Spencer Academy, Jan. 9th, 1854
Walter Lowrie, Esq.
Dear Sir:
In this letter I will endeavor to state plainly and briefly as I can, such facts, suspicions, and opinions, as are likely to help you in determining what to do and say respecting the New school's law. I will try and stick to the truth as closely as possible.
Col. Pitchlynn is no doubt the author of the law. He was very probably assisted by the Rev. Israel Folsom and Thompson McKinney. These three men were members of the Gen. Council and Trustees of the schools. They are authorities on all matters relating to education. The schools are really in their hands. They can manage them pretty much as they please. The Gen. Council stands ready to sanction all their doings. There is no man in the nation of sufficient sense, patriotism, and moral courage to stand up publicly against any school manners proposed by this triumvirate of which Peter Pitchlynn is Chief. These are the men with whom we have to deal. With the confidence and cordial cooperation of these men Spencer and all the schools would flourish. Without their active cooperation the schools would go on and do much good if they would only let us alone. But against their positive cooperation open or concealed the schools cannot stand. The triumvirate is over the schools " to root out and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant." Vide new law.
I cannot help feeling that the Trustees have dealt very unkindly with the superintendents of their schools in getting up such a law. Without previous consultation with them in regard to it. The profound silence preserved both before and after the passage of the law makes me suspect that Peter P. purposely turns the light because his deeds are evil. Perhaps he thought he could accomplish his dark designs the better if invested with plenary powers he could see the Com. of Indian affairs and the Secretaries of the Boards before the Missionaries had time to advise them fully of what was going on here. This is only suspicion.
Mr. Kingbury, Mr. Byington and myself were in Doaksville frequently during the meeting of the Council. We put ourselves purposely in the way of the Trustees and leading men. And talked with them freely about the schools. They had every opportunity of letting us know what they were about to do if they wished. But they did not. They, I am persuaded, purposely kept us in the dark and it was not until several weeks after the adjournment of the Council that any of the Missionaries knew that such a law was in existence.
The Gentlemen composing the Triumvirate cannot plead ignorance as an excuse for their disrespectful treatment of us. Messrs. Pitchlynn, Folsom, & McKinney knew very well what is due from them as Trustees to those who have the charge of the public schools. Their conduct was discourteous and unkind and without excuse or any palliating circumstance. In a note to me dated Sept. 15th, Col. P. writes: "We (the trustees) have met here to examine your report and feeling as we do desire to cooperate with our Superintendents in promoting the best interests of the schools." A singular way of cooperating with their Supernts to enact laws affecting the schools under our very noses (for we were in Doaksville the day the law was passed), and not say a syllable to us about them. "Heaven knows which way the wind blows."
The Law was introduced into the Council near the close of the session and hurried through without discussion. It is thought that two thirds of the members did not know what they voted for. Some have since pleaded ignorance as an excuse for voting for it. One man said the law was so long and was read so fast that before they got to the end he had entirely forgotten what the first part was about. He voted for it not withstanding. Samson Folsom told Mr. Kingsbury that the Council passed the law though ignorance and that when its character & design became known the next Gen. Council would repeal it. Mr. Folsom has no ground for thinking so. I doubt if he does really think so. I suppose he said this to soothe Mr. Kingsbury's feelings.
Unforeseen circumstances may make the law a dead letter but it will not be respected. The three Trustees knew what they were doing when they framed the law and got the Council to pass it. The three Chiefs who signed it signed it not through ignorance. There are six influential men in favor of the law and there is not one man of influence known to be opposed to it. I see no chance of its being repealed. The Choctaw legislators are too proud to retrace their steps. They will not undo their wrong doings. So I fear their wrong doings will one day undo them. Samson Folsom himself counts nothing in Choctaw school affairs. He and his father in law Pitman Colbert both together were a host on our side among the Chickasaws. Now that old Pittman's gone Samson's influence I fear will not amount to much. Pittman could be relied upon. There is no Pittmans among the Choctaws.
The trouble about Mr. Hotchkins and the High School may throw light upon the late law. Mr. & Mrs. Hotchkins have labored among the Choctaws about thirty years. They have been good and faithful servants and now they have received their reward!
