part15-第7章

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fine　stuff　we　shall　depend　on　your　Northern　manufactures。　　Of　these；

that　is　to　say；　of　company　establishments；　we　have　none。　　We　use

little　machinery。　　The　Spinning　Jenny　and　loom　with　the　flying

shuttle　can　be　managed　in　a　family；　but　nothing　more　complicated。

The　economy　and　thriftiness　resulting　from　our　household　manufactures

are　such　that　they　will　never　again　be　laid　aside；　and　nothing　more

salutary　for　us　has　ever　happened　than　the　British　obstructions　to

our　demands　for　their　manufactures。　　Restore　free　intercourse　when

they　will；　their　commerce　with　us　will　have　totally　changed　it's

form；　and　the　articles　we　shall　in　future　want　from　them　will　not

exceed　their　own　consumption　of　our　produce。




　　　　　　　　A　letter　from　you　calls　up　recollections　very　dear　to　my　mind。

It　carries　me　back　to　the　times　when；　beset　with　difficulties　and

dangers；　we　were　fellow　laborers　in　the　same　cause；　struggling　for

what　is　most　valuable　to　man；　his　right　of　self…government。　　Laboring

always　at　the　same　oar；　with　some　wave　ever　ahead　threatening　to

overwhelm　us　and　yet　passing　harmless　under　our　bark；　we　knew　not

how；　we　rode　through　the　storm　with　heart　and　hand；　and　made　a　happy

port。　　Still　we　did　not　expect　to　be　without　rubs　and　difficulties；

and　we　have　had　them。　　First　the　detention　of　the　Western　posts：　then

the　coalition　of　Pilnitz；　outlawing　our　commerce　with　France；　and　the

British　enforcement　of　the　outlawry。　　In　your　day　French

depredations：　in　mine　English；　and　the　Berlin　and　Milan　decrees：　now

the　English　orders　of　council；　and　the　piracies　they　authorise：　when

these　shall　be　over；　it　will　be　the　impressment　of　our　seamen；　or

something　else：　and　so　we　have　gone　on；　and　so　we　shall　go　on；

puzzled　and　prospering　beyond　example　in　the　history　of　man。　　And　I

do　believe　we　shall　continue　to　growl；　＇i。e。；　grow＇　to　multiply　and

prosper　until　we　exhibit　an　association；　powerful；　wise　and　happy；

beyond　what　has　yet　been　seen　by　men。　　As　for　France　and　England；

with　all　their　pre…eminence　in　science；　the　one　is　a　den　of　robbers；

and　the　other　of　pirates。　　And　if　science　produces　no　better　fruits

than　tyranny；　murder；　rapine　and　destitution　of　national　morality；　I

would　rather　wish　our　country　to　be　ignorant；　honest　and　estimable　as

our　neighboring　savages　are。




　

　　　　　　　　But　whither　is　senile　garrulity　leading　me？　　Into　politics；　of

which　I　have　taken　final　leave。　　I　think　little　of　them；　and　say

less。　　I　have　given　up　newspapers　in　exchange　for　Tacitus　and

Thucydides；　for　Newton　and　Euclid；　and　I　find　myself　much　the

happier。　　Sometimes　indeed　I　look　back　to　former　occurrences；　in

remembrance　of　our　old　friends　and　fellow　laborers；　who　have　fallen

before　us。　　Of　the　signers　of　the　Declaration　of　Independance　I　see

now　living　not　more　than　half　a　dozen　on　your　side　of　the　Potomak；

and；　on　this　side；　myself　alone。　　You　and　I　have　been　wonderfully

spared；　and　myself　with　remarkable　health；　and　a　considerable

activity　of　body　and　mind。　　I　am　on　horseback　3。　or　4。　hours　of　every

day；　visit　3。　or　4。　times　a　year　a　possession　I　have　90　miles

distance；　performing　the　winter　journey　on　horseback。　　I　walk　little

however；　a　single　mile　being　too　much　for　me；　and　I　live　in　the　midst

of　my　grandchildren；　one　of　whom　has　lately　promoted　me　to　be　a　great

grandfather。　　I　have　heard　with　pleasure　that　you　also　retain　good

health；　and　a　greater　power　of　exercise　in　walking　than　I　do。　　But　I

would　rather　have　heard　this　from　yourself；　and　that；　writing　a

letter；　like　mine；　full　of　egotisms；　and　of　details　of　your　health；

your　habits；　occupations　and　enjoyments；　I　should　have　the　pleasure

of　knowing　that；　in　the　race　of　life；　you　do　not　keep；　in　it's

physical　decline；　the　same　distance　ahead　of　me　which　you　have　done

in　political　honors　and　atchievements。　　No　circumstances　have

lessened　the　interest　I　feel　in　these　particulars　respecting

yourself；　none　have　suspended　for　one　moment　my　sincere　esteem　for

you；　and　I　now　salute　you　with　unchanged　affections　and　respect。







　　　　　　　　CONCERNING　THE　INDIANS




　　　　　　　　_To　John　Adams_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　June　11；　1812_




