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　　　　　　　　Adair　too　had　his　kink。　　He　believed　all　the　Indians　of

American　to　be　descended　from　the　Jews：　the　same　laws；　usages；　rites

and　ceremonies；　the　same　sacrifices；　priests；　prophets；　fasts　and

festivals；　almost　the　same　religion；　and　that　they　all　spoke　Hebrew。

For　altho　he　writes　particularly　of　the　Southern　Indians　only；　the

Catawbas；　Creeks；　Cherokees；　Chickasaws　and　Choctaws；　with　whom　alone

he　was　personally　acquainted；　yet　he　generalises　whatever　he　found

among　them；　and　brings　himself　to　believe　that　the　hundred　languages

of　America；　differing　fundamentally　every　one　from　every　other；　as

much　as　Greek　from　Gothic；　have　yet　all　one　common　prototype。　　He　was

a　trader；　a　man　of　learning；　a　self…taught　Hebraist；　a　strong

religionist；　and　of　as　sound　a　mind　as　Don　Quixot　in　whatever　did　not

touch　his　religious　chivalry。　　His　book　contains　a　great　deal　of　real

instruction　on　it's　subject；　only　requiring　the　reader　to　be

constantly　on　his　guard　against　the　wonderful　obliquities　of　his

theory。




　　　　　　　　The　scope　of　your　enquiry　would　scarcely；　I　suppose；　take　in

the　three　folio　volumes　of　Latin　by　De　Bry。　　In　these　fact　and　fable

are　mingled　together；　without　regard　to　any　favorite　system。　　They

are　less　suspicious　therefore　in　their　complexion；　more　original　and

authentic；　than　those　of　Lafitau　and　Adair。　　This　is　a　work　of　great

curiosity；　extremely　rare；　so　as　never　to　be　bought　in　Europe；　but　on

the　breaking　up；　and　selling　some　antient　library。　　On　one　of　these

occasions　a　bookseller　procured　me　a　copy；　which；　unless　you　have

one；　is　probably　the　only　one　in　America。




　　　　　　　　You　ask　further；　if　the　Indians　have　any　order　of　priesthood

among　them；　like　the　Druids；　Bards　or　Minstrels　of　the　Celtic

nations？　　Adair　alone；　determined　to　see　what　he　wished　to　see　in

every　object；　metamorphoses　their　Conjurers　into　an　order　of　priests；

and　describes　their　sorceries　as　if　they　were　the　great　religious

ceremonies　of　the　nation。　　Lafitau　calls　them　by　their　proper　names；

Jongleurs；　Devins；　Sortileges；　De　Bry　praestigiatores；　Adair　himself

sometimes　Magi；　Archimagi；　cunning　men；　Seers；　rain　makers；　and　the

modern　Indian　interpreters；　call　them　Conjurers　and　Witches。　　They

are　persons　pretending　to　have　communications　with　the　devil　and

other　evil　spirits；　to　foretel　future　events；　bring　down　rain；　find

stolen　goods；　raise　the　dead；　destroy　some；　and　heal　others　by

enchantment；　lay　spells　etc。　　And　Adair；　without　departing　from　his

parallel　of　the　Jews　and　Indians；　might　have　found　their　counterpart；

much　more　aptly；　among　the　Soothsayers；　sorcerers　and　wizards　of　the

Jews；　their　Jannes　and　Jambres；　their　Simon　Magus；　witch　of　Endor；

and　the　young　damsel　whose　sorceries　disturbed　Paul　so　much；　instead

of　placing　them　in　a　line　with　their　High…priest；　their　Chief

priests；　and　their　magnificent　hierarchy　generally。　　In　the　solemn

ceremonies　of　the　Indians；　the　persons　who　direct　or　officiate；　are

their　chiefs；　elders　and　warriors；　in　civil　ceremonies　or　in　those　of

war；　it　is　the　Head　of　the　Cabin；　in　their　private　or　particular

feasts　or　ceremonies；　and　sometimes　the　Matrons；　as　in　their　Corn

feasts。　　And；　even　here；　Adair　might　have　kept　up　his　parallel；　with

ennobling　his　Conjurers。　　For　the　antient　Patriarchs；　the　Noahs；　the

Abrahams；　Isaacs　and　Jacobs；　and；　even　after　the　consecration　of

Aaron；　the　Samuels　and　Elijahs；　and　we　may　say　further　every　one　for

himself；　offered　sacrifices　on　the　altars。　　The　true　line　of

distinction　seems　to　be；　that　solemn　ceremonies；　whether　public　or

private；　addressed　to　the　Great　Spirit；　are　conducted　by　the　worthies

of　the　nation；　Men；　or　Matrons；　while　Conjurers　are　resorted　to　only

for　the　invocation　of　evil　spirits。　　The　present　state　of　the　several

Indian　tribes；　without　any　public　order　of　priests；　is　proof

sufficient　that　they　never　had　such　an　order。　　Their　steady　habits

permit　no　innovations；　not　even　those　which　the　progress　of　science

offers　to　increase　the　comforts；　enlarge　the　understanding；　and

improve　the　morality　of　mankind。　　Indeed　so　little　idea　have　they　of

a　regular　order　of　priests；　that　they　mistake　ours　for　their

Conjurers；　and　call　them　by　that　name。




　　　　　　　　So　much　in　answer　to　your　enquiries　concerning　Indians；　a

people　with　whom；　in　the　very　early　part　of　my　life；　I　was　very

familiar；　and　acquired　impressions　of　attachment　and　commiseration