Last Nov. was a year the Good Water Seminary under the care of Mr. Hotchkins was converted by the Council and by Peter Pitchlynn into a High School for young ladies. By a High School Peter and his noble friends mean a school for the children of the High Folks where the amiable Dears can do as they please. As was predicted, the daughters of the Aristocracy soon gave Mr. H. and the excellent ladies in charge of the Seminary trouble enough. It was with great difficulty that the school was continued until the close of the session. Being at Good Water about two weeks before the close of the session Mr. Hotchkins in speaking of the troubles they had had in maintaining order said "Mr. Reid, I have seen more of the Devils work this session than I have done since I came to the Choctaw country." Sad testimony this respecting the daughters of the Aristocracy. Some of the young ladies were whipped. Peter's daughter among this number. Some left the school in disgrace. It was manifest to Peter that the High School was a failure. Peter was grievously disappointed. Of course the blame must be laid on the Superintendent. Mr. H was not competent to manage the High School. He concluded however to try the school another session. Probably because he did not see clearly how to effect a change to suit him.
But the best schemes of men & mice going oft a glee and see did Peters last Sept. and see they may again. Last Sept. Mr. Hotchkins called on Peter and frankly acknowledged his inability to manage Peter's daughter by moral suasion. And as for switch suasion he did not wish to try that again for fear her noble brothers would shoot him if he did. Mr. H. was willing to take her on her good behavior. If she would not behave herself then Peter must take her home without any fuss about it. This Peter would not brook. What was clear before was ten times clearer now. Mr. H. was not fit to manage a High School. Proved. He could not manage Peter's daughter by moral suasion. And dared not do it by the switch for fear of being shot by her brothers Q. E. D. The High School could do no good to forty three other men's daughters if Peter's daughter could not be there to make the forty four. This is self evident. And therefore cannot be proved. Peter's anger was up. He bowed himself with all his might and the High School fell upon the ladies and upon all their people that were there in. A decree was issued suspending the school until after the meeting of Council. Now Peter's wrath long pent by selfishness and state policy got free vent and furiously did it pour forth against School Missionaries, Churches and Religion. The schools never did any good yet and never would as now managed. A change was loudly called for Look at Spencer! Nothing but a big primary school after all!
As for the Missionaries, his soul hated them. They were a trouble unto him, he could not live(?) with them any longer. They were all a set of fanatical abolitionists. He would have nothing more to do with them. He would not even sit in the same meeting with them. Thus Peter went on last Sept. at Stockbridge during the meeting of Presbytery. Peter in common with his Half Breed brethren is proud and passionate. Supremely selfish without principle and without patriotism full of visions of self aggrandizement and constantly and laboriously at work in building splendid castles in the air for the Pitchlynns to inhabit at no distant day. Exceedingly ambitious of being thought a great man, he mounted the present school system with the fullest confidence of being borne by it to the highest pinnacle of power and greatness whence he might rule the whole Choctaw Nation without a rival. But he missed it that time (It is thought he is going to try again). His disappointment is not getting on the pinnacle was bitter as his hopes were bright. Hence his dissatisfaction with the schools. There the fact that his own children and the children of the aristocracy generally, for whose benefit the schools were originally established, are effectively excluded from any participation in their advantages because the sprouts of the nobility cannot be made to submit to satisfactory and most necessary discipline troubles Peter and his half-breed brethren. Amazingly, I sometimes do not wonder that Peter and his peers do not care much about the schools.
Spencer and all the schools are full of children but they are the children of the lowly Tubbies and not of the lordly Half B. In Peter's opinion the children's bread is given to the dogs. He thinks this ought not to be and all the Halfs think so too. If Peter could get the bread for the children he would be willing to give the dogs pretty plentifully of the crumbs to keep them from barking. But for the dogs -- the no accounts -- the contemptible Tubbies to eat up all the bread is intolerable. Such a manifest departure from the original design of the schools will never be regarded with satisfaction by P.P. Pitchlynn & Brothers.
In carrying on the schools and other Missionary operations, we must not shut our eyes to the fact that there are among the Choctaws two classes of people, the Full Bloods and the Half Breeds. These are contrary, one to the other. The Half Breeds despise the Full Bloods. The Full Bloods are the Mass of the people. The Half Breeds are the Aristocracy. They rule the Nation -- posses the wealth of the land, and own the slaves. They are few compared to the Full Bloods. The Chief families among them are the Folsoms -- the Pitchlynns -- the Harkins -- the Leflores -- the Garlands and the Pickens. Of these the Folsom family is by far the most numerous. They are scattered all over the Nation and they are related by marriage to all the other Half Breed families. Indeed all these families are closely allied by blood & marriage. For instance, Judge Garland's wife is Col. Pitchlynns Sister. One of Col. P's daughters is married to Loring Folsom. Another to James Harkins, the Chief's bro. Loring Folsom's sister married George Harkins the Chief. Judge Garland's brother is married to Israel Folsom's daughter. And so on through the list. These leading men are thus bound together by family ties. These ties are much stronger than a person would think at first. I have not mentioned Capt. Jones name, because he stands alone and is not connected with the other families now.