　　　　　　　　DEAR　SIR　　By　our　post　preceding　that　which　brought　your

letter　of　May　21；　I　had　recieved　one　from　Mr。　Malcolm　on　the　same

subject　with　yours；　and　by　the　return　of　the　post　had　stated　to　the

President　my　recollections　of　him。　　But　both　of　your　letters　were

probably　too　late；　as　the　appointment　had　been　already　made；　if　we

may　credit　the　newspapers。




　　　　　　　　You　ask　if　there　is　any　book　that　pretends　to　give　any　account

of　the　traditions　of　the　Indians；　or　how　one　can　acquire　an　idea　of

them？　　Some　scanty　accounts　of　their　traditions；　but　fuller　of　their

customs　and　characters　are　given　us　by　most　of　the　early　travellers

among　them。　　These　you　know　were　chiefly　French。　　Lafitau；　among

them；　and　Adair　an　Englishman；　have　written　on　this　subject；　the

former　two　volumes；　the　latter　one；　all　in　4to　＇quarto＇。　　But

unluckily　Lafitau　had　in　his　head　a　preconcieved　theory　on　the

mythology；　manners；　institutions　and　government　of　the　antient

nations　of　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africa；　and　seems　to　have　entered　on

those　of　America　only　to　fit　them　into　the　same　frame；　and　to　draw

from　them　a　confirmation　of　his　general　theory。　　He　keeps　up　a

perpetual　parallel；　in　all　those　articles；　between　the　Indians　of

America；　and　the　antients　of　the　other　quarters　of　the　globe。　　He

selects　therefore　all　the　facts；　and　adopts　all　the　falsehoods　which

favor　his　theory；　and　very　gravely　retails　such　absurdities　as　zeal

for　a　theory　could　alone　swallow。　　He　was　a　man　of　much　classical　and

scriptural　reading；　and　has　rendered　his　book　not　unentertaining。　　He

resided　five　years　among　the　Northern　Indians；　as　a　Missionary；　but

collects　his　matter　much　more　from　the　writings　of　others；　than　from

his　own　observation。




　　　　　　　　Adair　too　had　his　kink。　　He　believed　all　the　Indians　of

American　to　be　descended　from　the　Jews：　the　same　laws；　usages；　rites

and　ceremonies；　the　same　sacrifices；　priests；　prophets；　fasts　and

festivals；　almost　the　same　religion；　and　that　they　all　spoke　Hebrew。

For　altho　he　writes　particularly　of　the　Southern　Indians　only；　the

Catawbas；　Creeks；　Cherokees；　Chickasaws　and　Choctaws；　with　whom　alone

he　was　personally　acquainted；　yet　he　generalises　whatever　he　found

among　them；　and　brings　himself　to　believe　that　the　hundred　languages

of　America；　differing　fundamentally　every　one　from　every　other；　as

much　as　Greek　from　Gothic；　have　yet　all　one　common　prototype。　　He　was

a　trader；　a　man　of　learning；　a　self…taught　Hebraist；　a　strong

religionist；　and　of　as　sound　a　mind　as　Don　Quixot　in　whatever　did　not

touch　his　religious　chivalry。　　His　book　contains　a　great　deal　of　real

instruction　on　it's　subject；　only　requiring　the　reader　to　be

constantly　on　his　guard　against　the　wonderful　obliquities　of　his

theory。




　　　　　　　　The　scope　of　your　enquiry　would　scarcely；　I　suppose；　take　in

the　three　folio　volumes　of　Latin　by　De　Bry。　　In　these　fact　and　fable

are　mingled　together；　without　regard　to　any　favorite　system。　　They

are　less　suspicious　therefore　in　their　complexion；　more　original　and

authentic；　than　those　of　Lafitau　and　Adair。　　This　is　a　work　of　great

curiosity；　extremely　rare；　so　as　never　to　be　bought　in　Europe；　but　on

the　breaking　up；　and　selling　some　antient　library。　　On　one　of　these

occasions　a　bookseller　procured　me　a　copy；　which；　unless　you　have

one；　is　probably　the　only　one　in　America。




