LIS

42

BRAINERD

a Missionary Station among the Cherokees.

43

MONROVIA,

a settlement of the American Colonization Society in Libera.

41,

MISSIONS AMONG THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS.

THE efforts which have been made by Christian Benevolence, to spread the Gospel among the Indians in our country, have been generally attended with much success.- -The success which attended the labours of Elliot, Mayhew, and others in New-England, and of that devoted missionary David Brainerd, (who went alone among the Indians in New-Jersey, about 80 years ago,) will stand as a monument of the power of the Gospel, to change savages into mild, peaceable, and devoted Christians.

Of late years, the attention of the Christian public has been awakened on beholding the moral degradation of the Indians, in our country, and efforts have been made to carry the light of Christianity, and the arts of civilized life into various tribes.--The Commissioners of the American Board for Foreign Missions have established a number of missionary stations in various tribes, the principal of which are that of Brainerd, among the Cherokees; Elliot, Mayhew, among the Choctaws; and Dwight, among

the Cherokees, in Arkansas Territory. In these, and other stations of the Board, churches have been organized, schools opened for the instruction of Indian children, and christianity and civilization have progressed with pleasing success.

The Methodist Missionary Society in the course of a few years, have established stations in a number of Indian tribes. Their mission among the Cherokees, the Wyandots in the State of Ohio, the Mission among the Mokawks and Missisaugas in Upper Canada, have been highly prospered. According to the report of the Society in 1827, the number of Indian converts belonging to the Church, was eleven hundred and sixty-four.

A tribe of Indians consisting of 180 souls, residing at the river Credit, Upper Canada, have with the exception of a few families, embraced Christianity. "Here" says the Rev. Mr. Case, "are seen the effects of Christianity on the manners of a rude and barbarous people. Here are industry, civilization, growing intelligence, peace and grace. And those who have witnessed the change, have expressed their persuasions, that this new nation of Christians enjoys a sum of religious and earthly felicity which is not al

ways found in civilized societies of longer standing and greater advantages. How great the change! A nation of wandering, idle drunkards, destitute of almost every comfort of life, have, in the course of twenty months, through the influence of Christianity, become a virtuous, industrious, and happy people !—The conversion of the tribe in the vicinity of Bellville, is as remarkable as that at the river Credit. Ten months ago, these were the same unhappy sottish drunkards. They are now, without an exception in the whole tribe, a reformed and religious community. They number about one hundred and thirty souls, and the society embraces every adult, of about ninety persons."

There are now supposed to be upwards of two hundred thousand Indians in the United States and their territories. When it is considered that we now inherit the land of their fa thers; when we consider the success that has ever attended the efforts to introduce Christianity among them, we must consider that they have strong claims upon the sympathy and benevolence of the American people.