Newspaper Page Text
No. 32. -VOL. IV.
From Dr. Morse's Report on Indian Affairs.
PERSONS AND CHARACTER OF IN
DIANS.
Indians, generally, are about the size of
the white people. The Osages, and some
•other tribes, who are of rewritable height,
affd tine figure, are exceptions to this re
mark. In these respects they exceed auy
-equally large body of white people known
among us. In the shape of their limbs, aud
their erect forms, Indians have evidently
V-the advantage over the whites. Some whom
1 have seen, would be perfect models for
the sculptor. Instances of deformity are
*\irc. In bodily strength they are inferiour
to the whites; as is true of all savages;
■civilized hnan being always superiour in
strength to savage man They are fleet in
their movements. Indian runners are prodi
gies in respect to their long continued ra
pidity in conveying messages to distant
tribes. Their jouroies far exceed in length,
what a white man could perform in the
same lime, and with less weariness. With
■wonderful quickness interesting information
is.circulated among the tribes friendly to
v each other.
* Indians talk but little, their knowledge is
limited, and their ideas few ; and they have
the wisdom not to talk when they have
nothing to say—a trait of character worthy
the imitation of many, who claim to be wis
er than the Indians. In conversation they
do not interrupt each other, but wait res
pectfully till the speaker has finished. Ex
cept when intoxicated, they are not vocif
erous, noisy, or quarrelsome, in their com
mon intercourse, but mild and obliging.—
Backbiting, whispering, cursing and swear
ing, to our shame it must be said, are vices,
not of sac) age but o (civilized men ! The In
dians who have been conversant with white
men, like the ancient Cretans, are liars.
Many among them are full of sublilty, de
oeit and artifice, implacable, unmerciful,
without pity. When enmity toward an in
dividual, family, or tribe, from whatever
cause is imbibed, it remains till death, un
less previously gratified and removed, by
taking revenge on his enemy. The most
horrid scenes of torture and cruelty are wit
nessed by whole tribes of both sexes, old
and young, without any show of pity.
Thousands of helpless women and children,
crying for mercy, have been tomahawked,
and scalped, and mangled, without mercy.
But these dispositions, and the indulgence
of them, unhappily are not confioed to In
dians. I would to God, for the honour of
our country, they were. Were we to
charge the Indians with indulging these fe
rocious dispositions, we should expose our
selves to the just retort, “ Physician heal
thyself.” Thou that reproachest us as im
placable, unmerciful, unpitying, toward,
white people; dost thou suffer thy warri
ours to indulge these same dispositions to
ward defenceless Indians, desolating and
burning our pleasant villages, and slaugh
tering our shrieking wives and children ?
Hospitality is a prominent trait in the In
dian character. To the stranger, whether
* white or red, they are hospitable and gen
erous, furnishing the best food and accom
modations their dwellings afford ; often re
linquishing their own food and lodging for
the refreshment and comfort of the stran
ger.
The women are slaves of the men, per
forming all the labour and drudgery of the
house, of the field, and of raising their chil
dren. Those women who have families,
generally stoop in their walk ; their heads
project forward; they are deformed by the
burdens which they are constrained to hear.
The man considers it a disgrace to labour,
and while at home is a mere lounger.
Indian chiefs are generally, not always,
the ablest men in the nation; more fre
quently they are old men, and manage their
aad the affairs of the nation with
sober diguity, great order, deliberation and
decorum. They proceed slowly, but sure
ly. Nothing is permitted to interrupt their
great business after they are engaged in it;
a'nd when they bave finished it, the council
breaks up. Special care is taken to pre
vent divisions in their deliberations, and in
their respective nations. In conversing
with individual chiefs and sections of tribes,,
in my late tour among them, and asking
what they thought of the propositions of
their Great Father, the President; their
reply, in frequent instances was— 11 We are
but part of the nation, we cannot answer.
