pioneers of the old southwest-第9部分

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　prestige。　The　Cherokee　empire　had　now　endured　for　five　years　and　was　about　to　rise　〃into　a　far　greater　state　of　puissance　by　the　acquisition　of　the　Muskohge；　Chocktaw　and　the　Western　Mississippi　Indians；〃　when　fortunately　for　the　history　of　British　colonization　in　America；　〃an　accident　befell　the　Secretary。〃

It　is　in　connection　with　this　〃accident〃　that　the　reader　suspects　the　modest　but　resourceful　Adair　of　conniving　with　Fate。　Since　the　military　had　failed　and　the　Government　dared　not　again　employ　force；　other　means　must　be　found；　the　trader　provided　them。　The　Secretary　with　his　Cherokee　bodyguard　journeyed　south　on　his　mission　to　the　Creeks。　Secure；　as　he　supposed；　he　lodged　overnight　in　an　Indian　town。　But　there　a　company　of　English　traders　took　him　into　custody；　along　with　his　bundle　of　manuscripts　presumably　intended　for　the　French　commandant　at　Fort　Alabama；　and　handed　him　over　to　the　Governor　of　Georgia；　who　imprisoned　him　and　kept　him　out　of　mischief　till　he　died。

As　a　Briton；　Adair　contributed　to　Priber's　fate；　and　as　such　he　approves　it。　As　a　scholar　with　philosophical　and　ethnological　leanings；　however；　he　deplores　it；　and　hopes　that　Priber's　valuable　manuscripts　may　〃escape　the　despoiling　hands　of　military　power。〃　Priber　had　spent　his　leisure　in　compiling　a　Cherokee　dictionary；　Adair's　occupation；　while　domiciled　in　his　winter　house　in　Great　Telliko；　was　the　writing　of　his　Indian　Appendix　to　the　Pentateuch。　As　became　brothers　in　science；　they　had　exchanged　notes；　so　we　gather　from　Adair's　references　to　conversations　and　correspondence。　Adair's　difficulties　as　an　author；　however；　had　been　increased　by　a　treacherous　lapse　from　professional　etiquette　on　the　part　of　the　Secretary：　〃He　told　them　＇the　Indians＇　that　in　the　very　same　manner　as　he　was　their　great　Secretary；　I　was　the　devil's　clerk；　or　an　accursed　one　who　marked　on　paper　the　bad　speech　of　the　evil　ones　of　darkness。〃　On　his　own　part　Adair　admits　that　his　object　in　this　correspondence　was　to　trap　the　Secretary　into　something　more　serious　than　literary　errata。　That　is；　he　admits　it　by　implication；　he　says　the　Secretary　〃feared〃　it。　During　the　years　of　their　duel；　Adair　apparently　knew　that　the　scholarly　compiler　of　the　Cherokee　dictionary　was　secretly　inciting　members　of　this　particular　Lost　Tribe　to　tomahawk　the　discoverer　of　their　biblical　origin；　and　Priber；　it　would　seem；　knew　that　he　knew！

Adair　shows；　inferentially；　that　land　encroachment　was　not　the　sole　cause　of　those　Indian　wars　with　which　we　shall　deal　in　a　later　chapter。　The　earliest　causes　were　the　instigations　of　the　French　and　the　rewards　which　they　offered　for　English　scalps。　But　equally　provocative　of　Indian　rancor　were　the　acts　of　sometimes　merely　stupid；　sometimes　dishonest；　officials；　the　worst　of　these；　Adair　considered；　was　the　cheapening　of　the　trade　through　the　granting　of　general　licenses。


〃Formerly　each　trader　had　a　license　for　two　＇Indian＇　towns。。。。　At　my　first　setting　out　among　them；　a　number　of　traders。。。　journeyed　through　our　various　nations　in　different　companies　and　were　generally　men　of　worth；　of　course　they　would　have　a　living　price　for　their　goods；　which　they　carried　on　horseback　to　the　remote　Indian　countries　at　very　great　expences。。。。　＇The　Indians＇　were　kept　under　proper　restraint；　were　easy　in　their　minds　and　peaceable　on　account　of　the　plain；　honest　lessons　daily　inculcated　on　them。。。but　according　to　the　present　unwise　plan；　two　and　even　three　Arablike　peddlars　sculk　about　in　one　of　those　villages。。。who　are　generally　the　dregs　and　offscourings　of　our　climes。。。by　inebriating　the　Indians　with　their　nominally　prohibited　and　poisoning　spirits；　they　purchase　the　necessaries　of　life　at　four　and　five　hundred　per　cent　cheaper　than　the　orderly　traders。。。。　Instead　of　showing　good　examples　of　moral　conduct；　beside　the　other　part　of　life；　they　instruct　the　unknowing　and　imitating　savages　in　many　diabolical　lessons　of　obscenity　and　blasphemy。〃


