Memoirs of an American Lady: With Sketches of Manners and Scenery in America, as They Existed Previous to the RevolutionGrant, Anne MacVicar
History
Memoirs of an American Lady: With Sketches of Manners and Scenery in America, as They Existed Previous to the Revolution
Grant, Anne MacVicar
Indians of North America; New York (State) -- Social life and customs -- To 1775; Schuyler, Catalina, 1701-1778 or 1779
For all the growing evils I have been describing, there was only one
remedy, which the sagacity of my friend and her other self soon
discovered; and their humanity as well as principle, led them to try all
possible means of administering. It was the pure light and genial
influence of christianity alone, that could cheer and ameliorate the
state of these people, now, from a concurrence of circumstances scarcely
to be avoided in the nature of things, deprived of the independence
habitual to their own way of life, without acquiring in its room any of
those comforts which sweeten ours. By gradually and gently unfolding to
them the views of a happy futurity, and the means by which depraved
humanity was restored to a participation of that blessing; pride,
revenge, and the indulgence of every excess of passion or appetite being
restrained by the precepts of a religion ever powerful where it is
sincere; their spirits would be brought down from the fierce pride which
despises improvement, to adopt such of our modes as would enable them to
incorporate in time with our society, and procure for themselves a
comfortable subsistence, in a country no longer adapted to supply the
wants of the houseless rangers of the forest.
The narrow policy of many looked coldly on this benevolent project.
Hunters supplied the means of commerce, and warriors those of defence;
and it was questionable whether a Christian Indian would hunt or fight
as well as formerly. This, however, had no power with those in whom
christianity was any thing more than a name. There were already many
christian Indians; and it was very encouraging that not one, once
converted, had ever forsaken the strict profession of their religion, or
ever, in a single instance, abandoned themselves to the excesses so
pernicious to their unconverted brethren. Never was the true spirit of
christianity more exemplified than in the lives of those comparatively
few converts, who, about this time, amounted to more than two hundred.
But the tender care and example of the Schuylers, co-operating with the
incessant labours of a judicious and truly apostolic missionary, some
years after, greatly augmented their numbers in different parts of the
continent; and to this day, the memory of David Brainard, the faithful
labourer alluded to, is held in veneration in those districts that were
blessed with his ministry. He did not confine himself to one people or
province, but travelled from place to place, to disseminate the gospel
to new converts, and confirm and cherish the truths already planted. The
first foundation of that church had, however, as I formerly mentioned,
been laid long ago; and the examples of piety, probity, and benevolence,
set by the worthies at the Flats, and a few more, were a very necessary
comment on the doctrines to which their assent was desired.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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