The dissatisfaction with the schools exists among these families and the chief causes of this dissatisfaction are these three. 1st Col. Pitchlynn's great disappointment. 2nd The exclusion of the children of the above families from the schools. 3rd The very strong prejudices felt by the owners of slaves against Anti Slavery Men commonly called here Abolitionists. All the Missionaries from the North are known to be opposed to the system of slavery and because they are so they are regarded and hated as abolitionist by the slave interest. This throws up a very serious difficulty in the way of Northern Missionaries carrying on the National Schools satisfactorily to the slave interest. I sometimes think that this foolish feeling against abolitionists will turn out to be the great difficulty in the way of carrying on Spencer and the other schools. At Spencer we all feel that our strength is to set still. We do not say a word about slavery. We mean to keep still as long as we stay here. Privately I confess I would rather live in a free country myself. I am digressing a little and will stop with talk of Peter again & put an end to him.
The first two years I was here, I basked in the full beams of Peter's favour. In those days there was no school like Spencer. No Superintendent like Mr. Reid and no Board like the Pres. Board. It was dangerous for a dog to move his tongue against Spencer in those days. Then we had Pitchlynns and popularity plenty. There was Leonidas P. and Peter P. and John P. and Eastman P. and Jefferson P. -- two Sons and three nephews. Besides these there were three Howells and one Folsom and one Garland, all sons of Peters sisters. These ten were princes of the blood. They were known at Spencer as the Cousins. There were other groups of nobility besides the Cousins. There were Gardiners and Pickenses and Folsoms and Harkinses and Leflores enough in those paling days. But now there are none. The Sons of the Nobility have all taken wings and flown and with them flew all Peter's glorious hopes of Spencer. Now we lie in the shade. The days of Peter's favour falls upon us very obliquely. Since the flight of The Cousins, Peter visits, formerly so frequent, have been few and far between. He has been at Spencer only once in Eighteen Months and then I sent a special messenger after him. But why should he come to Spencer? He has neither sons nor nephews here now. Quae Cum ita Sint. There is nothing in Spencer worth coming to see. Spencer is no account now.
Last Sept. I begged the Trustees to give tickets to the best boys of my own selection, Peter refused point blank under pretense that the law would not let him. The following is the close of his letter to me dated Sept. 9th.
"If we should fail to carry out this part of our duty it would not be a long time before we would hear a potent voice rise up in our midst calling for a division of Spencer Academy.
"I am anxious to see you and to have a long free and candid talk with you about Spencer."
This extract shows what was in Peter's head two months before the Council met. This "potent voice" whenever it rises will be Peter's voice, though other lips may utter it. Peter knows how to row one way and look the other. When I meet with him he makes a fuss and appears friendly. This is Choctaw fashion. It goes for nothing with the knowing our Peter never says any thing but good about Spencer to my face but he says plenty of bad behind my back. Against myself personally I am not aware that he has spoken anything out of the way. If he would content himself with an occasional blast against us by way of easing his troubled mind, I would not care the snap of my fingers for it. But if he is going to take active and decided measures against us, as recent events make more than probable, then we had better put our household in order and stand ready to get out of his way as quietly as possible. Peter is the Atlas on whose shoulders rest the schools at present. If we could make him [face?] right and stand firm all would be well. But for this gentleman this is impossible. With God all things are possible.
I will now leave Peter and introduce to your acquaintance the more prominent of his Half Breed Brethren.
1st Rev. Israel Folsom. Israel is the nephew of the late Col. David Folsom and cousin to Col. George Folsom the present Chief of Push District. He resides near Washitaw, is about fifty years old and speaks both English and Choctaw fluently. He was educated by the Old Missionaries and is a man of considerable parts. He made a profession of religion in the Old Nation and was licensed to preach by the Indian Presbytery. Some six or eight years ago he quit the Missionaries of the A Board on account of there supposed sympathies with the abolitionist. Since then he carries his neck stiff and his head high whenever he falls in with his former friends and patrons. After his secession he joined the Cumberlands and was by them ordained to the Ministry. He is quite a big man among the Cumberlands of Texas and Arkansas. He has several preaching places in the region round about Washitaw. His church is small but on the increase and is known as Israel Folsom's Church. He tries to proselyte all he can. Last year the Cumberland Presbytery met at his house and made quite a stir among the people of the district. Last summer the Chief Geo. Folsom, Israel's cousin, left the Bennington Church under the pastoral care of Mr. Kingsbury and joined Israel's Church. Col. Pitchlynn has lately done the same. Thus Israel's Church bids fair to become the Church of the Aristocracy. Israel warrants his Church sound on the slavery question. He hates the abolitionist heartily. It is thought that he wishes to get some if not all the schools into the hands of the Cumberlands. He probably intended to have put the High School into their hands at the last meeting of Council if Peter and himself had succeeded in getting it away from Mr. Hotchkins. This would have been quite a wind fall for Israel's new friends.
