fieldston american reader volume i – fall 2007 - Ethical Culture ...

luxuries of nature, without tasking her generosity to yieldthem any thing more; whereas it has been most unquestionablyshewn, that heaven intended the earth should be ploughed andsown, and manured, and laid out into cities and towns andfarms, and country seats, and pleasure grounds, and publicgardens, all which the Indians knew nothing about – thereforethey did not improve the talents providence had bestowedon them – therefore they were careless stewards – thereforethey had no right to the soil – therefore they deserved to beexterminated.It is true the savages might plead that they drew all the benefitsfrom the land which their simple wants required – they foundplenty of game to hunt, which together with the roots anduncultivated fruits of the earth, furnished a sufficient varietyfor their frugal table; – and that as heaven merely designedthe earth to form the abode, and satisfy the wants of man; solong as those purposes were answered, the will of heaven wasaccomplished. – But this only proves how undeserving theywere of the blessings around them – they were so much themore savages, for not having more wants; for knowledge is insome degree an increase of desires, and it is this superiority bothin the number and magnitude of his desires, that distinguishesthe man from the beast. Therefore the Indians, in not havingmore wants, were very unreasonable animals; and it was butjust that they should make way for the Europeans, who hada thousand wants to their one, and therefore would turnearth to more account, and by cultivating it, more truly fulfilthe will of heaven. Besides – Grotius and Lauterbach, andPuffendorff and Titius and a host of wise men besides, whohave considered the matter properly, have determined, that theproperty of a country cannot be acquired by hunting, cuttingwood, or drawing water in it – nothing but precise demarcationof limits, and the intention of cultivation, can establish thepossession. Now as the savages (probably from never havingread the authors above quoted) had never complied with any ofthese necessary forms, it plainly follows that they had no rightto the soil, but that it was completely at the disposal of thefirst comers, who had more knowledge and more wants thanthemselves – who would portion out the soil, with churlishboundaries; who would torture nature to pamper a thousandfantastic humours and capricious appetites; and who of coursewere far more rational animals than themselves. In enteringupon a newly discovered, uncultivated country therefore, thenew comers were but taking possession of what, accordingto the aforesaid doctrine, was their own property – thereforein opposing them, the savages were invading their just fights,infringing the immutable laws of nature and counteracting thewill of heaven – therefore they were guilty of impiety, burglaryand trespass on the case, – therefore they were hardenedoffenders against God and man – therefore they ought to beexterminated.But a more irresistible right then either that I have mentioned,and one which will be the most readily admitted by my reader,provided he is blessed with bowels of charity and philanthropy,is the right acquired by civilization. All the world knows thelamentable state in which these poor savages were found. Notonly deficient in the comforts of life, but what is still Worse,most piteously and unfortunately blind to the miseries of theirsituation. But no sooner did the benevolent inhabitants ofEurope behold their sad condition than they immediately wentto work to ameliorate and improve it. They introduced amongthem the comforts of life, consisting of rum, gin and brandy –and it is astonishing to read how soon the poor savages learnt toestimate these blessings – they likewise made known to thema thousand remedies, by which the most inveterate diseasesare alleviated and healed, and that they might comprehendthe benefits and enjoy the comforts of these medicines, theypreviously introduced among them the diseases, which theywere calculated to cure. By these and a variety of other methodswas the condition of these poor savages, wonderfully improved;they acquired a thousand wants, of which they had before beenignorant, and as he has most sources of happiness, who hasmost wants to be gratified, they were doubtlessly rendered amuch happier race of beings.But the most important branch of civilization, and which hasmost strenuously been extolled, by the zealous and pious fathersof the Roman Church, is the introduction of the Christianfaith. It was truly a sight that might well inspire horror, tobehold these savages, stumbling among the dark mountains ofpaganism, and guilty of the most horrible ignorance of religion.It is true, they neither stole nor defrauded, they were sober,frugal, continent, and faithful to their word; but though theyacted right habitually, k was all in vain, unless they acted sofrom precept. The new comers therefore used every method, toinduce them to embrace and practice the true religion – exceptthat of setting them the example.But notwithstanding all these complicated labours for theirgood, such was the unparalleled obstinacy of these stubbornwretches, that they ungratefully refused, to acknowledge thestrangers as their benefactors, and persisted in disbelievingthe doctrines they endeavoured to inculcate; most insolentlyalledging, that from their conduct, the advocates of Christianitydid not seem to believe in it themselves. Was not this toomuch for human patience? – would not one suppose, that theforeign emigrants from Europe, provoked at their incredulityand discouraged by their stiff-necked obstinacy, would foreverhave abandoned their shores, and consigned them to theiroriginal ignorance and misery? – But no – so zealous werethey to effect the temporal comfort and eternal salvation ofthese pagan infidels, that they even proceeded from the mildermeans of persuasion, to the more painful and troublesomeone of persecution – Let loose among them, whole troopsof fiery monks and furious blood-hounds – purified them byfire and sword, by stake and faggot; in consequence of which54 fieldston american reader volume i – fall 2007