June 1st.  MISSIONARY LABORS AMONG THE INDIANS.—­There are evidently some defects in the system.  There is too much expended for costly buildings, and the formation of a kind of literary institutes of much too high a grade, where some few of the Indians are withdrawn and very expensively supported, and undergo a sort of incarceration for a time, and are then sent back to the bosom of the tribes, with the elements of the knowledge of letters and history, which their parents and friends are utterly unable to appreciate, and which they, in fact, ridicule.  The instructed youth is soon discouraged, and they most commonly fall back into habits worse than before, and end their course by inebriety, while the body of the tribe is nowise bettered.  Whatever the defects are, there are certainly some things to amend in our measures and general policy.

Mr. Stevens and Mr. Coe, both missionaries, have recently been appointed to visit the Indian country, with the object of observing whether some less expensive and more general effort to instruct and benefit the body of the tribes, cannot be made.  The latter has a commentatory letter to this end, from Gen. Jackson, dated the 19th of March, which denotes an interest on this topic that argues favorably of his views of moral things.

“The true system of converting the Indians was, it is apprehended, adopted by David Brainerd in 1744.  He took the Bible, and declared its truths with simplicity and earnestness in the Indian villages.  There was no preparation of buildings or outlays.  In one year he had gathered a church of pure believers.  Their manners immediately reformed; they became industrious and cleanly, and built houses, and schools, and tilled the land.  All this was a consequence, and not a cause of Christianity.” [58]

[Footnote 58:  Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 10.]

2d.  A friend writes:  “I believe the literary world is rather lazy just at this time; at least nothing novel, except words, has reached my eye.  Your Literary Voyager has lately been traveling the rounds amongst your friends.”

12th.  COPPER MINES.—­A private letter, from a high quarter, says:  “Col.  Benton’s bill, respecting the copper mines, which passed Congress, only provided for permission being granted to individuals to work them at their own expense.  There is no intention of doing anything on public account.”  This, it will be perceived, was the view presented (ante) by Mr. Dox, in his able letter to me on the subject, several years ago.  Congress will not authorize the working of the mines.  It is a matter for private enterprize.