In　these　statements；　contemporary　records　bear　him　out。　There　is　no　sadder　reading　than　the　many　pleas　addressed　by　the　Indian　chiefs　to　various　officials　to　stop　the　importation　of　liquor　into　their　country；　alleging　the　debauchment　of　their　young　men　and　warning　the　white　man；　with　whom　they　desired　to　be　friends；　that　in　an　Indian　drink　and　blood　lust　quickly　combined。

Adair's　book　was　published　in　London　in　1775。　He　wrote　it　to　be　read　by　Englishmen　as　well　as　Americans；　and　some　of　his　reflections　on　liberty；　justice；　and　Anglo…Saxon　unity　would　not　sound　unworthily　today。　His　sympathies　were　with　〃the　principles　of　our　Magna　Charta　Americana〃；　but　he　thought　the　threatened　division　of　the　English…speaking　peoples　the　greatest　evil　that　could　befall　civilization。　His　voluminous　work　discloses　a　man　not　only　of　wide　mental　outlook　but　a　practical　man　with　a　sense　of　commercial　values。　Yet；　instead　of　making　a　career　for　himself　among　his　own　caste；　he　made　his　home　for　over　thirty　years　in　the　Chickasaw　towns；　and　it　is　plain　that；　with　the　exception　of　some　of　his　older　brother　traders；　he　preferred　the　Chickasaw　to　any　other　society。

The　complete　explanation　of　such　men　as　Adair　we　need　not　expect　to　find　stated　anywherenot　even　in　and　between　the　lines　of　his　book。　The　conventionalist　would　seek　it　in　moral　obliquity；　the　radical；　in　a　temperament　that　is　irked　by　the　superficialities　that　comprise　so　large　a　part　of　conventional　standards。　The　reason　for　his　being　what　he　was　is　almost　the　only　thing　Adair　did　not　analyze　in　his　book。　Perhaps；　to　him；　it　was　self　evident。　We　may　let　it　be　so　to　us；　and　see　it　most　clearly　presented　in　a　picture　composed　from　some　of　his　brief　sketches：　A　land　of　grass　and　green　shade　inset　with　bright　waters；　where　deer　and　domestic　cattle　herded　together　along　the　banks；　a　circling　group　of　houses；　their　white…clayed　walls　sparkling　under　the　sun's　rays；　and；　within　and　without；　the　movement　of　〃a　friendly　and　sagacious　people；〃　who　〃kindly　treated　and　watchfully　guarded〃　their　white　brother　in　peace　and　war；　and　who　conversed　daily　with　him　in　the　Old　Beloved　Speech　learned　first　of　Nature。　〃Like　towers　in　cities　beyond　the　common　size　of　those　of　the　Indians〃　rose　the　winter　and　summer　houses　and　the　huge　trading　house　which　the　tribe　had　built　for　their　best　beloved　friend　in　the　town's　center；　because　there　he　would　be　safest　from　attack。　On　the　rafters　hung　the　smoked　and　barbecued　delicacies　taken　in　the　hunt　and　prepared　for　him　by　his　red　servants；　who　were　also　his　comrades　at　home　and　on　the　dangerous　trail。　〃Beloved　old　women〃　kept　an　eye　on　his　small　sons；　put　to　drowse　on　panther　skins　so　that　they　might　grow　up　brave　warriors。　Nothing　was　there　of　artifice　or　pretense；　only　〃the　needful　things　to　make　a　reasonable　life　happy。〃　All　was　as　primitive；　naive；　and　contented　as　the　woman　whose　outline　is　given　once　in　a　few　strokes；　proudly　and　gayly　penciled：　〃I　have　the　pleasure　of　writing　this　by　the　side　of　a　Chikkasah　female；　as　great　a　princess　as　ever　lived　among　the　ancient　Peruvians　or　Mexicans；　and　she　bids　me　be　sure　not　to　mark　the　paper　wrong　after　the　manner　of　most　of　the　traders；　otherwise　it　will　spoil　the　making　good　bread　or　homony！〃