　　　　　　　　You　ask　further；　if　the　Indians　have　any　order　of　priesthood

among　them；　like　the　Druids；　Bards　or　Minstrels　of　the　Celtic

nations？　　Adair　alone；　determined　to　see　what　he　wished　to　see　in

every　object；　metamorphoses　their　Conjurers　into　an　order　of　priests；

and　describes　their　sorceries　as　if　they　were　the　great　religious

ceremonies　of　the　nation。　　Lafitau　calls　them　by　their　proper　names；

Jongleurs；　Devins；　Sortileges；　De　Bry　praestigiatores；　Adair　himself

sometimes　Magi；　Archimagi；　cunning　men；　Seers；　rain　makers；　and　the

modern　Indian　interpreters；　call　them　Conjurers　and　Witches。　　They

are　persons　pretending　to　have　communications　with　the　devil　and

other　evil　spirits；　to　foretel　future　events；　bring　down　rain；　find

stolen　goods；　raise　the　dead；　destroy　some；　and　heal　others　by

enchantment；　lay　spells　etc。　　And　Adair；　without　departing　from　his

parallel　of　the　Jews　and　Indians；　might　have　found　their　counterpart；

much　more　aptly；　among　the　Soothsayers；　sorcerers　and　wizards　of　the

Jews；　their　Jannes　and　Jambres；　their　Simon　Magus；　witch　of　Endor；

and　the　young　damsel　whose　sorceries　disturbed　Paul　so　much；　instead

of　placing　them　in　a　line　with　their　High…priest；　their　Chief

priests；　and　their　magnificent　hierarchy　generally。　　In　the　solemn

ceremonies　of　the　Indians；　the　persons　who　direct　or　officiate；　are

their　chiefs；　elders　and　warriors；　in　civil　ceremonies　or　in　those　of

war；　it　is　the　Head　of　the　Cabin；　in　their　private　or　particular

feasts　or　ceremonies；　and　sometimes　the　Matrons；　as　in　their　Corn

feasts。　　And；　even　here；　Adair　might　have　kept　up　his　parallel；　with

ennobling　his　Conjurers。　　For　the　antient　Patriarchs；　the　Noahs；　the

Abrahams；　Isaacs　and　Jacobs；　and；　even　after　the　consecration　of

Aaron；　the　Samuels　and　Elijahs；　and　we　may　say　further　every　one　for

himself；　offered　sacrifices　on　the　altars。　　The　true　line　of

distinction　seems　to　be；　that　solemn　ceremonies；　whether　public　or

private；　addressed　to　the　Great　Spirit；　are　conducted　by　the　worthies

of　the　nation；　Men；　or　Matrons；　while　Conjurers　are　resorted　to　only

for　the　invocation　of　evil　spirits。　　The　present　state　of　the　several

Indian　tribes；　without　any　public　order　of　priests；　is　proof

sufficient　that　they　never　had　such　an　order。　　Their　steady　habits

permit　no　innovations；　not　even　those　which　the　progress　of　science

offers　to　increase　the　comforts；　enlarge　the　understanding；　and

improve　the　morality　of　mankind。　　Indeed　so　little　idea　have　they　of

a　regular　order　of　priests；　that　they　mistake　ours　for　their

Conjurers；　and　call　them　by　that　name。




　　　　　　　　So　much　in　answer　to　your　enquiries　concerning　Indians；　a

people　with　whom；　in　the　very　early　part　of　my　life；　I　was　very

familiar；　and　acquired　impressions　of　attachment　and　commiseration

for　them　which　have　never　been　obliterated。　　Before　the　revolution

they　were　in　the　habit　of　coming　often；　and　in　great　numbers　to　the

seat　of　our　government；　where　I　was　very　much　with　them。　　I　knew　much

the　great　Outassete　＇i。e。；　Outacity＇；　the　warrior　and　orator　of　the

Cherokees。　　He　was　always　the　guest　of　my　father；　on　his　journeys　to

and　from　Williamsburg。　　I　was　in　his　camp　when　he　made　his　great

farewell　oration　to　his　people；　the　evening　before　his　departure　for

England。　　The　moon　was　in　full　splendor；　and　to　her　he　seemed　to

address　himself　in　his　prayers　for　his　own　safety　on　th