nevertheless neglecting to celebrate their feasts by the usual rites, and were in fact abandoning their grosser ceremonies and superstitions. It may readily be conceived that, to a mind like Red Jacket's, at once vigorous and clear, these superstitions, or at least the uncouth observances by which they were attended, had no intrinsic value; but he looked upon them as conservative in their operation-as potent and effectual barriers against the tide of innovation which he could not but perceive, would in the end prove fatal to his own authority, and from which he apprehended the most disastrous consequences to his people. He was deeply impressed with the conviction that the white and red races could not exist together; and it was his anxious policy and wish to keep up between them every wall of separation afforded by difference of habits, language, costume and religion. Therefore he deprecated and resisted to his utmost ability every attempt at departure from the ancient nationality of his race. The arts of civilization were gradually advancing among them, though in their simplest state; and the indomitable Indian, who looked with scorn upon these things, and beheld their advance with vexation, was doomed to see the ranks of his pagan followers almost daily thinned by the desertion both of chiefs and people to the Christian party. By this latter party he had for years. been looked upon with no eye of friendship, much as they 1 Yet incredible as the statement may appear, in the year 1830 there was an infidel white man in a neighboring town, who went among the Indians at Cattaraugus, convened a meeting of them, and endeavored to persuade them against Christianity. He even went so far as to endeavor to induce them to renew their pagan dances, and other cast off abominations of heathenism. But the Indians scouted his proposals, and one of them denounced him, not inaptly, as the Devil's minister. Vide Missionary Herald for 1830. 2 The Rev. Mr. Harris, whose own particular station was at the Seneca village Red Jacket's town — was likewise the general superintendent of the several missions among the Six Nations, and his labors for the nine years of his residence there were equally unwearied and effective. In the admired his talents. Those who had truly imbibed the principles of Christianity could not longer repose confidence of any kind in the great champion of paganism; and those who had begun to taste the comforts of civilization, having incurred the hostility of the orator, by showing a dis year 1826 the school at the Seneca village had become so forward as to be an object of curiosity for strangers to visit. The children had indeed made a remarkable degree of proficiency. At the same date the Cattaraugus mission had made very encouraging progress. Not only were the children taught in the schools, but under the impulse given by the missionaries, the people were making rapid advances in the arts of husbandry—in the fencing and general cultivation of their farms. They had, also, voluntarily, and at their own cost, built a church. In the year 1827 the Sunday school of the Seneca village was attended numerously, and with great interest. In addition to the children, about eighty adults were in attendance upon these schools, receiving instruction from their own children, and in some instances from their grand children. It was in this year that Red Jacket's wife began to manifest an interest in Christianity, as stated in the preceding chapter; visiting Mr. Harris and acknowledging the struggles of her conscience in conforming to heathen rites. In the year 1828 the Indians of the Seneca village built a comfortable church, contributing one thousand dollars in money, and supplying the lumber from their own saw mill. There were at that time twenty-one members of the church. In 1830 the church at Seneca village contained forty-nine members; at Tuscarora, fourteen; at Cattaraugus twenty-three. The Seneca school had then fifty children; the Cattaraugus thirty-five; the Tuscarora twenty. Temperance societies had also been formed, and the use of ardent spirits totally abandoned by the members. A white farmer among them having brought a barrel of whisky upon the reservation, for his harvest, the Indians took possession thereof, and poured it upon the ground. Mr. Harris had translated the gospel of Luke into the Seneca language, and also a small collection of prayers, and a spelling book, all of which had been printed. In cases of church discipline, there were instances in which offending members, their feelings softened, and their savage natures changed by the spirit of the gospel, instead of showing the implacable and revengeful dispositions characteristic of their race, submitted to the church authorities with the docility and quietness inculcated by the principles of the new religion they had professed. In consequence of the improvement of their moral and social condition their numbers, instead of longer diminishing, began to increase. On the three reservations of Seneca, Cattaraugus, and Alleghany, by a census taken by order of the secretary of war, in 1830, there had been an increase to the number of 294 in three years. There was also a corresponding increase of flocks and herds, and an augmentation of the means of domestic comfort. Consult the Missionary Herald, from 1821 to 1831. position to throw off the savage state, could not of necessity remain upon terms of cordiality with him. On the contrary, by his continued opposition to their moral and social improvement, they came to regard him as an enemy - or at least a foe to their best interests. Meantime his habits had become so extremely dissipated, that by all the better portion of his people he was considered as in every respect morally worthless. Under these circumstances, the Christian party determined upon his deposition - a measure of exceedingly rare occurrence among the Indians. The council for this purpose was held in September, 1827, and the following act of deposition' was drawn up, adopted, 1 This remarkable document was signed by the following chiefs, among whom it will be observed, were Young King, Captain Pollard, Little Billy, Twenty Canoes, Doxtater, Two Guns, Barefoot, and others who had been partizans of Red Jacket in his better days. Ga-yan-quia-ton, or Young King, his mark. his mark. Is-nish-har-de, or James Stevenson, his mark. Yut-wau-nou-ha, or Little Johnson, his mark. White Chief, X his mark. Ha-sen-nia-wall, or White Seneca, his mark. Ha-ja-on-quist, or Henry Two Guns, × his mark. Ska-ta-ga-onyes, or Twenty Canoes, his mark. Ha-squi-sau-on, or James Stevenson, jun., X his mark. George Silverheels, his mark. William Jones, X his mark. James Robinson, his mark. Blue-eyes, his mark. John Pierce, X his mark. Sa-he o-qui-au-don-qui, or Little Beard, × his mark. |