--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The spirit of the whites was really…" description: "\"“The spirit of the whites was really devilish; they seemed determined to drive the Indians to the wall, not one had spoken a word in their behalf. . . ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/daniel-webster-jones-53328_religion_the-spirit-of-the-whites-was-really-devi_1889234.jpg" --- # The spirit of the whites was really devilish; they seemed… ![“The spirit of the whites was really devilish; they seemed determined to drive the Indians to the wall, not one had spoken a word in their behalf. . . I told the whites that they demanded of the natives, what none of them could do; that if they were required to make all their wrongs right that they…” quote by Daniel Webster Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/daniel-webster-jones-53328_religion_the-spirit-of-the-whites-was-really-devi_1889234.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/daniel-webster-jones-53328_religion_the-spirit-of-the-whites-was-really-devi_1889234.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/44b/daniel-webster-jones-53328_religion_the-spirit-of-the-whites-was-really-devi_1889234.jpg) > ““The spirit of the whites was really devilish; they seemed determined to drive the Indians to the wall, not one had spoken a word in their behalf. . . I told the whites that they demanded of the natives, what none of them could do; that if they were required to make all their wrongs right that they had committed for the last two years, it would bankrupt them morally and financially. . . I referred to the virtue and honesty of the Pimas when the whites first came among them, showing that all their vile degradation and dishonesty was copied from the white man. Also, that many now present were corrupt and immoral, much more so than the average Indian.”” [Daniel Webster Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster-jones/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. White settlers imposed unjust demands on Indigenous peoples, exploiting moral and financial bankruptcy to justify oppression. **In simple terms:** Whites exploited Indians financially and morally. Key Takeaway Question the moral cost of exploitation. Themes colonialism justice exploitation Mood reflective somber Type historical critical When to use this quote - land disputes - legal rights - historical reconciliation Key Concepts moral economy power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Can historical narratives be fully accurate? - How do we reconcile past injustices? A Different Perspective Complexities of moral responsibility can be oversimplified. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Demanded Natives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demanded-natives-2718782/) [Honesty Pimas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honesty-pimas-2718784/) [Indians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indians/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Told Whites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/told-whites-2718780/) [Two years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two-years/) [Whites Came](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whites-came-2718783/) [Whites Demanded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whites-demanded-2718781/) ## Related quotes > [No one had ever told me that whites were supposed to sing one kind of music and blacks another - I sang what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-pride/no-one-had-ever-told-me-that-whites-were-supposed-to-sing-one-kind-of/) [Charley Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-pride/) > [I might add, the whites who came here only say 50 years ago as immigrants have come into this country, they have set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/i-might-add-the-whites-who-came-here-only-say-50-years-ago-as/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“The Indians must conform to 'the white man’s ways', peaceably if they will, forcibly if they must. 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Lothrop Stoddard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-lothrop-stoddard/) > [“Should Indian adults attempt to use the California courts to bring such killers to justice, they invariably were frustrated because the law of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-e-stannard/should-indian-adults-attempt-to-use-the-california-courts-to-bring/) [David E. Stannard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-e-stannard/) > [Where today are the Pequot? Where are the Narragansett, the Mohican, the Pcanet, and other powerful tribes of our people? They have vanished before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tecumseh/where-today-are-the-pequot-where-are-the-narragansett-the-mohican-the/) [Tecumseh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tecumseh/) > [We did not know there were other people besides the Indian until about one hundred winters ago, when some men with white faces came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chief-joseph/we-did-not-know-there-were-other-people-besides-the-indian-until/) [Chief Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chief-joseph/) > [The two principles on which our conduct towards the Indians should be founded are justice and fear. After the injuries we have done them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-two-principles-on-which-our-conduct-towards-the-indians-should-be/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by Daniel Webster Jones > [“I took no part in the ceremony. Many declared we were angels from heaven. I told them I thought we were better than angels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster-jones/i-took-no-part-in-the-ceremony-many-declared-we-were-angels-from/) [Daniel Webster Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster-jones/) > [“I told them I did not intend to try to prove my innocence, but would help him prove my guilt if possible, for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-webster-jones/i-told-them-i-did-not-intend-to-try-to-prove-my-innocence-but-would/) [Daniel Webster Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-webster-jones/) > [“I was now so exhausted and sleepy that I could scarcely keep awake, although it was mid-day. 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But we have hidden our identity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rigoberta-menchu/this-is-why-indians-are-thought-to-be-stupid-they-can-t-think-they/) [Rigoberta Menchu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rigoberta-menchu/) [Browse all 549 Indians quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indians/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The spirit of the whites was really devilish; they seemed determined to drive the Indians to the wall, not one had spoken a word in their behalf. . . I told the whites that they demanded of the natives, what none of them could do; that if they were required to make all their wrongs right that they had committed for the last two years, it would bankrupt them morally and financially. . . I referred to the virtue and honesty of the Pimas when the whites first came among them, showing that all their vile degradation and dishonesty was copied from the white man. 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