Gansevoort Melville's language in Mah-za-pa-mee

2nd Update:
In 1831 Gansevoort took first prize in his class at the Albany Academy for his essay on the French Revolution. He excelled also in Roman Antiquities, Ancient History, and English.  Five years earlier, Gansevoort won first prize at the New York High School where he recited Halleck's "Marco Bozzaris" for an encore. That 1826 school competition is where Gansevoort served as prompter for a performance by some bigger kids of a scene from The Lady of the Lake.

Update:  Another of Gansevoort's preferred words that shows up in Mah-za-pa mee is "disaster" in the sense of defeat in battle.  Revising sister Augusta's school essay on human achievements, Gansevoort replaced Augusta's "defeat" with the word "disaster."  From a friendly squaw, Mah-za-pa mee hears "first news of the "disaster," meaning a Punca victory over Pawnee raiders.

The story, then, may interest those, who, studying man in all climes and situations, may learn from it, that upon him the slightest causes produce the greatest effects, and the same, alike in the forest and his state of greatest improvement; that red or white, wild or tame, alike fallible, he plunges into war from inadequate motives.
(Mah-za-pa-mee uncut)

He has been rewarded by the approval of the great and good of every clime, and is now enjoying in another world relaxation from the toils of this. (Gansevoort Revises Augusta)

The idea and words "of every clime" are Gansevoort's, not those of his sister Augusta who originally wrote:

he saved many a person from crime & misery who have & will bless the name of Howard. Does not every heart warm towards this man so surely formed in the likeness of his maker?

The phrase "in all climes" remains in the 1835 version, although changes there show careful revision, with "situations" for example changed to "circumstances" and "state of greatest improvement" condensed to "city":

The story, then, may interest those who, studying man in all climes and circumstances, may learn from it, that alike in forest or city, slight causes produce upon him great effects; that wild or tame, he plunges into extremes from no adequate motives.

But the 1842 magazine version and 1857 book version both drop much of the original introduction, including "in all climes."  Now the tale is ascribed to a fellow soldier named "D." whom the 1842 magazine version (but not the 1857 book) described as being "of the matter-of-fact order."