The annual income of the High School is $3800oo. That this was the plan of Peter and his Pastor seems almost certain from the fact that the Rev. D. Lowry, a Cumberland from Tennessee and for many years a Missionary among the Winnebagoes, arrived at Israel's house about ten days before the meeting of the Council. Came with Israel to the meeting and remained in Doaksville until the council broke up. When he returned to Tennessee taking with him ten young men entrusted to his care by the council for the purpose of putting them out among his friends in Tennessee to learn trades of various kinds. Finding they could not transfer the High School bodily to Israel's church, they signified their willingness to take a part of the funds to establish a new school close by Israel's house. They agreed to let the A. Board return $1600oo to carry on a small school at Good Water and they would take the balance of $2200oo for the new School. But Mr. Hotchkins not being deemed competent to manage even a small school, must leave Good Water. Mr. H. must be sacrificed to appease Peter.
I suspect the 9th Sect. of the New Law squints at some arrangement with the Cumberlands. "The Trustees are hereby authorized to contract with any Board of Missions or other persons for the establishment of schools and Academies &c." One more statement and I am done with the Cumberlands. The Rev. Mr. Corley, a Cumberland lately Chaplain at Ft. Towson and now preaching at Clarksville, Texas, recently wrote Mr. Kingsberry to inform him of his intentions to spend one half of his time itinerating among the Choctaws. The Cumberland Board of Missions recently established were desirous of having a Mission among the Choctaws but as yet they had no funding. Therefore for the present they would only itinerate a little. Peter and his good Pastor will furnish the dear Cum. brethren with funds if they can. Just now the Cumberlands and their Choctaw Brothers are playing at, "You tickle Me and I'll tickle You." Both parties will be sick of this game before long I reckon. The Cumberlands are known to be pro-Slavery. This will go far to give them favour with the "Powers that be."
Push Pitchlynn, Peter's oldest boy. The same that borrowed ten dollars of you in New York and never paid it -- a Chip off the old block. A low blackguard accompanied Mr. Lowry to help take care of the Ten young men. The two other boys Peter has sent to Tennessee to be educated under Mr. Lowry & Comp. Mr. D. Lowry's star is the ascendant just now in the Choctaw House. But wait awhile. So much for Israel and the Cumberlands.
2 I come now to Thompson McKinney. This Gentleman passes through Spencer's yard on his way to and from Council and never Stopt! I saw him in Doaksville and charged him to be sure and stop on his way home and visit the school and give the boys a good talk &c. He promised to do so, but did not. A common thing among the Choctaw grandees -- "To say and do not." To be sure he was in a great hurry to get home as appears from his reading the law so fast that the members had not quickness enough to catch the meaning of it. And then in putting it in Choctaw for the benefit of Tubbie Members, he left out more than over half! For want of time no doubt. So we must excuse him for not stopping at Spencer. I do not know what he thinks of Spencer. But I do know from his own lips and from other sources that he is very much out with the School at Ft. Coffee. He told the Supent of Ft. Cof. Sch. that he (T. McK.) would take the funds from him if he did not do as he told him. Sometime ago I knew McKinney was hot for some changes in the present school system. He expressed to me the opinion that the Choctaws were able to carry on their own schools without the help of Boards. I told him plain out they could do no such thing. He did not like this very well and maybe he has not got over it yet. I suspect T. McK. Would as soon the Board would throw up the schools as not. It is very hard to get at the real sentiments of the Choctaw politicians. We can only approximate to them by an induction of particulars. To your face they will say all manner of fine things and behind your back laugh at the simplicity which believes them all. This is a hard saying. I sincerely wish it was not true. So much for Thompson McKinney. He is a very pleasant man.
3rd George Harkins is Chief of Apuk. District. He owns a large number of slaves. He was always an anti-School man. Both his sons and his daughters found the schools too hot for their fiery natures and quit them. This made George think less of the schools than ever. I have called on him occasionally. He always seems friendly but I have never been able to induce him to visit Spencer though I have tried hard. If business calls him North of us he will go round the back way rather than take the short cut through Spencer's yard. If the schools need help Col. Harkins will not give it. Why should he? He has had to pay dearly for the Education of his own sons & daughters in Texas. Some of his children are there now.