We will deliver your proposal to the chiefs
in council, who will deliberate on it, and
decide, and then we iviil let you know our
opinion.” Their puhlick speakers are gen
erally their most eloquent mervand many
of them, in point of natural and forcible ges
ture, gracetul attitude, and manly sense,
aot, indeed, ia learning and information,
wQuld rank among the first orators in any
age or country. Next to the chiefs, are
the medicine men, a species of jugglers, who
have usually the dominant influence in the
tribe.
The Indians are shrewd observers, and
quick discerners of character. They have
a high sense of honour, justice and fair deal
ing, and great sensibility, when advantage
i9 taken of their weakness and ignorance,
to deprive them of their properly, and in
other ways, to trespass on their rights.*
* ft*} lojteyiriiig pleasant anesdot* j t point,
THE MISSIONARY.
When their confidence in this way is once
lost, it is difficult to regain it. Their dis
trust, too, is not limited to the man who in
jures them, but is extended to all whom he
is supposed to represent. “This white
man would cheat us out of all our property.
All white men would do the same. White
men are all cheats.” They have not our
knowledge and means to make the just dis
ci imination. This view shows again how
necessary it is, that the Government, in all
their transactions with Indians, should be
just, faithful to fulfil all their promises to
them with paternal kindness, in their uned
ucated dependent state. In this wav alone
can they regain and secure-their lost con
fidence ; and without their confidence and
affection, we can do them very little good.
This view of the Indian character, also,
shows how indispensable it is to the success
of any plans for the benefit of Indians, that
none but men of good and exemplary char
acter, should ever be permitted to go'among
them, either in the military profession, as
ageots, or traders, or in any other capacity.
The reasons are so obvious, that no obser
vations are necessary to elucidate or enforce
them.
There is as visible a difference of char
acter among the different tribes, as there is
in our own population; few general obser
vations, therefore, will apply to them as a
body. Whatever may have been their or
igin, about which there are many opinions,
and none of which can be relied on as cor
rect, they are certainly an intelligent and
noble part of our race, and capable of high
moral and intellectual improvement. When
we consider their mode of life, the few ad
vantages they have enjoyed for cultivating
and enlarging their minds, that they have
no written language, no books, no educa
(ion, but in the art of war, hunting, ami a
few other ;hings, and no religion other than
‘fiat, which, not to use stronger expressions
is very imperfect, and of little moral effect;
we may well wonder that we find them in
the state we have described. They are a
race, who on every correct principle, ought
to be saved from extinction, if it be possi
ble to save them. They are entitled to all
that can be done, for this purpose.
From Curiosities of Literature.
THE TALMUD ANDGEMARA.
The Talmud is a collection of Jewish
Traditions, which had been orally preserv
ed. It comprises the Mishna, which is the
text: and the Gemara, its commentary. It
is a complete system of the barbarous learo
ing of the Jews. They have persuaded
themselves, that these traditional explica
tions are of a Divine origin: for they tell
us, that the Pentateuch was written out by
their legislator before his death ; that the
number of copies was thirteen, one for each
tribe, and the remaining one was deposited
in the Ark. That the Oral Law “ was
what Moses, continually taught, in his San
hedrim, to the Elders, and the rest of the
people: the mode of which, honest David
Levi informs us was thus—
“As soon as Moses was returned to his,
tent from receiving the words of God, he
called Aaron thither unto him, and first de
livered unto him the text, which was to be
the written law ; and after, the interpreta
lion of which was the oral law, in the same
order as he received both from God in the
Mount. Then Aaron arising and seating
himself at the right-hand of Moses, Elea
zar, and Ithama, his sons went in the next,
and being taught both these Laws at the
feet of the Prophet, in the same manner as
Aaron had been, they also rose and seated
themselves; and then the seventy elders,
who constituted the Sanhedrim, or Great
Senate of the nation : and then entered all
such of the people as were desirous of
knowing the word of God.”
He then informs us that Moses, Aaron,
his sons, and the Elders, made the same
repetition before they withdrew. “So that
the people having heard both these laws
repeated to them four times, they all had
it thereby firmly fixed in their memories;
but the interpretation thereof was to be
delivered down, only by word of mouth, to
the succeeding generations,” for which no
reason is alleged.
