in the tolerant domains of Holland) set. afcheir
faces towards the new world, it was with a
predetermination not only to carry out the principles
of the
hut to extend its benign influenced;among the'
aborigines/ This was averred, and , the'well,
known prominency of the fact stamps their,efforts
to convert and civilize the Korth ^rnerican
Indians, with a moral force and grandeur^ which
cannot be claimed for England, in her royal capacity
as administrator of patents and- honors
here, or for any other Protestant king or potentate,
who sent her bold or enterprising children
to the American wilds.
Thismtteh can be said, without disparagement
to the piety of the Netherland church, which
had her pastors and teachers at Manhattan, Foft
Orange, and various other incipient points of
her settlements at. an early day. Whatever had
been her policy, (and we have paid but little
attention to this,) in sending-teachers among the
Mohegans, the Maquaas, and other tribes, who
resorted to her forts and factories at Albany;, and
other points of early contact with these simple
and warlike men; the English, after the conquest
of 1664, appear to have followed', in her
footsteps, and pursued the same general, gradual
and persuasive means, attaching high and deserved
value at all points to the' influence of
European arts and the value *pf fixed industry.
Churches were founded at an early day, among
the Mohawks at Caughnawaga, and at Dionderoga,
at the mouth of Schoharie creek, better
known as Fort Hunter, the latter of which received
,a present of b set of opiate for the communion
service, from Queen Anne.
Unfortunately, for the.conversion and eiviliza-
tiom of the Indians, they had not a fixed population—
thqy/drew their supplies mainly from the
chase, gave up a large portion of their time and
mea^i to war, and besides moving periodically,
afledsf twice a .year^o^or to their hunting and
planting ‘grounds, they were in a general progress
©f recession before a civilized population. They
shrank before the determined spirit of ..progress
of the-civilized arts,and*;industry, which elicited
resources where ;fhe Indian had -seen none, and
made an-industrious use-ofievery acre of tillable
ground. But while, the silent influences! this
progress did muchjo teach him, by denoting the
vise-of tools and implements of art and agriculture,
to improve him in his dornicil.and its fixtures,
and in his costume, and to harmonize and
fix his mental habits and character, he was not
proof against the leading temptation of the.times,
namely, the 'free and inordinate ''me of ardent
spirits. From the partial paroxysms of this pernicious
indulgence, he rose with less energy to
pursue tke^chase, or follow war path. The
policy of land sales, the acceptance of presents
as boons from the crown, and the distribution of
small sums'of coin to the heads of families in the
shape of annuiti^-va system founded, in all but
^ the last feature, under James VI, and confirmed