American watchman. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1814-1822, 1822-02-26


of Indians, under major O'Fallon. to the pres-
dent of the United States in council on the 4th
of February 1922.
THE PAWNEE CHIEF.
My GREAT FATHER
have travelled a great distance TO see you'll
have seen you and my heart rejoices have heard
your wordS-they have entered one ear and shall
not escape the other and l will carry them to my
| people as pure as they came from your mouth.
MY Great Father-l am going to speak the truth
1.-The great spirit looks down upon us and call
Him to witness all that may pass between us on this
occasion. 1t am here now, and have seen your
people, your houses, your vessels on the big lake,
and great many wonderful things far beyond my
comprehension. which appear to have been made BY
the great spirit and placed in your hands, am in
debted TO my Father herc,-who invited me from
home-under whose wing have been protected
/ Yes my great father, have travelled with yonr
chief; have followed him and trod in his tracks
but there is still another great frther 10 whom ann
much indehted-it Is the father of US all--he who
made US and placed us on this earth | feel CRATE
tul TO the great spirit tor Strengthening my heart for
such an undertaking and for preserving the life
which he gave me. The great spirit made Us all
| he made my skin red and yours white; he placed
us on this earth and intended that we should live
differently from each other. He made the whites
to cultivate the earth and feed on domestic animals,
Ibut he made US red skins to rove through the un-
tculllyated woods and plains TO feed Wild animals
land dress with their skins. He also intended that
we should gote war--to take scalps-seal horses
from and triumph over our enemes-cultvate peace
lat home and promote the happiness of each other
believe there are no people of any color on this
learth, who do not believe in the great sprit--n re-
wards and IN punshments. We worship him, but
1--we worship him not as you do, We diFerfrom YOU
I'm appearance and manners as we'll as in our Gus
ltoms; and we differ from you in our religion we
Ihaye no large houses as you have, TO worship the
in = had III a
want others to morrow, for have not, like YOU
fixed habltation-we have settled home except
Jour villages, where remain but two months in twelve
we, like animals, rove through the country whilst
jyou whites reside between us and heaven but still,
1ny great father, we love the great spirt-we ack-
knowledge his supreme power our peace, our health
land our happiness depend upon him and our lives
lifelong to him; he made US and he destroy us.
My Great Father-Some of your good chiefs as
tthey called (missonaries) have proposed TO send
lsome of their good people among us, change our
habits, TO make us work and live like the white
ipeope-l will not tell lie-I am going to tell the
truth You love your country, you love your peo-.
lple; you love the manner in which they live YOU
think your people brave. l am like you my great
Father, love my country-I love my people,
Owe the manner in which we live--and think my
tset and warriors brave. Spare me then, my father,
i let me enjoy my country. and pursue the buffalo
1.-THE beaver and the other wild animals of our couna
II
a have grown up and lived thus long without work,
! am in hopes you will suffer me TO die without it.
We have plenty of buffalo, beaver, deer, and other
wild animas-we have also an abundance of hor-
Ises have every thing we want-we have plen-
ty of land, fyou will keep your people off of it. My
father has piece which he lives Council Bluffsl
and we wish him to enjoy tive have enough
without it, but wish him to live near us, to give
lus good counsel-to keep our and eyes openp
THAT we may continue TO pursue The right road-the
Iroad to happiness. He settles all differences be.
tween us and the wstes and between the red skins
lthemselves--he makes the whites do justice TO the
red skins, and he makes the red skins do justice
1.-The whites-he saves the efuson of human blood
and restores peace and happiness on the land. You
haye already father; it is enough, he knows
Ius and we know him--we have confidence in him.
1--we keep our eye constantly upon him; and since
1--we have heard your words we will listen more at
Itentively to his.