Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1822-02-14


good many bufialoes in his country, which his
nation wished to be permitted to hunt while
longer; and after he was Dead and the buffalo
extinguishcd, his nation might plant corn and
raisc animals like the whites. He gave thanks
for the new clothes, prolcssed friendship for
the whites, and hoped soon TO retusn "a his
own country. t.N
The next orator, in different language, be-
gan by shewing his hands, and stating that
they were clcan--unstained with blood that
he had from boy been iiiend of the whites,
anu had been, on that account, an object of
suspicion among his own tribe. He said he
had seen our towns and our churches, and that
We worshipped the Great Spirit one way, and
they worshipped him another. He, like the
flrst speaker, deprecated the habits of ciyiliza-
ton SD long as buffalo were abundant in their
country.
One speaker began by saying he had been
very wicked in his life ne had been like u
mad dog; he had killed men belonging To all
three tribes, pointing to the rest but, since he
mad ksown i,is father, Major OFF, he had
heen ut peace. For the last three years, he
liad been as If his arms were broke--he had
not struck blow.
An ardent attachment to their country as
well rs their habits of life was frequently ma.
infested. They said to their Great Father. !"
you have fine country, great towns, large
houses tn 1--we in, fine clothes to wear but we
love our country as much rs you love yours
1Ou love To work-we don't want to work az
long as we can kill buffalo and steal horses
Our villages are small--we wont lie and saw
they are as large as yours--but our men are
as brave. Such as you see us, such are the
inen we have left behind us.
Two OF them spoke with great humility of
the red people compared with the whites,
whom they distinctly admitted that the Great
spirit had made their superiors. They all
expressed the pleasure they derived from
their new clothes, and one said he felt in his
new dress like an animal that had shed his
oiu mar and come out sleek in the spring.
Ihongh they IN general have a composed
ness and self possession which is unknown TO
Civilized man, 1t was clear that the first speak
er was not quite at his ease. Each succeed
Ing orator, however seemed 70 feel less of
embarrassment or rather reserve, until the
fourth was as loud as you ever heard a lawyer
at county court bar
Alter the chiefs and half chiefs had spoken.
e"ch vi tneir followers also made short
speech. One OF these, young man about s5
years OF age, upwards of six feet high, with a
remarkably handsome face, Showed hesita-
tion at first that produced general smile from
the more experienced orators. He was fluent
enough, however, after he had begun. He
said that his father had died when he was We
ry young, and that lac had grown up like the
grass which again shoots forth after il seems
to have been killed by the frost. He was not
yet great mamie was mere bowie was
not equal to his chief, but he endeavo,ed to
Keep close behind him quitting one fore fin
ger behind the other.) He hoped one day TO
be n leader in his tribe. This youth had been
mentioned by his chief in warm terms of COM
and FRO dbl 4
directly solicited for him.
When our iordly sex had finished tieir
speeches, which they seemed as fond ofmak-
Ing as are the members of some other great
co'"icus, the squaw, a comely young woman
oi eighteen, urged by some of them, APP
parenty In sport, approached the Presi-
dent and hanging her head on one side, with
pleasing smile and yet more pleasing III
nudity, said that her Great Father had given
the red men new clothes like the white men.
and they looked very well in them; that
those who had no silver medals would look
sill better If they had Them, and that she too
would like to be dressed as white woman if
her Father would give her new dress.
suspected the first part of her speech was sur-
gested by others, and the last was as natural
as her bushes and smiles. You see that the
love OF hnery is not created by civilization /; il
merely becomes more chaste and discrimi
mating.
Before the presents were delivered, the
chief of the Great Pawnees decorated himself
IN a singular head dress of turkey feathers. so
stuck IN the ridge ola long slip of wampum as
10 form crown round his brows, and large
oval down his back, which it almost complete
~ covered. An elderly chief of the Missouri
tribe, who proved TO be the husband of the
squaw, followed his example, aud substituted
head IN fI,.,t
giveu him. This consisted of a proGsion If
horse hair, stained, OF bright scarlet, and sur
mounted (r1sum fenedtiS ? with two polished
taper horns, as long as those Of an OK. There
was, howeter,i assure you,nothing in the looks
or demeanor OF his spouse TO Justify the wick
ed ideas which this iil-omened ornament suc
gested
After the conference was at an end, thew
partook Divine, cake, and other refreshments
OF which they were no wise sparing and
then lighting ther pipes, filed with wild tobac-
co, they smoked awhile, and presented their
several pipes to the President, Chief Justice
ana DINERS, to take whit, in token of peace
and amity.
1t is impossible to see these people. and he.
lieye, as do, that they are destined, in no We
ry long lapse of time, TO disappear from the
FACE of the earth, without feeling for them
great interest With some vices, and much
Srossness, they possess many fine traits of cha.
racter; and we never can forget that they
we're the naive lords of that soil which they
are gradually yielding to their invaders. Yes.
firmly believe that all our liberal aud humane
attempts to civilize them will prove hopeless
and unavaiDg. Whether it is that they ac-
qure our bad habits before our good ones. or
that their course life has, by its long CONT
nuance, so modified tie nature of their rare
that 1t cannot thrive under the restraints ofci
yIlizatlon, know not; butt is certain that all
the tribes which have remained among us have
gradually dwlndIed to insignifcance or be-
come entirely extinct. You know that every
experiment to rear the young wild duck has
I.lI cd I'd il,rA AI.1.r T.. L