It appears afterwards, that at the end of
the fortieth year of their flight from Egypt,
the memory of the people became treach
erous, and Moses was constrained to repeat
occasionally this same oral law, which (if it
is not profaoe to say) had been much bet
ter written, as the Pentateuch was.
This history of the Talmud some may
be inclined to suppose apocryphal. It ap
pears that the Talmud was compiled by cer
tain Jewish doctors, who were solicited for
this purpose by their nation, that they
might have something to oppose to their
Christian adversaries. These doctors were
descendants of the Ten Tribes of Israel,
who were led into captivity by King Sal
manazar, father of Sennacherib, in the
and exactly illustrates my meaning. A white’
man and an Indian agreed to hunt together, and
to share equally the game they should take. At
night it appeared that they had only • turkey
and a buzzard ; the latter a bird of no value.—
Well, said the white man to the Indian, we are
now to divide what we have taken, and if you
please, I will take the turkey and you shall take
the buzzard—or else you may take the buzzard,
and I will take the tuikey. Ah, replied the In
dian, you no say turkey to poor Iniiun once.
MOUNT ZION. (HANCOCK COUNTY, GEORGIA,) MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1823
GO VE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERV CIIEATtTRE.
reign of King Hosea. This book is a mix
ture of the Syriack, the Hebrew, and the
vulgar Hebrew, which was the language
spoken in the schools of the Rabbins, and
which differs as much from the other as the
Latin of Bartolious from that of Cicero.
This work contains nothing that is valuible,
but a very heavy load of pious absurdities,
of insipid stories and palpable contradic
tions. The only apology that ba been
made for these extravagances and idle fic
tions is, that after the completion of the
Talmud, those who succeeded in t)e schools
are distinguished by the name ( Opinion
ists, and not by that of Doctors; and that
oo Jew is compelled to receive them as
matters of faith, although we are informed
that this work originated (as we have al
ready observed) from the Divinity itself.
Chevreau, in his History of the World af
fords us a satisfactory account of the con
tents of this work. 1 shall give an abstract
of bis analysis.
There are two Talmuds; the Jerusalem
and the Babylonian. The last is the most
esteemed, because it is the most bulky. It
contains the oral traditions from the time of
Moses Rabbi vehuda Hakkodosh, an indus
trious young man, called the Prince of the
Rabbins, because he most carefully collect
ed their Reveries. This work is divided
into six parts, of which every one which is
entitled Order, i9 formed of treatises; ev
ery treatise is divided into chapters, and ev
ery chapter into mishnas or aphorisms. In
the first part is discussed whatever relates
to seeds, fruits, and trees. In the second,
feasts. In the third, women, their duties,
their disorders, marriages, divorces, con
tracts, and nuptials. In the fourth, are treat
ed the damages or losses sustained by beasts
or men, of things tound; deposits; usuries;
rents; farms; partnerships in commerce;
inheritance; sales and purchases; oaths;
witnesses; arrests; idolatry; and here are
named those by whom the Oral Law was
received and preserved. In the fifth part,
are noticed what regards sacrifices and holy
things; and the sixth treats on purification;
vessels; furniture; clothes; houses; lepro
sy; baths and numerous other articles. All
this forms the Mishna.
This account from Chevreau is very ac
curate. 1 have compared it with the am
pier analysis of David Levi. I refer the
reader to a publication of the last writer,
which has for title, “Asuccint Account of
the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jews, <s-c.
By David Levi.” This work is the only
satisfactory one in our language, though
very inferiour to Leo de Modena. If al
lowance is made for the author’s inexperi
ence in literature, his integrity will be found
highly commendable, and an honest man is
superiour to a fine writer. But why insist
on the divine origin of the Talmud?
[Democratick Press.
— *>ZZ&ZZ**— -
DIALOGUE,
BeUtgeen Dr. Edwards & Dr. Samuel Johnson.
