things to be true. Since he has made so great a difference between us in other things, why may we not conclude that he has given us a different religion, according to our understanding? The Great Spirit does right; he knows what is best for his children; we are satisfied.

"Brother, we do not wish to destroy your religion, or take it from you; we only want to enjoy our own.

"Brother, you say that you have not come to get our land or our money, but to enlighten our minds. I will now tell you that I have been at your meetings, and saw you collecting money from the meeting. I cannot tell what this money was intended for, but suppose it

Specimens of Indian oratory.

was for your minister; and if we should conform to your way of thinking perhaps you may want some from us.

"Brother, we are told that you have been preaching to white people in this place; these people are our neighbors; we are acquainted with them; we will wait a little while and see what effect your preaching has upon them."

SPEECH OF META, CHIEF OF THE POTTOWATTOMIES, AT CHICAGO, BEFORE GOVERNOR CASS, AGAINST

SELLING LAND.

"My father, we have listened to what you have said. We shall now retire to our camps and consult on it. You will hear nothing more from us at present. We met you here to-day because we had promised it, to tell you our minds, and what we have agreed upon among ourselves.

"You will listen to us with a good mind, and believe what we say. You know that we first came to this country a long time ago, and when we sat ourselves down upon it, we met with a great many hardships and difficulties. Our country then was very large, but it has dwindled away to a small spot, and you wish to purchase that. This has caused us to reflect much upon what is going forward. You know your children. Since you first came among them, they have listened to your words with an attentive ear, and have always hearkened to your counsels whenever you have had a proposal to make to us. Whenever you have had a favor to ask of us, we have always lent a favorable ear, and our invariable answer has been 'Yes.' This you know. A long time has passed since we first came on our lands, and our old people have sunk into their graves. They had sense. We are all young and foolish, and do not wish to do anything that they would not approve, were they living. We are fearful we shall offend their spirits if we sell our lands; and we are fearful we shall offend you if we do not sell them. This has caused us great perplexity of thought, because we have consulted among ourselves and do not know how we can part with the land. Our country was given to us by the Great Spirit, who gave it to us to hunt upon, to make our cornfields upon, to lie upon, and to make our beds upon when we die; he would never forgive us, should we bargain it away. When you first spoke to us for lands at St. Mary's, we said we had a little, and agreed to sell you a piece of it; but we told you we could spare no more. Now you ask us again. You are never satisfied! We have sold you a great tract of land already; but it is not enough! We sold it to you for the

1

Specimens of Indian oratory.

benefit of your children, to farm and to live upon. We have now but little left. We shall want it all for ourselves. We know not how long we may live, and we wish to have some lands for our children to hunt upon. You are gradually taking away our hunting grounds. Your children are driving us before them. We are growing uneasy. What lands you have, you may retain forever; but we shall sell no more. You think, perhaps, that I speak in passion; but my heart is good towards you. I speak like one of your own children. I am an Indian, a red skin, and live by hunting and fishing, but my country is already too small; and I do not know how to bring up my children, if I give it all away. We sold you a fine tract of land at St. Mary's. We said to you then, it was enough to satisfy your children, and the last we should sell; and we thought it would be the last you would ask for. We have now told you what we had to say. It is what was determined on in a council among ourselves; and what I have spoken is the voice of my nation. On this account all our people have come here to listen to me; but do not think we have a bad opinion of you. Where would we get a bad opinion of you? We speak to you with a good heart, and the feelings of a friend. are acquainted with this piece of land-the country we live in. Shall we give it up? Take notice, it is a small piece of land, and if we give it away, what will become of us?

You

"The Great Spirit who has provided it for our use, allows us to keep it, to bring up our young men and support our families. We should incur his anger if we bartered it away. If we had more land you should get more; but our land has been wasting away ever since the white people became our neighbors, and we have now hardly enough to cover the bones of our tribes. You are in the midst of your red children. What is due to us in money, we wish, and I will receive it at this place, and we want nothing more. We shall shake hands with you. Behold our warriors, our women and children; take pity on us and on our words."

CHAPTER V.

VIRGINIA. (Continued.)

Character of emigrants.

Laws relating to the colored race.

THE population of Virginia was of a different character from that of the other English settlements. The colonists were not refugees from persecution, but came out under the auspices of nobility, and brought with them an attachment to monarchy, as well as to the established religion of England.

There existed a marked division of society into two classes, to a degree unknown in any northern colony. Fifty acres of land had been allowed to the planters, for every individual whom they transported at their own charge. Thus a body of large proprietors arose, who formed an aristocracy. General education was not encouraged. The diffusion of knowledge being confined to the higher classes, these distinctions in society became stronger and more obvious.

Many of the lower classes had immigrated, bound to a temporary servitude. The liberation of these was secured at the expiration of their term of service. Great severity existed in the laws towards the colored race. Their enfranchisement was not encouraged, and even the early Anglo-Saxon rule, interpreting every doubtful question in favor of liberty, was superseded. The death of a slave from extremity of correction, was not accounted felony, and in 1672, the wounding or even killing of fugitive slaves in their pursuit was made lawful.

Restrictions on commerce.

Although the Virginians had for a time renounced their allegiance to Charles II, yet the intelligence of his restoration to the British throne in 1660, was joyfully received; and an assembly was called, in the name of the king, in the spring of 1661. Many important changes in judicial proceedings were introduced; trial by jury was restored. The established religion of England, which had lost its supremacy 1661 during the protectorate, was again enforced by law, strict conformity being demanded, and that every one should contribute to its support. Severe laws were made against all non-conformists, and their meetings prohibited by the institution of heavy fines. All such residing in the colony, were threatened with banishment, and the shipmaster that received such as passengers, was punished.

Soon after the accession of Charles, the apprehensions of the people became awakened, by the restrictions on their trade, for rendering it subservient to English commerce and navigation. One of the first acts of parliament was to vote a duty of five per cent. on all merchandise exported from, or imported into any of the dominions belonging to the crown. This was followed by the memorable navigation act of Charles II.

By this act it was decreed, that "no merchandise shall be imported into the plantations, but in English vessels, navigated by Englishmen, under penalty of forfeiture." And no person, from whatever country, unless he had become a naturalized subject of Great Britain, was allowed to become a merchant in any English colony. All articles for exportation, which were raised in quantities in America only, and would not therefore interfere with the sale of English productions in their own market, were to be sent exclusively to England; while, to prevent competition, a market should be found for