The subjects which have engaged his
attention are regarded with deep interest by the philanthropist, the
philologist, the archaeologist, as well as many other liberal inquirers,
both in Europe and America, who, amid the scanty facts, cursory
observations, and hurried, random conjectures of those who have been
favored with a comparatively near view of them, have lamented the want
of such deliberate investigations and comparative examinations,
continued with sober judgment through a long series of years, as are now
offered to the public. We trust that a proper and enlightened patronage
will warrant Mr. Schoolcraft in completing his design. No man,
possessing his qualifications, has enjoyed his advantages. He has been
able to take up, at his leisure, the scattered links of a broken chain,
and fit them together. A chaos of aboriginal facts will be reduced,
under his hand, to some degree of order.
"Mr. Schoolcraft and Mr. Catlin have done more to preserve the fleeting
traits of aboriginal character and history than all their predecessors
in this field of inquiry, and none can follow them with the same
success, as none can have the same range of subjects before them.
Pages:
1360
1361
1362
1363
1364
1365
1366
1367
1368
1369
1370
1371
1372
1373
1374
1375
1376
1377
1378
1379
1380
1381
1382
1383
1384