Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-10-10
WASHINGTON CITY, October s.

Nation. We offer it To the public, with a
confidence that the sentiments of good
will it breathes towards The aborieines OF
the soil, will afford as much pleasure to
the reader, as they confer honor on the
government.
My Children, White Hairs, Chiefs and Var
rfors Of the OsaFe Nation.
repeat to you assurances of the salis-
faction it has given me to receive you
here. Besides the labor of such Jour
ney, the confidence you have shewn in
the honor and friendship of my country
men is peculiarly gratifying, and hope
you have seen thatyour confidence was lust
ly placed, that you have found yourselves,
since you crossed the Mississippi, among
brothers and friends with whom YOU were
as safe as at home.
M Children: ] sincerely weep with
you over the graves of your chiefs and
friends, who fell by the hands of their e.
nemes lately descending the Usage river.
Had they been prisoners, and living we
would have recovered them: but no voice
can awake the dead, no power undo what
is done; on this side OF the Mississippi
where our government has been long es-
tablished, and our authority organized our
friends visiting us are safe. We hope it
will not be long before our voice will be
heard and our arm respected, by those
who mediate to injure our friends, on the
other side of the river; in the mean time
Governor Harrison viii be direGled to
take proper measures to enquire into the
circumstances of the transaction, TO report
them TO us for consideration and for the
further measures they may require.
Mn Children: BY late arrangements
with France and Spain, we now take their
place as your neighbors, friends and ia
theirs; and we hope you will have no cause
to regret the change. 1t is SO long since
our forefathers came from beyond the
great water. that we have lost the memo
nv ut it. and seem TO have grown ouj of
this land, as you have done never more
will YOU have occasion to change your ia
Tiers. We are all now of one family,
born in the same land, and bound TO live
as brothers, and the strangers from be-
yond the great water are gone from a
mong us, the great SPIRIT has given YOU
STRENGTH. and has given us strength not
that we might hurt one another, bat 10
DO each other all the good in our power.
Our dwellings, indeed are very far apart
but not too far to carry on commerce and
useful intercourse. You have furs and
peltries which we want. and we have
clothes and other useful things that you
want; let us employ ourselves then in mu-
tually accommodating each other. To
begin this on our part, it was necessary
TO know what nations inhabited the great
country called Louisiana, which embraces
all the waters Of the Mississippi and Mis-.
souri,, what number of peltries they could
furnish, what quantities and kinds Of mer-
chandize they would require, where would
be the deposits most convenient for them,
and to make an exact map of all these
waters. For this purpose sent below
ed man, Capt. Lewis, one of my own
household, 10 learn something Of the peo-
pie with whom we are now united, to let
you know we are your friends, to invite
you TO come and see us, and 10 tell us how
we can be useful to you. thank you for
the readiness with which you have listen
ed to his voice, and for he favor you shew.
ed him in his passage IN the Missouri.
hope your countrymen may favor and pro-
tect him as far as they extend. On his
return we shall hear what he has seen and
learnt, and proceed to establish trading
houses where our red brethren shall think
best, and tn exchange commodities with
them on terms with which they will be
satisfied.
With the same views had prepared
another party to go UP the Red river to its
source, thence to the source Of the Ar
kansa, and down to its mouth, but 7 will
now give orders that they will only 90 a
small distance up the Red river ;his sea.
son, and return 20 tell us what they have
seen, and that they shall rot set out for
the head Of that river till the ensuing
spring, when you will be at home, and
will ] hope, guide and guard them on
their journey. ] also propose The next
year 10 send another small party I'D the
river Kansas to its source, thence to the
head Of the river of the Pants, and down 20
its mouth, and others up the river on The
north side Of tho Missouri. For guides
along these rivers we must make arrange
ments with the nations inhabitnp them
Mr, (sItfJrcu. I tVoe e,.-t,. g.. f...,.,, q . q.