A New Guide for Emigrants to the West

by John Mason Peck

That the Indian character has deteriorated, and the numbers of each tribe greatly lessened by contact with Europeans and their descendants, is not questioned; but many of the descriptions of the comforts and happiness of savage life and manners, before their country was possessed by the latter, are the exaggerated and glowing descriptions of poetic fancy. Evidence enough can be had to show that they were degraded and wretched, engaged in petty exterminating wars with each other, often times in a state of starvation, and leading a roving, indolent and miserable existence. Their government was anarchy.—Properly speaking, civil government had never existed amongst them. They had no executive, or judiciary power, and their legislation was the result of their councils held by aged and experienced men. It had no stronger claim upon the obedience of the people than advice.

In Mexico, civilization had made progress, and there were populous towns and cities, and edifices for religious and other purposes. With the exception of some very rude structures, the ruins of which yet remain, and which upon too slight grounds, have been mistaken for military works, nothing is left as marks of the enterprise of the feeble bands of Indians of this Valley. Their implements, utensils, weapons of war, and water-craft, were of the most rude and simple construction, and yet prepared with great labor. Those who have written upon Indian manners, without personal and long acquaintance with their circumstances, have made extravagant blunders. The historian of America, Dr. Robertson, seems to suppose that the Indians cut down large trees, and dug out canoes with stone hatchets,—and that they cleared the timber from their small fields, by the same tedious process. Their stone axes or hatchets, were never used for cutting, but only for splitting and pounding. They burned down and hollowed out trees by fire, for canoes, and never chopped off the timber, but only deadened it, in clearing land. The condition of depraved man, unimproved by habits of civilization, and unblest with the influences and consolations of the gospel, is pitiable in the extreme. Such was the character and condition of the "Red skin," before his land was visited by the "Pale faces." I have often seen the aboriginal man in all his primeval wildness, when he first came in contact with the evils and benefits of civilization,—have admired his noble form and lofty bearing,—listened to his untutored and yet powerful eloquence, and yet have found in him the same humbling and melancholy proofs of his wretchedness and want, as is found in the remnants on our borders.

The introduction of ardent spirits, and of several diseases, are the evils furnished the Indian race, by contact with the whites, while in other respects their condition has been improved.

From the second number of the "Annual Register of Indian Affairs, within the Indian (or western) Territory," just published by the Rev. Isaac McCoy, the following particulars have been chiefly gleaned:

Mr. McCoy has been devoted to the work of Indian reform for almost twenty years, first in Indiana, then in Michigan, and latterly in the Indian territory, west of Missouri and Arkansas. He is not only intimately acquainted with the peculiar circumstances of this unfortunate race, and with the country selected as their future residence by the government, but is ardently and laboriously engaged for their welfare.

INDIAN TERRITORY.

The Indian territory lies west and immediately adjacent to Missouri and Arkansas. It is about 600 miles long from north to south, extending from the Missouri river to the Red river, and running westwardly as far as the country is habitable, which is estimated to be about 200 miles. The almost destitution of timber, with extensive deserts, renders most of the country from this territory to the Rocky mountains uninhabitable. The dreams indulged by many, that the wave of white population is to move onward without any resisting barrier, till it reaches these mountains, and even overleap them to the Pacific ocean, will never be realized. Providence has thrown a desert of several hundred miles in extent, as an opposing barrier.

As very contradictory accounts have gone abroad, prejudicial to the character of the country selected for the Indians, it becomes necessary to describe it with some particularity. The following, from Mr. McCoy (if it needed any additional support to its correctness,) is corroborated by the statements of many disinterested persons.

"There is a striking similarity between all parts of this territory. In its general character, it is high and undulating, rather level than hilly; though small portions partly deserve the latter appellation. The soil is generally very fertile. It is thought that in no part of the world, so extensive a region of rich soil has been discovered as in this, of which the Indian territory is a central position. It is watered by numerous rivers, creeks and rivulets. Its waters pass through it eastwardly, none of which are favorable to navigation. There is less marshy and stagnant water in it than is usual in the western country. The atmosphere is salubrious, and the climate precisely such as is desirable, being about the same as that inhabited by the Indians on the east of the Mississippi. It contains much mineral coal and salt water, some lead, and some iron ore. Timber is too scarce, and this is a serious defect, but one which time will remedy, as has been demonstrated by the growth of timber in prairie countries which have been settled, where the grazing of stock, by diminishing the quantity of grass, renders the annual fires less destructive to the growth of wood. The prairie (i. e., land destitute of wood) is covered with grass, much of which is of suitable length for the scythe."

The Chocktaws, Creeks, Cherokees, Osages, Kanzaus and Delawares, are entitled to lands westward of this territory for hunting grounds; some to the western boundary of the United States, others to the Rocky mountains.