In the character of the Indians of North America there are many traits
which their white neighbours would do well to imitate. Among these,
strict honesty is one. Mr. Catlin gives the credit of this virtue to
all the wild tribes which he visited, not corrupted by intercourse with
civilized nations. Bolts and bars, for the protection of property, among
them are unknown. He cites many examples to prove this. The following
anecdote is from another source.
An Indian being among his white neighbours, asked for a little tobacco
to smoke, and one of them, having some loose in his pocket, gave him
a handful. The day following, the Indian came back, inquiring for the
donor, saying he had found a quarter of a dollar among the tobacco; being
told that as it was given him he might as well keep it, he answered,
pointing to his breast: ‘I got a good man and a bad man here; and the
good man say, it is not mine, I must return it to the owner; the bad man
say, why he gave it to you, and it is your own now; the good man say,
that’s not right, the tobacco is yours, not the money; the bad man say,
never mind, you got it, go buy some dram; the good man say, no, no, you
must not do so; so I don’t know what to do, and I think to go to sleep;
but the good man and the bad man keep talking all night, and trouble me;
and now I bring the money back I feel good.’