Edwaids.—l wish I had continued atcol
lege.
Johnson.—Why do you wish that, sir.
Edwards.—Because I think I should have
had a much easier life than mine has been.
I should have been a parson, and had a
good living, like Bloxam and several oth
ers, and lived comfortably.
Johnson.—Sir, the life of a parson, a con
scientious Clergyman, is net easy. | have
always considered a Clergyman as the fa
ther of a larger family than be is able to
maintain. I would rather have chancery
suits upon my hands than the cure of souls.
No, sir, I do not envy a clergyman's life as
an ea9y life, nor do I envy the clergyman
who makes it ao easy life.
FROM THE B#9TON RECORDER.
Origin of the name of the sect called Quakers.
It is probably well known that the foun
der of this religious denomination was the
celebrated George Fox. In the year 1656,
the party that adhered to his cause became
quite numerous, and excited considerable
attention from the curious of every persua
sion. At one of the mei.ings, which Fox
attended, and in conducting the exercises
of which, he was greatly animated and ex
tremely zealous, according to his usual man
ner, he saw the noted Justice Bennett, of
Derby. He immediately directed a horta
tory address to him, commanding him to
tremble and “gtwfce” at the word of the
Lord. Hence they were afterward distin
guished by the name of Quakers.
Origin of the name of the garment called
Spencer.
At a certain time, some of the nobility
and gentlemen in England being together,
began to converse upon the influence of
fashion. Among them was Lord Spencer;
who .among other remarks observed, that
fashions could be directed according to the
will of a small number of persons in high
life. Ip confirmation of this remark, he
proposed to cut of (he skirts of his coat, and
constantly wear-it thus curtailed ; assuring
the company the consequence would be,
that such short coals would sqpn become
fashionable. It was understood by them
all, that no mention should be made of Lord
Spencer’s design, in wearing a garment of
sijch appearance. The trial wqs made—-
his example was immediately followed by
large numbers. Hence short coats are
called Spencers.
THE AMBITION OF CONQUEST.
When Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, invaded
Italy with a well-appointed army, he had
for his friend and counsellor, Cioeas the
philosopher, from an idea that the elo
quence of an enemy will often do as much
as his sword. “ Your majesty,” says Cine
as, “ intends to march against the Romans :
should the gods he so gracious as to render
you victorious, what advantage would you
derive from your conquest ?” “ Were the
Romans subdued by my arms,” replied
Pyrrhus, “all Italy then would be ours.”
“ Supposing ourselves masters of all that
country,” rejoined Cineas, “ how should
we proceed next ? Pyrrhus replied, “ Why
then Sicily will fall a conquest next.”
“ But,” said Cineas, “ shall we end there ?*’
“End there! no, certainly not,” replied
Pyrrhus, with an air of emotion ; “ can we
stop short in so glorious a career? If the
gods continue to favour us, Carthage, with
all Africa, Macedonia, and every province
of Greece, will become subject to us.”
“ And when we have achieved all this, how
shall we dispose ot ourselves! why, to be
sure, live at our ease; eat, drink, and be
merry.” “Ah! my sire,” interrupted
Cineas, 11 and what prevents us from doing
this now? Why should we go so far in
search of happiness already in our power,
and be paying so dear for what is so un
certain to obtain.”
Religious Intelligence.
From the London Jewish Expositor of Oct. 1C22.
MISSION TO JERUSALEM.
Extracts from the Journal of Air. Wolff.
