aggressive,andwhollyinconsistentpolicy.Elijah,whostillretainedtheimitativesenseandadaptabilitytosurroundingswhichbelongtomostlazy,impressiblenatures,andinstripedyellowandvermilionfeatureslookedthechiefhepersonated,mettheagentwithsilentandbecominggravity.Thecouncilwascarriedonbysigns.NeverbeforehadanIndiantreatybeenenteredintowithsuchperfectknowledgeoftheintentionsanddesignsofthewhitesbytheIndians,andsuchprofoundignoranceofthequalitiesoftheIndiansbythewhites.ItneedscarcelybesaidthatthetreatywasanunquestionableIndiansuccess.Theydidnotgiveuptheirarablelands;whattheydidselltotheagenttheyrefusedtoexchangeforextravagant-pricedshoddyblankets,worthlessguns,damppowder,andmouldymeal.Theytookpayindollars,andwerethusenabledtoopenmoreprofitablecommercewiththetradersatthesettlementsforbettergoodsandbetterbargains;theysimplydeclinedbeads,whiskey,andBiblesatanyprice.Theresultwasthatthetradersfounditprofitabletoprotectthemfromtheircountrymen,andthechancesofwantonlyshootingdownapossiblevaluablecustomerstoppedtheoldindiscriminaterifle-practice.
TheIndianswereallowedtocultivatetheirfieldsinpeace.
Elijahpurchasedforthemafewagriculturalimplements.Thecatching,curing,andsmokingofsalmonbecameanimportantbranchoftrade.Theywaxedprosperousandrich;theylosttheirnomadichabits——acentralizedsettlementbearingtheexternalsignsofanIndianvillagetooktheplaceoftheiroldtemporaryencampments,butthehutswereinternallyanimprovementontheoldwigwams.
Thedriedfishwerebanishedfromthetent-polestolongshedsespeciallyconstructedforthatpurpose.Thesweat-housewasnolongerutilizedforworldlypurposes.ThewiseandmightyElijahdidnotattempttoreformtheirreligion,buttopreserveitinitsintegrity.
Thattheseimprovementsandchangeswereduetotheinfluenceofonemanwasundoubtedlytrue,butthathewasnecessarilyasuperiormandidnotfollow.Elijah\'ssuccesswasduepartlytothefactthathehadbeenenabledtoimpresscertainnegativevirtues,whichwerepartofhisownnature,uponacommunityequallyconstitutedtoreceivethem.Eachwasstrengthenedbytherecognitionineachotheroftheunexpectedvalueofthosequalities;eachacquiredaconfidencebegottenoftheirsuccess.