Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/441

 the North American Indians. 429

they behave with the greateft civility to each other. In all their Mated ora tions they have a beautiful modeft way of expreffing their diflike of ill things. They only fay, " it is not good, goodly, or commendable." And their whole behaviour, on public occafions, is highly worthy of imita tion by fome of our Britifli fenators and lawyers.

Mod of their regulations are derived from the plain law of nature. Na ture's fchool contemns all quibbles of art, and teaches them the plain eafy rule, " do to others, as you would be done by ;" when they are able, with out greater damage to themfelves, than benefit to their creditor, they dif- charge their honeft debts. But, though no difputes pafs between them on fuch occafions, yet if there be fome heart-burnings on particular affairs, as foon as they are publicly known, their red Archimagus, and his old beloved men, convene and decide, in a very amicable manner, when both parties become quite eafy. They have no compulfive power to force the debtor to pay i yet the creditor can diftrain his goods or chattels, and juftly fatisfy himfelf without the lead interruption and, by one of his relations, he fends back in a very civil manner, the overplus to the owner. Thefe inftances indeed feldom happen, for as they know each other's temper, they are very cautious of irritating, as the confequences might one day prove fatal they never fcold each other when fober they conceal their enmity be it ever fo< violent, and will converfe together with fmooth kind language, and an obliging eafy behaviour, while envy is preying on their heart. In general, they are very punctual in paying what they owe among themfelves, but they are grown quite carelefs in difcharging what they owe to the traders,,. fince the commencement of our deftructive plan of general licences. " An old debt," is a proverbial exprefiion with them, of " nothing."

There are many petty crimes v/hich their young people are guilty of, to which our law's annex fevere punimment, but their's only an ironical way of jefting. They commend the criminal before a large audience, for pra&ifmg the virtue, oppofite to the crime, that he is known to be guilty of. If it is for theft, they praife his honeft principles-, and they com mend a warrior for having behaved valiantly againft the enemy, when he acted cowardly ; they introduce the minuted circumftances of the affair, with fevere farcafms which wound deeply. I have known them \

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