for　them　which　have　never　been　obliterated。　　Before　the　revolution

they　were　in　the　habit　of　coming　often；　and　in　great　numbers　to　the

seat　of　our　government；　where　I　was　very　much　with　them。　　I　knew　much

the　great　Outassete　＇i。e。；　Outacity＇；　the　warrior　and　orator　of　the

Cherokees。　　He　was　always　the　guest　of　my　father；　on　his　journeys　to

and　from　Williamsburg。　　I　was　in　his　camp　when　he　made　his　great

farewell　oration　to　his　people；　the　evening　before　his　departure　for

England。　　The　moon　was　in　full　splendor；　and　to　her　he　seemed　to

address　himself　in　his　prayers　for　his　own　safety　on　the　voyage；　and

that　of　his　people　during　his　absence。　　His　sounding　voice；　distinct

articulation；　animated　actions；　and　the　solemn　silence　of　his　people

at　their　several　fires；　filled　me　with　awe　and　veneration；　altho'　I

did　not　understand　a　word　he　uttered。　　That　nation；　consisting　now　of

about　2000。　wariors；　and　the　Creeks　of　about　3000。　are　far　advanced

in　civilisation。　　They　have　good　Cabins；　inclosed　fields；　large　herds

of　cattle　and　hogs；　spin　and　weave　their　own　clothes　of　cotton；　have

smiths　and　other　of　the　most　necessary　tradesmen；　write　and　read；　are

on　the　increase　in　numbers；　and　a　branch　of　the　Cherokees　is　now

instituting　a　regular　representative　government。　　Some　other　tribes

were　advancing　in　the　same　line。　　On　those　who　have　made　any

progress；　English　seductions　will　have　no　effect。　　But　the　backward

will　yeild；　and　be　thrown　further　back。　　These　will　relapse　into

barbarism　and　misery；　lose　numbers　by　war　and　want；　and　we　shall　be

obliged　to　drive　them；　with　the　beasts　of　the　forest　into　the　Stony

mountains。　　They　will　be　conquered　however　in　Canada。　　The　possession

of　that　country　secures　our　women　and　children　for　ever　from　the

tomahawk　and　scalping　knife；　by　removing　those　who　excite　them：　and

for　this　possession；　orders　I　presume　are　issued　by　this　time；　taking

for　granted　that　the　doors　of　Congress　will　re…open　with　a

Declaration　of　war。　　That　this　may　end　in　indemnity　for　the　past；

security　for　thefuture；　and　compleat　emancipation　from　Anglomany；

Gallomany；　and　all　the　manias　of　demoralized　Europe；　and　that　you　may

live　in　health　and　happiness　to　see　all　this；　is　the　sincere　prayer

of　Yours　affectionately。







　　　　　　　　WAR　WITH　ENGLAND




　　　　　　　　_To　General　Thaddeus　Kosciusko_

　　　　　　　　_Monticello；　June　28；　1812_




　　　　　　　　Nous　voila　donc；　mon　cher　ami；　en　guerre　avec　l'Angleterre。

This　was　declared　on　the　18th　instant；　thirty　years　after　the

signature　of　our　peace　in　1782。　　Within　these　thirty　years　what　a

vast　course　of　growth　and　prosperity　we　have　had！　　It　is　not　ten

years　since　Great　Britain　began　a　series　of　insults　and　injuries

which　would　have　been　met　with　war　in　the　threshold　by　any　European

power。　　This　course　has　been　unremittingly　followed　up　by　increasing

wrongs；　with　glimmerings　indeed　of　peaceable　redress；　just　sufficient

to　keep　us　quiet；　till　she　has　had　the　impudence　at　length　to

extinguish　even　these　glimmerings　by　open　avowal。　　This　would　not

have　been　borne　so　long；　but　that　France　has　kept　pace　with　England

in　iniquity　of　principle；　although　not　in　the　power　of　inflicting

wrongs　on　us。　　The　difficulty　of　selecting　a　foe　between　them　has

spared　us　many　years　of　war；　and　enabled　us　to　enter　into　it　with

less　debt；　more　strength　and　preparation。　　Our　present　enemy　will

have　the　sea　to　herself；　while　we　shall　be　equally　predominant　at

land；　and　shall　strip　her　of　all　her　possessions　on　this　continent。

She　may　burn　New　York；　indeed；　by　her　ships　and　congreve　rockets；　in

which　case　we　must　burn　the　city　of　London　by　hired　incendiaries；　of

which　her　starving　manufacturers　will　furnish　abundance。　　A　people　in

such　desperation　as　to　demand　of　their　government　_autparcem；　aut

furcam_；　either　bread　or　the　gallows；　will　not　reject　the　same

alternative　when　offered　by　a　foreign　hand。　　Hunger　will　make　them

brave　every　risk　for　bread。　　The　partisans　of　England　here　have

endeavored　much　to　goad　us　into　the　folly　of　choosing　the　ocean

instead　of　the　land；　for　the　theatre　of　war。　　That　would　be　to　meet

their　strength　with　our　own　weakness；　instead　of　their　weakness　with

our　strength。　　I　hope　we　shall　confine　ourselves　to　the　conquest　of

their　possessions；　and　defence　of　our　harbors；　leaving　the　war　on　the

ocean　to　our　privateers。　　These　will　immediately　swarm　in　every　sea；

and　do　more　injury　to　British　commerce　than　the　regular　fleets　of　all

Europe　would　do。　　The　government　of　France　may　discon