The Indians, in the Indian Territory, owned a large number
of slaves during the days of slavery. Aside from this, there was a
general feeling that the attempt to education and civilize the red men
at Hampton would be a failure. All this made me proceed very
cautiously, for I felt keenly the great responsibility. But I was
determined to succeed. It was not long before I had the complete
confidence of the Indians, and not only this, but I think I am safe in
saying that I had their love and respect. I found that they were
about like any other human beings; that they responded to kind
treatment and resented ill-treatment. They were continually planning
to do something that would add to my happiness and comfort. The
things that they disliked most, I think, were to have their long hair
cut, to give up wearing their blankets, and to cease smoking; but no
white American ever thinks that any other race is wholly civilized
until he wears the white man's clothes, eats the white man's food,
speaks the white man's language, and professes the white man's
religion.
When the difficulty of learning the English language was
subtracted, I found that in the matter of learning trades and in
mastering academic studies there was little difference between the
coloured and Indian students.
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