Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/162

 150 On the defcent of the American Indians from the Jews.

derer efcapes, his neareft kinfman either real or adopted, or if he has none there, his friend ftands according to their rigorous law, anfwerable for the fact. But though the then governor of South Carolina was fufficiently in formed of this tragedy, and that it was done contrary to the treaty of amity, and that there is no pofiibility of managing them, but by their own notions of virtue, he was paflive, and allowed them with impunity to flied this innocent blood; which they ever fince have improved to our fhame and forrow. They have gradually become worfe every year ; and corrupted other nations by their contagious copy, fo as to draw them into the like bloody fcenes, with the fame contempt, as if they had killed fo many helplefs timorous dunghill fowls, as they defpitefully term us.

There never was any fet of people, who purfued the Mofaic law of retaliation with fuch a fixt eagernefs as thefe Americans. They are fo deter mined in this point, that formerly a little boy mooting birds in the high and thick corn-fields, unfortunately chanced flightly to wound another with his childifh arrow; the young vindictive fox, was excited by cuftom to watch his ways with the utmoft earneftnefs, till the wound was returned in as equal a manner as could be expected. Then, " all was ftraight," according to their phrafe. Their hearts were at reft, by having executed that ftrong law of nature, and they fported together as before. This obfervation though fmall in itfelf, is great in its combined circumftances, as it is contrary to the ufage of the old heathen world. They forgive all crimes at the annual atonement of fins, except murder, which is always punifhed with death. The Indians conftantly upbraid us in their baccha nals, for inattention to this maxim of theirs ; they fay, that all nations of people who are not utterly funk in cowardice, take revenge of blood before they can have reft, coft what it will. The Indian Americans are more eager to revenge blood, than any other people on the whole face of the earth. And when the heart of the revenger of blood in Ifrael was hot within him, it was a terrible thing for the cafual man/layer to meet him, Deut. xix. 6. " Left the avenger of blood purfue the flayer while his heart is hot, and overtake him, becaufe the way is long, and flay him ; whereas he was not worthy of death, inafmuch as he hated him not in time paft."

I have known the Indians to go a thoufand miles, for the purpofe of

revenge, in pathlefs woods ; over hills and mountains ; through large cane

3 fwamps,

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