They are my first children in Jesus Christ, and everything that concerns them interests me greatly. I have baptized
several hundreds of these dear neophytes. At present the
Indians are menaced by great dangers. I will tell you all about this, without the least concealment, that you may see the difficulties in which these good savages are involved at this time.
The State of Kansas was admitted to the Union January 29, 1861. Its fertile lands and its central position, between the east and the west of America, attracted a great
number of immigrants. It has already more than 400,000 inhabitants, and over 400 towns and villages are in active construction and on the highway to prosperity. The Missions of St. Francis Hieronymo and St. Mary among the Potawatomies have become two cities; one bears the name of the mission, the other is called St. Marysville. Houses spring up as if by enchantment, and everybody exclaims
" How lovely I how wonderful l " But here is the sad reverse of the medal.
I will speak only of the Potawatomies, whom I have lately visited, and who are divided into two classes, those who are civilized and those who are not.
The civilized Potawatomies, that is, those of the Indians who are in submission to the American Government, form the majority of this people. They are at the present moment passing through a most critical, but not unforeseen, trial. They have recently received from the Government, with the full ownership of their allotments of land or their farms, a sum Of $500 per capita, something over 2,500
francs. This was the signal for the arrival of a horde of white men, who swooped down like vultures on these savages, and made unheard-of-efforts to ruin and destroy those
innocent creatures, once so happy. Drink, the abominable whisky, was brought in abundance to St. Mary's and among all the neighboring peoples, who had also received money payments from the Government. A great many sad sud59