The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-10-25
Nbs enquirer.
RICHMOND, asD OCTOBER.
CREEK INDIANS.

oH epf'i"eht, an interpreter and Indian
chiefs of the Creek nation. They arrived ii,
this city on Tueiday evening and left it yetter-
day morning for the CITY Of Warrington. Col.
Hawkins was extremely anxious to continue his
route, having been particularly inRructed nv
the Preident To arrive at Warrington by the
9th infant, or as foon as po:iikle.
The prcfent deputation has been invited to
the feat of government to hold talk for re-
organizing the treaty made lafi year, by which
they coded TO the United States that tract of
land IN the tate of Georgia, which lies within
the forks of the Oconee and Oakmulgee rivers.
by the articles engagement and cetiion entered
INTO on the gath April 1909, between Georgia
and the s., the u. S. agreed TO extincuit,
at their own expence and for the uie of Geor-
GA, the Indian title to this trace, as compen.
fatnn in part for the Yazoo empire. 1t was
with great reluctance that the Greek nation con-
tented to fell their right to this foil, but when
the treaty was brought before the frnate, for
their ratification, it was rejected on account of
the high price ofthcla land. The airniniftration,
We pfe.ume, Is uow attempting tn cxtinyuilh
the inGi.n title on more favourable terms
ine ~ 'ncipai man Of this depu'arion is the
f@'rd chief IN tile nation. The Greeks have
'irrt ~ thnlr head men, whom hey call chicfsor
Pc2kers When the 1t chief ia abfcnt on
hurting or wa" party, the fccond ,>,nnmands
H..
srd chef of .ae tribe ailimes the command
Thsft chiefs preGdc over the great council Of
tae na'ion, to which arc referred the mott in-
pmtant meatures: the forming of the laws and
the making OF peace or war. In the Creek ma.
ton this deliberativc council amounts To about
fl0. When the queftion before them relates tn
hntilities, they fummon tn their Sfd the brayef
warriors of their tribe. IF the, esnrefs great
anxiety for the meafure, the council draws back.
hting anxious TO throw all the refDonlibiIity on
them. IT they manifef any Indifference or op
petition TO IT, the council generally aiIume
ware iplritcd attitude. II this great council
the queton is debated until the aT.ir is fettled
to every ones apparent f,tisf.dion: no man
peremptorily adherng to his Oven opinion, but
, each giving way and modifying his own 70 as TO
come nearer TO the fentiments ofthc ref. The
ceiiahon of the debate becomes the fsna of
unaniniity. No vote is formally taken among
them there is no numbering of the yea. and
the nays; but the chief impy pronounces in
an ntsussative tone of voice: " You are A.
greed then npon this mea(ure." Ii IL be on
queltIon of war, the principal warrior addref-
! les the chief aud demands q il it war 20 The
ipcaser aniwers, - 1t is war''-at that monen,
the warrior lifts up the romaiawk, and the.
qneit'on IL iuppoird to be irrcvocab'y decided.
The Greeks have five men among them, who
may be regarded rs the hinorical and legal IL
hrares of the tribe. II is their office to collect
and tranifni TO iuccefliye generations their hif-
tory, antiquities and laws. At their annual fee
tival, theie men hep forward todeicrib. the diff.
'erent events which have happened TO their m,
ton, from the earIiet traditions down To thr
pretrtli tine. Theft imperfect records are thu,
oliiemlmated every year among the Whole tribe.
When the great cDunci! of the nation is in Ccii-
, on, thrfe learned tradt;onaries attend for the
I T,tYr ~fNF. II ,.sr,r-N d. =.
by during tie debate, Indifferent To the rcaiors
| and argument, Of the fpeaker., which thry are
| not expelled to record; until me chief comes
t" Pronoun the deciticn, ard to Erea. is heir
| accuracy that, according to Gel. Hawkins.
they Prst:rvc Tie deciEon in the very words of
the preGdent.
The Srd chief who ia now with the depstati-
| on under the name of Cnneil, is rcur-i;.ntrd nv
col. Hawkins, AZ by tar tine mott eloquent man
IN the Creek nation. lie is iinallcr than the or
binary itandard or mis- tribe, but equally erect
! IN his dePertment. Being defended from
white father, ne has Ion Inoit of the dtinrui.ll
ing charatteriitics of an Indian the copper
complexion; high cheek bones and thick lips
He ipesks Engii,h with forne cafe, but his own
language with ccniiderable huency. We were
preisnt ut one OF the talks which he delivered
to his companions, and our own o6frrvations
confirmed Che euioeium OF col. Hawkins. U.
delivered hm'eiT, with fnch graceful geHure,
tweetnets ot tone, and animationof countenancr
a" could not fail to pleafc the fpeGtator, igno-
rsot tho lie was ofihe fnbiest Of his hsranrue.
in one indlfprntblc attribute OF an orator. he
appeared er,ncntly KILLED. He had none of
thoie tremuious feelings of embarraGincnt or r
dehre for apPlaufe, which generally call off
the attention of the Speaker from the fub
jeet to the fpettator.-Apparently unaft g.
ed by The company who turrounded him, he
paiied FRAT on towards the point, which he
was !e@ktnG and upon thar, he concentrated
the whole energy of his mind. Il was a maxim
which Curnell ieemed to have thoroughly un-
derltood; that no man can commasd the feel
iDgs OF another, who isnot matter of his own.
The fubjecf OF this barangue was indeed e.
nough tn kirdie the eoquence of the un;utor
ed orator. He and bis companions had iun re-
turned from Wifi to the Capitol, the Armour
ry, the Canal and he took that opportunity
ofexpreliing the feelings of his own mind, and
OF exciting theirs. He told them that A few
years lince, when be was here with Capt. M Gill.
vray, he had left this place ffnall village. He
nowfound II arich & 1ourhinG city, with AN ad =
rnirable canal and an srmoury for furniihing the
people WITH the means Of defence. During th-
war witt Great Britain, he faid, we bad beer
much in want OF arms, though even then we
had fought 70 br.vely and now we had eRab.
li'bed mandatory, for fupplyiog every fol-
der in the fate with reufluet To what he
diked was this Crra, cOntr,1 70 h. aC,-,ihcd