“The Great Spirit of whom I teach and the Great Manitou, your idol, are the same; the happy hunting ground of the Indian and the beautiful forest of the paleface are the same; the paleface and the redman are the same.  There is but one Great Spirit, that is God; but one eternal home, that is heaven; but one human being, that is man.

“The Indian knows the habits of the beaver; he can follow the paths of the forests; he can guide his canoe through the foaming rapids; he is honest, he is brave, he is great; but he is not wise.  His wisdom is clouded with the original sin.  He lives in idleness; he paints his face; he makes his squaw labor for him, instead of laboring for her; he kills his brothers.  He worships the trees and rocks.  If he were wise he would not make gods of the swift arrow and bounding canoe; of the flowering ash and the flaming flint.  For these things have not life.  In his dreams he sees his arrow speed to the reeling deer; in his dreams he sees his canoe shoot over the crest of shining waves; and in his mind he gives them life.  When his eyes are opened he will see they have no spirit.  The spirit is in his own heart.  It guides the arrow to the running deer, and steers the canoe over the swirling current.  The spirit makes him find the untrodden paths, and do brave deeds, and love his children and his honor.  It makes him meet his foe face to face, and if he is to die it gives him strength to die—­a man.  The spirit is what makes him different from the arrow, the canoe, the mountain, and all the birds and beasts.  For it is born of the Great Spirit, the creator of all.  Him you must worship.

“Redmen, this worship is understanding your spirit and teaching it to do good deeds.  It is called Christianity.  Christianity is love.  If you will love the Great Spirit you will love your wives, your children, your brothers, your friends, your foes—­you will love the palefaces.  No more will you idle in winter and wage wars in summer.  You will wear your knife and tomahawk only when you hunt for meat.  You will be kind, gentle, loving, virtuous—­you will have grown wise.  When your days are done you will meet all your loved ones in the beautiful forest.  There, where the flowers bloom, the fruits ripen always, where the pleasant water glides and the summer winds whisper sweetly, there peace will dwell forever.

“Comrades, be wise, think earnestly.  Forget the wicked paleface; for there are many wicked palefaces.  They sell the serpent firewater; they lie and steal and kill.  These palefaces’ eyes are still clouded.  If they do not open they will never see the beautiful forest.  You have much to forgive, but those who forgive please the Great Spirit; you must give yourselves to love, but those who love are loved; you must work, but those who work are happy.

“Behold the Village of Peace!  Once it contained few; now there are many.  Where once the dark forest shaded the land, see the cabins, the farms, the horses, the cattle!  Field on field of waving, golden grain shine there under your eyes.  The earth has blossomed abundance.  Idling and fighting made not these rich harvests.  Belief made love; love made wise eyes; wise eyes saw, and lo! there came plenty.