schools and religious privileges, by
missionary efforts, to a limited extent. The Cherokees have a written
language, perfect in its form, the invention of Mr. Guess, a
full-blooded Indian. The Senecas, Delawares, and Shawanoes, also, are
partially civilized, and live with considerable comfort from the
produce of their fields and stock. The Putawatomies, Weas, Piankeshaws,
Peorias, Kaskaskias, Ottawas, and Kickapoos, have partially adopted
civilized customs. Some live in comfortable log cabins, fence and
cultivate the ground, and have a supply of stock; others live in bark
huts, and are wretched. The Osages or Wos-sosh-ees, Quapaws, Kanzaus,
Ottoes, O'Mahaus, Pawnees and Puncahs have made much less improvement in
their mode of living. A few have adopted civilized habits, and are
rising in the scale of social and individual comforts, but the larger
portion are yet _Indians_.

Mr. McCoy estimates the whole number of aborigines in North America,
including those of Mexico, at 1,800,000, of which 10,000 are so far
improved as to be classed with civilized men, and amongst whom, there
are as many pious Christians, as amongst the same amount of population
in the United States. In addition to these, he estimates that there may
be about 60,000 more, "which may have made advances toward civilization,
some more and some less."

For some years past, the policy of the government of the United States
has been directed to the project of removing all the Indians from the
country organized into States and Territories, and placing them
sufficiently contiguous to be easily governed, and yet removed from
direct contact and future interruption from white population. This
project was recommended in the period of Mr. Monroe's administration,
was further considered and some progress made under that of Mr. Adams,
but has been carried into more successful execution within the last five
years. It is much to be regretted that this project was not commenced
earlier. The residence of small bands of Indians, with their own feeble
and imperfect government, carried on within any organized state or
territory, is ruinous. Those who argue that _because_ of the removal of
the Indians from within the jurisdiction of the states, or an organized
territory, _therefore_ they will be driven back from the country in
which it is now proposed to place them, evince but a very partial and
imperfect view of the subject. The present operation of government is an
experi