April 29, 1822. The Popish Missiona
ries in the Italian convent of Terra Santa,
have finally broken that silence they kept
tor a while, after that they perceived that
so many of their Catholick flock have re
ceived the word of God with gladness; the
Rev. Pater Cozza, Superiour of that con
vent, mounted lasUSunday the pulpit of the
church, and proclaimed the following order
in the presence of eight hundred Catho
licks :
“As that man who lately arrived a! Je
rusalem for the destruction of the Catho
lick religion, has distributed several books,
1 command you, in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to deliver to
me all those books which he has distributed,
and to tell me the names of those who
have bought them; and whosoever shall
dare to act contrary to that order, shall be
excommunicated in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit:” and the lib
eral Catholick Anton Tolamas, assured me
that the Rev. Cozza was already so sucess
ful, as to have delivered to him a quantity
of Psalters and New Testaments. The
Jews had the day before, proclaimed the
excommunication against the New Testa
ment only, but Catholicks against both the
New and the Old. I have left to-day the
convent of the Armenians, and have taken
a room in the house of a kind Mussulman,
Hassan Alemi by name, in order that I may
converse with more freedom with the Jews.
Hassan Alemi offered to read with me the
Koran, of which he assured me that it was
created on the begiuniug of the creation.
I have given Hebrew Bibles and Testa
ments, and Tremellius’s Catechism, to
twenty-seven Rabbies.
The Lord has tried me again. Pater
Paolo Tiutinngian, the Armenian priest, has
set out for England. The Armenian mer
chant Macarditch, a most amiable gentle
mao, with whom I travelled through the
deserts from Cario to Gaza, and in whose
company 1 spent the evening-time in the
Armenian convent, has set out for Cario.
I felt much the loss of those two friends.
I accompanied them to the road of Ariraa
thea (Ramla), where we eat down in the
grass, near the ruins of a house, and eat
some sweet cakes, and drank a little wine,
and the Armenian priests sang a hymn to
the praise of our Saviour. I recommended
to my friends to edify each other in their
way through the desert 9 with prayer and
hymns, and I returned to Jerusalem with a
heavy heart. When I returned home, a
Jewish boy desired Hebrew Bibles. I
gave them to him gratis, and besides this,
Tremellius’s Catechism, and spake with
him about Christ.
May I, 1822. 1 called again on Rabbi
Joseph Ben Sachariah Samari; and asked
them who was the author of Psalm cx. ?
The answer was David. I asked them,
whom does David call Lord? They confes
sed that they were not able to answer that
question. Rabbi Joseph however has re
turned to me the New Testament. I went
then to Rabbi Mendel, the high priest, sev
eral other rabbies and students were assem
bled there. Rabbi Mendel expressed his
desire of seeing me turn again to Judaism,
and he added to it, that he has some hopes
on the following account:—First, That I
never play cards, cN.tested by Jews. Se
condly, That l never went into ihfc theatre.
Thirdly That I am a friend of orphans and
widows, and of Jews in general, and have
taken upon me the charge of their letters
which the Jews wrote to Poland. I an
swered, that the faith which I profess, my
Price, \ P r - ® Dn - or > (
1 i $3,00 in advance. >
faith in Jesus Christ, enables me to act so*
and that I do nil this for the glory of the
Lord. We argued again for some hours.
When I returned to my room, Isaac Ben Sol
omon, Abraham Ben Jeremiah, and Abra
ham Ben David, called on me. We sang
together a very edifying Chaldean hymn,
about which they were very much pleased.
It is to be found in their liturgy.
May 2, 1822. Moses Ben David Shlei
fer, the brother of the converted Abraham
Ben David Shleifer, was one, although ten
years of age, understands exceedingly well
the Hebrew and Chaldean tongues, called
on me to day with his brother Abraham
Ben David. I preached to them both, for
above an hoar, the preciousoess of the
Gospel; (hey were very attentive.
Rabbi Mendel, Rabbi Isaac, from Safet,
and another Jew, Haim Takur, from Safet*
and Mrs. Batsheba, argued with me several
hours, and showed me a book containing
beautiful sentences of moral precepts. I
read in it, and approved of it, but showed
at the same time, the excellency of the
power of our Lord Jesus Christ; and al
though Rabbi Mendel and all the rabbiaa
clearly told me, that the Sanhedrin would
have me put to death for my faith in Jesus
Christ, I repeatedly confessed that Jesus is
the Son of God. Oh Lord, how much is
Pharisaical blindness and hypbcrisy mixed
with sparks of the true Gospel light. Rab
bi Mendel, the zealous Pharisee, made to
day the observation, We must before all
things, know the will of God, before we
can know the state of the world ; also, that
he basset the world in their hearts, so that
no man can find out the work that God
maketh from the beginning to the end.
