r　country；　and　their　people　soon　desert　them：　their　very　families　are　obliterated；　the　names　they　bore　in　common　are　forgotten；　their　language　perishes；　and　all　traces　of　their　origin　disappear。　Their　nation　has　ceased　to　exist；　except　in　the　recollection　of　the　antiquaries　of　America　and　a　few　of　the　learned　of　Europe。
  I　should　be　sorry　to　have　my　reader　suppose　that　I　am　coloring　the　picture　too　highly；　I　saw　with　my　own　eyes　several　of　the　cases　of　misery　which　I　have　been　describing；　and　I　was　the　witness　of　sufferings　which　I　have　not　the　power　to　portray。
  At　the　end　of　the　year　1831；　whilst　I　was　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Mississippi　at　a　place　named　by　Europeans；　Memphis；　there　arrived　a　numerous　band　of　Choctaws　（or　Chactas；　as　they　are　called　by　the　French　in　Louisiana）。　These　savages　had　left　their　country；　and　were　endeavoring　to　gain　the　right　bank　of　the　Mississippi；　where　they　hoped　to　find　an　asylum　which　had　been　promised　them　by　the　American　government。　　It　was　then　the　middle　of　winter；　and　the　cold　was　unusually　severe；　the　snow　had　frozen　hard　upon　the　ground；　and　the　river　was　drifting　huge　masses　of　ice。　　The　Indians　had　their　families　with　them；　and　they　brought　in　their　train　the　wounded　and　sick；　with　children　newly　born；　and　old　men　upon　the　verge　of　death。　　They　possessed　neither　tents　nor　wagons；　but　only　their　arms　and　some　provisions。　I　saw　them　embark　to　pass　the　mighty　river；　and　never　will　that　solemn　spectacle　fade　from　my　remembrance。　　No　cry；　no　sob　was　heard　amongst　the　assembled　crowd；　all　were　silent。　　Their　calamities　were　of　ancient　date；　and　they　knew　them　to　be　irremediable。　　The　Indians　had　all　stepped　into　the　bark　which　was　to　carry　them　across；　but　their　dogs　remained　upon　the　bank。　　As　soon　as　these　animals　perceived　that　their　masters　were　finally　leaving　the　shore；　they　set　up　a　dismal　howl；　and；　plunging　all　together　into　the　icy　waters　of　the　Mississippi；　they　swam　after　the　boat。
  The　ejectment　of　the　Indians　very　often　takes　place　at　the　present　day；　in　a　regular；　and；　as　it　were；　a　legal　manner。　　When　the　European　population　begins　to　approach　the　limit　of　the　desert　inhabited　by　a　savage　tribe；　the　government　of　the　United　States　usually　dispatches　envoys　to　them；　who　assemble　the　Indians　in　a　large　plain；　and　having　first　eaten　and　drunk　with　them；　accost　them　in　the　following　manner：　〃What　have　you　to　do　in　the　land　of　your　fathers？　　Before　long；　you　must　dig　up　their　bones　in　order　to　live。　In　what　respect　is　the　country　you　inhabit　better　than　another？　　Are　there　no　woods；　marshes；　or　prairies；　except　where　you　dwell？　　And　can　you　live　nowhere　but　under　your　own　sun？　　Beyond　those　mountains　which　you　see　at　the　horizon；　beyond　the　lake　which　bounds　your　territory　on　the　west；　there　lie　vast　countries　where　beasts　of　chase　are　found　in　great　abundance；　sell　your　lands　to　us；　and　go　to　live　happily　in　those　solitudes。〃　After　holding　this　language；　they　spread　before　the　eyes　of　the　Indians　firearms；　woollen　garments；　kegs　of　brandy；　glass　necklaces；　bracelets　of　tinsel；　earrings；　and　looking…glasses。　*g　If；　when　they　have　beheld　all　these　riches；　they　still　hesitate；　it　is　insinuated　that　they　have　not　the　means　of　refusing　their　required　consent；　and　that　the　government　itself　will　not　long　have　the　power　of　protecting　them　in　their　rights。　　What　are　they　to　do？　　Half　convinced；　and　half　compelled；　they　go　to　inhabit　new　deserts；　where　the　importunate　whites　will　not　let　them　remain　ten　years　in　tranquillity。　　In　this　manner　do　the　Americans　obtain；　at　a　very　low　price；　whole　provinces；　which　the　richest　sovereigns　of　Europe　could　not　purchase。　*h
  ＇Footnote　g：　See；　in　the　Legislative　Documents　of　Congress　（Doc。　117）；　the　narrative　of　what　takes　place　on　these　occasions。　　This　curious　passage　is　from　the　above…mentioned　report；　made　to　Congress　by　Messrs。　Clarke　and　Cass　in　February；　1829。　　Mr。　Cass　is　now　the　Secretary　of　War。
  〃The　Indians；〃　says　the　report；　〃reach　the　treaty…ground　poor　and　almost　naked。　　Large　quantities　of　goods　are　taken　there　by　the　traders；　and　are　seen　and　examined　by　the　Indians。　　The　women　and　children　become　importunate　to　have　their　wants　supplied；　and　their　influence　is　soon　exerted　to　induce　a　sale。　　Their　improvidence　is　habitual　and　unconquerable。　　The　gratification　of　his　immediate　wants　and　desires　is　the　ruling　passion　of　an　Indian。　　The　expectation　of　future　advantages　seldom　produces　much　effect。　　The　experience　of　the　past　is　lost；　and　the　prospects　of　the　future　disregarded。　　It　would　be　utterly　hopeless　to　demand　a　cession　of　land；　unless　the　means　were　at　hand　of　gratifying　their　immediate　wants；　and　when　their　condition　and　circumstances　are　fairly　considered；　it　ought　not　to　surprise　us　that　they　are　so　anxious　to　relieve　themselves。〃＇