His　final　chapter　is　the　last　news　of　James　Adair；　type　of　the　earliest　trader。　Did　his　bold　attacks　on　corrupt　officials　and　rum　peddlersmade　publicly　before　Assemblies　and　in　printraise　for　him　a　dense　cloud　of　enmity　that　dropped　oblivion　on　his　memory？　Perhaps。　But；　in　truth；　his　own　book　is　all　the　history　of　him　we　need。　It　is　the　record　of　a　man。　He　lived　a　full　life　and　served　his　day；　and　it　matters　not　that　a　mist　envelops　the　place　where　unafraid　he　met　the　Last　Enemy；　was　〃weighed　on　the　path　and　made　light。〃



Chapter　IV。　The　Passing　Of　The　French　Peril

The　great　pile　of　the　Appalachian　peaks　was　not　the　only　barrier　which　held　back　the　settler　with　his　plough　and　his　rifle　from　following　the　trader's　tinkling　caravans　into　the　valleys　beyond。　Over　the　hills　the　French　were　lords　of　the　land。　The　frontiersman　had　already　felt　their　enmity　through　the　torch　and　tomahawk　of　their　savage　allies。　By　his　own　strength　alone　he　could　not　cope　with　the　power　entrenched　beyond　the　hills；　so　he　halted。　But　that　power；　by　its　unachievable　desire　to　be　overlord　of　two　hemispheres；　was　itself　to　precipitate　events　which　would　open　the　westward　road。

The　recurring　hour　in　the　cycle　of　history；　when　the　issue　of　Autocracy　against　Democracy　cleaves　the　world；　struck　for　the　men　of　the　eighteenth　century　as　the　second　half　of　that　century　dawned。　In　our　own　day；　happily；　that　issue　has　been　perceived　by　the　rank　and　file　of　the　people。　In　those　darker　days；　as　France　and　England　grappled　in　that　conflict　of　systems　which　culminated　in　the　Seven　Years'　War；　the　fundamental　principles　at　stake　were　clear　to　only　a　handful　of　thinking　men。

But　abstractions；　whether　clear　or　obscure；　do　not　cause　ambassadors　to　demand　their　passports。　The　declaration　of　war　awaits　the　overt　act。　Behold；　then；　how　great　a　matter　is　kindled　by　a　little　fire！　The　casus　belli　between　France　and　England　in　the　Seven　Years'　Warthe　war　which　humbled　France　in　Europe　and　lost　her　India　and　Canadahad　to　do　with　a　small　log　fort　built　by　a　few　Virginians　in　1754　at　the　Forks　of　the　Ohio　River　and　wrested　from　them　in　the　same　year　by　a　company　of　Frenchmen　from　Canada。

The　French　claimed　the　valley　of　the　Ohio　as　their　territory；　the　English　claimed　it　as　theirs。　The　dispute　was　of　long　standing。　The　French　claim　was　based　on　discovery；　the　English　claim；　on　the　seato…sea　charters　of　Virginia　and　other　colonies　and　on　treaties　with　the　Six　Nations。　The　French　refused　to　admit　the　right　of　the　Six　Nations　to　dispose　of　the　territory。　The　English　were　inclined　to　maintain　the　validity　of　their　treaties　with　the　Indians。　Especially　was　Virginia　so　inclined；　for　a　large　share　of　the　Ohio　lay　within　her　chartered　domain。

The　quarrel　had　entered　its　acute　phase　in　1749；　when　both　the　rival　claimants　took　action　to　assert　their　sovereignty。　The　Governor　of　Canada　sent　an　envoy；　Celoron　de　Blainville；　with　soldiers；　to　take　formal　possession　of　the　Ohio　for　the　King　of　France。　In　the　same　year　the　English　organized　in　Virginia　the　Ohio　Company　for　the　coloni