Savages we call them, because their Manners differ
from ours, which we think the Perfection of Civility; they think
the same of theirs.
Perhaps, if we could examine the Manners of different
nations with Impartiality, we should find no People so rude, as
to be without any Rules of Politeness; nor any so polite, as not
to have some Remains of Rudeness.
The Indian men, when young, are Hunters and Warriors;
when old, Counsellors; for all their Government is by Counsel
of the Sages; there is no Force, there are no Prisons, no Officers
to compel Obedience, or inflict Punishment. Hence they generally
study Oratory, the best Speaker having the most Influence. The
Indian Women till the Ground, dress the Food, nurse and bring
up the Children, and preserve and hand down to Posterity the Memory
of public Transactions. These Employments of men and Women are
accounted natural and honourable. Having few artificial Wants,
they have abundance of Leisure for Improvement by Conversation.
Our laborious Manner of Life, compared with theirs, they esteem
slavish and base; and the Learning, on which we value ourselves,
they regard as frivolous and useless. An Instance of this occurred
at the Treaty of Lancaster, in Pennsylvania, anno 1744, between
the Government of Virginia, and the Six Nations. After the principal
Business was settled, the Commissioners from Virginia acquainted
the Indians by a Speech, that there was at Williamsburg a College,
with a Fund for Educating Indian youth; and that, if the Six Nations
would send down half a dozen of their young lads to that College,
the Government would take care that they should be well provided
for, and instructed in all the Learning of the White People. It
is one of the Indian Rules of Politeness not to answer a public
Proposition the same day that it is made; they think it would
be treating it as a light matter, and that they show it Respect
by taking time to consider it, as of a Matter important. They
therefore deferr'd their Answer till the Day following; when their
Speaker began, by expressing their deep Sense of the kindness
of the Virginia Government, in making them that Offer; "for
we know," says he, "that you highly esteem the kind
of Learning taught in those Colleges, and that the Maintenance
of our young Men, while with you, would be very expensive to you.
We are convinc'd, therefore, that you mean to do us Good by your
Proposal; and we thank you heartily. But you, who are wise, must
know that different nations have different Conceptions of things;
and you will therefore not take it amiss, if our Ideas of this
kind of Education happen not to be the same with yours. We have
had some Experience of it; Several of our young People were formerly
brought up at the Colleges of the Northern Provinces; they were
instructed in all your Sciences; but, when they came back to us,
they were bad Runners, ignorant of every means of living in the
Woods, unable to bear either Cold or Hunger, knew neither how
to build a Cabin, take a Deer, or kill an Enemy, spoke our Language
imperfectly, were therefore neither fit for Hunters, Warriors,
nor Counsellors; they were totally good for nothing. We are however
not the less oblig'd by your kind Offer, tho' we decline accepting
it; and, to show our grateful Sense of it, if the Gentlemen of
Virginia will send us a Dozen of their Sons, we will take great
Care of their Education, instruct them in all we know, and make
Men of them."
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