  ＇Footnote　h：　On　May　19；　1830；　Mr。　Edward　Everett　affirmed　before　the　House　of　Representatives；　that　the　Americans　had　already　acquired　by　treaty；　to　the　east　and　west　of　the　Mississippi；　230；000；000　of　acres。　　In　1808　the　Osages　gave　up　48；000；000　acres　for　an　annual　payment　of　1；000。　　In　1818　the　Quapaws　yielded　up　29；000；000　acres　for　4；000。　　They　reserved　for　themselves　a　territory　of　1；000；000　acres　for　a　hunting…ground。　　A　solemn　oath　was　taken　that　it　should　be　respected：　but　before　long　it　was　invaded　like　the　rest。　Mr。　Bell；　in　his　Report　of　the　Committee　on　Indian　Affairs；　February　24；　1830；　has　these　words：　…　〃To　pay　an　Indian　tribe　what　their　ancient　hunting…grounds　are　worth　to　them；　after　the　game　is　fled　or　destroyed；　as　a　mode　of　appropriating　wild　lands　claimed　by　Indians；　has　been　found　more　convenient；　and　certainly　it　is　more　agreeable　to　the　forms　of　justice；　as　well　as　more　merciful；　than　to　assert　the　possession　of　them　by　the　sword。　Thus　the　practice　of　buying　Indian　titles　is　but　the　substitute　which　humanity　and　expediency　have　imposed；　in　place　of　the　sword；　in　arriving　at　the　actual　enjoyment　of　property　claimed　by　the　right　of　discovery；　and　sanctioned　by　the　natural　superiority　allowed　to　the　claims　of　civilized　communities　over　those　of　savage　tribes。　　Up　to　the　present　time　so　invariable　has　been　the　operation　of　certain　causes；　first　in　diminishing　the　value　of　forest　lands　to　the　Indians；　and　secondly　in　disposing　them　to　sell　readily；　that　the　plan　of　buying　their　right　of　occupancy　has　never　threatened　to　retard；　in　any　perceptible　degree；　the　prosperity　of　any　of　the　States。〃　（Legislative　Documents；　21st　Congress；　No。　227；　p。　6。）＇
  Chapter　XVIII：　Future　Condition　Of　Three　Races　…　Part　II
  These　are　great　evils；　and　it　must　be　added　that　they　appear　to　me　to　be　irremediable。　　I　believe　that　the　Indian　nations　of　North　America　are　doomed　to　perish；　and　that　whenever　the　Europeans　shall　be　established　on　the　shores　of　the　Pacific　Ocean；　that　race　of　men　will　be　no　more。　*i　The　Indians　had　only　the　two　alternatives　of　war　or　civilization；　in　other　words；　they　must　either　have　destroyed　the　Europeans　or　become　their　equals。
  ＇Footnote　i：　This　seems；　indeed；　to　be　the　opinion　of　almost　all　American　statesmen。　　〃Judging　of　the　future　by　the　past；〃　says　Mr。　Cass；　〃we　cannot　err　in　anticipating　a　progressive　diminution　of　their　numbers；　and　their　eventual　extinction；　unless　our　border　should　become　stationary；　and　they　be　removed　beyond　it；　or　unless　some　radical　change　should　take　place　in　the　principles　of　our　intercourse　with　them；　which　it　is　easier　to　hope　for　than　to　expect。〃＇
  At　the　first　settlement　of　the　colonies　they　might　have　found　it　possible；　by　uniting　their　forces；　to　deliver　themselves　from　the　small　bodies　of　strangers　who　landed　on　their　continent。　*j　They　several　times　attempted　to　do　it；　and　were　on　the　point　of　succeeding；　but　the　disproportion　of　their　resources；　at　the　present　day；　when　compared　with　those　of　the　whites；　is　too　great　to　allow　such　an　enterprise　to　be　thought　of。　　Nevertheless；　there　do　arise　from　time　to　time　among　the　Indians　men　of　penetration；　who　foresee　the　final　destiny　which　awaits　the　native　population；　and　who　exert　themselves　to　unite　all　the　tribes　in　common　hostility　to　the　Europeans；　but　their　efforts　are　unavailing。　　Those　tribes　which　are　in　the　neighborhood　of　the　whites；　are　too　much　weakened　to　offer　an　effectual　resistance；　whilst　the　others；　giving　way　to　that　childish　carelessness　of　the　morrow　which　characterizes　savage　life；　wait　for　the　near　approach　of　danger　before　they　prepare　to　meet　it；　some　are　unable；　the　others　are　unwilling；　to　exert　themselves。
  ＇Footnote　j：　Amongst　other　warlike　enterprises；　there　was　one　of　the　Wampanaogs；　and　other　confederate　tribes；　under　Metacom　in　1675；　against　the　colonists　of　New　England；　the　English　were　also　engaged　in　war　in　Virginia　in　1622。＇
  It　is　easy　to　foresee　that　the　Indians　will　never　conform　to　civilization；　or　that　it　will　be　too　late；　whenever　they　may　be　inclined　to　make　the　experiment。
  Civilization　is　the　result　of　a　long　social　process　which　takes　place　in　the　same　spot；　and　is　handed　down　from　one　generation　to　another；　each　one　profiting　by　the　experience　of　the　last。　　Of　all　nations；　those　submit　to　civilization　with　the　most　difficulty　which　habitually　live　by　the　chase。　Pastoral　tribes；　indeed；　often　change　their　place　of　a