Rabbi Mendel asked me, what wisdom have
you found in St. Paul? I replied, The
“ depth of the riches of the wisdom of God.”
Romans xi. 33.
The Inquisition.
May 3, 1822. 1 called again on Rabbi
Mendel; Rabbi Isaac, from Safet, has been
there again. It is a fact, that the rabbie9
in general, and the Talmud did not believe
the eternity of hell punishment. Rabbi
Mendel, who denies firmly the eternitv
of hell punishment, tries to prove bis
sentiment on this subject by Proverbs
xxvi. 20, “ Where no wood is, the fire
goes out.” The rabbies lay then in these,
words the following sense, ‘ The wood is
the sius commuted by men; as soon as
those sins shall be punished, the wroth of
the Lord shall cease, and Satan himself
shall be redeemed.’ The second discovery
I made is, that the institution of the Catho
lick Inquisition founded by St. Dominick,
existed already among the Jews in the time
of our Lord, and has been sanctioned by
the Talmud, and even by the celebrated
Rabbi Ben Mose Maimon; see Sanhedrin,
page 36; and Rabbi Mose Ben Maimon
Hilhoth Mamrin, chapter iii. Rabbi Men
del and Rabbi Isaac, from Safet, made again
trials of converting me to Judaism; 0 he
gave me a cup of wine to drink his health,
ami desired me to ask the bleesiug over it,
after the rite of the Jews! I immediately
complied with his request, and said, ‘ Bles
sed art thou, 0 Lord, our God, King of tbfe
world, who hast created the fruit of the
vine.” I added to it as usual, (hat 1 shall
always accommodate myself in all these
things to the customs of the Jews, which
are not opposed to the tenets of ChrisPs
doctrine. I desired again the permission
of sitting with them in the Jestuba (college)
and read with them the Talmud, for I per
ceive every day more the advantage of it,
to be able to argue with them on their own
ground, and after their own style and man
ner. Rabbi Mendel was almost disposed to
comply with my wish, but Rabbi Isaac,
from Safet, observed, that I must first ac
knowledge my belief in the Talmud. I de>
dared clearly, that I believe only Moses,
(he Prophets, and the Gospel. Rabbi Men
del’s sentiments are, that all the rabbies
assembled together, and that those rabbies
of unimpeaohed integrity are infallible , as
soon as they decide in matter of faith ; and
thus (Rabbi Mendel further observed) it
has been the case in the times of Rabbi
Hakadash, who has by his learning, con
verted to Judaism the emperour Antonius.
Rabbi Hakadash was afraid that the tradU
tional word of God may be forgotten; he
assembled therefore in Zippora all (be rab
bies ol the world, whom he provided with
their every need, nud those, full of the Ho
ly Spirit, have compiled the Talmud.
I he Catholicks maintain io the same way
infaUibilitatcrn conciliontm occumenicorurn ct
infullibilitatem jwpai cathedra loquentit. I
did not, however, enter into any argument
about it, but said, that the Jews should now
assemble, and search whether Jesus of Naz
areth was the Christ or not, for (I observ
ed) it is highly necessary that you do so,
for many of the Jews begin to suspect the
authority of the Talmud, and the English
nation tries to promote Christianity among
the Jews, with the most indefatigable zeal,
and the New Testament has been traoslat?*
ed for that very purpose, of opening the
eyes of the Jews, and to convert them to
Jesus Christ. Assemble yoifrtselve*, there
fore, iu the name of the Creator of heaven
and earth, and consult with prayer and sup
piicajion, and examine the Ne w Testament
ol Jlflus Christ, which we maintain is lb*
same predicted bv Jeremiah the prophet.