4th Old Col. Tom LeFlore cares no more for the schools than Col. Harkins. So long as his son Israel was at Spencer the old Chief would favour us with a visit and a talk once in a while. Since Israel ran away, which he did more than three years ago, Col. Tom don't come near us. There are one hundred of the sons of his people here but that's nothing to him. His son Israel is not among them.
5th Col. George Folsom Chief of the Push. District and a cousin to the Rev. Israel Folsom. George having joined Israel's Church will of course follow where Israel leads. He informed the Council in his message that the schools are very little good. I was sitting close by him at the time. The speaker of the House had called me forward to open the meeting with prayer. I suppose Israel told him to say something against the schools and he did so. On quitting Benington Church he told some of the members that he had let down the bars for the rest of the members to follow him into Israel's fold. From this remark we got a glimpse of Israel's tactics.
6th Capt. Jones takes no part in public affairs. He is the wealthiest man in the Nation. Having many slaves he is strong against abolitionists. He is long been the most sensible and substantial man among the Choctaws. A few years ago he got disgusted with politics and quit. He will not lift a finger to save the Schools. He has only one daughter and he is rich enough to pay for her education in the best schools in Texas.
7th Of Col. McCurtain I know nothing but that he is Chief of the Ark. District. I suppose Thompson McKinney shapes his sentiments on the subject of Education.
The pretence for suspending the High School was that inconsequence of certain vulgar reports affecting the character of Mr. Hotchkins, parents were unwilling to send their children to the school. The main report was that Capt. Duke's daughter left the school in the family way and told her mother that Mr. H. was the father of the child. There was not a particle of truth in this or in any of the reports. If any considerable number of the people believed them it was mainly because such men as the trustees encouraged them to do so. A committee of the Indian Presbytery fully investigated these charges and before the Meeting of the Council prepared a report clearly establishing the innocence of Mr. H. The Trustees and leading men professed to be fully satisfied that the reports were all false. The Missionaries thought that now the Trustees would issue tickets and start the school again. But no, the Trustees, though acknowledging that Mr. Hotchkins Character was without a blot, insisted on his resigning. The Superintendent of the school alleging that this was necessary to satisfy the people who would not believe that Mr. H. was innocent. Now the people to whom it was thought necessary to sacrifice Mr. H. was Peter Pitchlynn! The Brethren and the Trustees not being able to agree, the whole matter was referred to the Prudential Committee Boston. Mr. H. is still at Good Water but there is no school.
I feel very sorry for Mr. & Mrs. Hotchkins. They have been most unkindly dealt with by the Trustees. I send a copy of the report of the Committee that you may see how easily Peter and his friends can find cause for the removal of a Missionary whenever it suits them. They can get up an evil report against any man. Then under pretense of satisfying the unreasonable prejudices of the people, he must quit the school or Nation as the case may.
A few odds & ends and I am done with My Commentary on the new law.
1 The day the Council adjourned I rode from Doaksville in company with Col. Fletcher. He told me that Col. Harkins had a great deal to say against the school at Norwalk. Now the only reason why Col. H. is out with the school at Norwalk is that his youngest son behaved so badly last session that he could not stay in the school. His father had to take him home. Now he very down Norwalk.
2 Col. F. told me also that the plan of sending boys into the States to be educated and learn trades was very popular with the Members of Council. The leading men, he said, thought the schools in the Nation didn't learn the boys much. They didn't learn them any trades. The only way to learn Choctaw boys was to send them into the States. Since I wrote last I am informed on good authority that even Capt. Gardiner, of whom I spoke so favorably in my last letter, fairs strong for sending boys into the States to be educated. Capt. Gardiner says the schools in the Nation can't carry a boy far. A boy leans very well until he get to a certain point and there he sticks and the Missionaries can't carry him any further no matter how long he stays in school. I am sorry to say that there seems to be some foundation for this notion. As to learning trades that is out of the question at present. All this lowers the schools in the estimation of the people generally.
3 Recently Israel Folsom gave out an appointment for a "big meeting" at Bennington where the Chief, his cousin, lives. The only member he has in the region is the Chief himself. The Chief applied for the Bennington Meeting house for the occasion and was refused by the Rev. C. C. Copeland. This made him very angry. He said some hard things. Among others, he said to his brother John Folsom, "Why not let the old Missionaries go and let the Cumberlands come in their places."
Now of all that I have written this seems to me to be the sum. Vain is the hope of man," therefore "Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is he to be accounted of."
Yours Very truly
Alexander Reid
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