Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1840-11-14
ORIGIN OF THE WHITE. THE RED.
8 AND TIE BLACK MEN.
A SEMINOLE TRADITION:

t8 AND TIE BLACK MEN. 4
4 SEMINOLE ~TRADITroN:
When the Floridss were erected into a terrific
~ of the United States. one of the ear lest care
of the Covering, Wiiisn P Dual, was airecte,
to the instruction and Civilization of the ~patiyes.-
For this purpose hssslled / meeting Of the chiefs
in which he informed them of the wish Of thei
Great Father al Washington that they shout.
have school. and teachers among them, and ,ha'
their children should be instructed like the chill
dren Of white-men. The chiefs listened with theii
Customary silence and 1ecorum to a long speech,
setting forth the ads %aatages that would accrue te
them from this measure. and when he had con.
ctoded, begged the interval Of a day to deliberate
on it.
On the following day. a solemn consoeation
fwas he'll. II which one Of iheSchiefs addressed the
governor in the name Of ali the rest. MY broth
err said he, eve have heen thiaking over the pro-
p sition Of our Grea, Father at w Washington, to
send teachers and set up schools smnmg IT.. We
ATE very thankful fur the interest be takes in our
welfare; bot after much deliheraiion. have con
cludel to decline his offer. What will Go very
well for white men. will not do for red men. !
know you white men say we all come feeneshe
saihe father and mother. 'but You are Mistaken
We lave a tradition handed down from our FORE
fathers, ard We believe il. that the Grea, Spirit.
when he undertook 10 make men. made the black
man; it was his first attempt, and pretty well for
a beginning; but he soon saw he had bunsled; SO
he determined to try bis hand again. He did SO,
and made the red man. He liked him much bat
ter than the black man, but still he was not ex-
actly what he wanted. So he tried once more,
and made The white man; and then be was salts
fed. Yoaaee, therefore. th"t you were made
last.aod = tia reason call yoa ny younges,
rI
When the Gfea, Spirit had made the three
men, he called them together and showed them
three boxes. The first was filed with books, and
maps, and papeis; the sccond &ith bows and
arrows, knives and temahawks; the third with
spades, axes. hoes. and banners. These, my
.nns, said he. .ase the means by which you are to
i've; choose among Them according 10 your fan
w. gs |
The white man. beisg. the favori'e. had the
irs, choice. He passed by The box Of working
aois without notice; but when he came to the
Weapons Of war and hunting. he stopped and
hard at them. The red man ,remb!ed. fr
lie had set his heart upon that box. The whie
nsn however. after looking upon it for a moment,
'assed ~. ~ ehose the box of books and papers.
rhsY u q us4Ass ,urn came next; and you may be
ute he seized with joy upon the h"ws and ar
lws, and tomahs wks. As to the black man, he
nd no choice left. but TO put up with the Sox Of
,ols. t
From this i, is cieaf that the Great Spirit iu-
,n'ei, the white man should iesrn to read and
rite: to understand all about the moon and stars;
NJ to make every thing. even rum and yltiskey.
bat the red man should be-, a first rate hunter.
I'd a mighty warrior. but be was not to LEARNT
" thing from books. as the Great Spirit had not
ven him sny: nor was he To make rum and
hiskey, les, he should kill himself with drink
g. As To the biack man. as he had nothing but a
orking Tools, it waa clear he was TO wotksfor j
e white and red I'm, which he has confirmed q
do. $
I'VE must go according to the wishes Of the
Spirit. or we shall get into t!ouhle. To s
ow how to read and write, is very good for :
lite men bat very bad for red men. 1t makes
lite men better. but red men worse. Some of d
!. Croak,a c5 (hovnkaas learnt tn RSA1 and / =
iie. and they are the greatest ~raseals among all p
Indians. They went on to Washington. and v
! they we're going TOO see their 0esat Father d
shout Il good ofthe' nation. And when e
y 60, these, they all wrote upon a little piece A
paper. without the nation at home kno~ine b
thing about il. And the. 6rst thing the n
al home knew Of The matter. they were called a,
sfhea by The Indian ageni, who showed them q q,
b piece Of paper. which he told them was te
~, which their brethren had made in their az
he. with their Crest Father at Washington Of
4 - shey knew nos = hat a treaty was. he held ID
lhs little piece ofpaper. and they in,tsd under W
md II. ii cosefeda great extent of couniry. III
fnund that1heir bre,hEeB, by knowing +. A
!, u sssd md sirits. had sold their houses. and OF
andshs graves Of their fa.aer; md III
the whiis snsn, BY knowing bow i" read and tn
had gained them.* Tell chr G,sas Fafker ia
Washington. therefore. fhst No sre very sosry m
rssnos receive asschers aiming u: f.; ,eadins hi
writing. though ve;y good fof white men, III M
bad for Indians oa
fi
il Pouer-Some msn say wealth 10 pow Nh,
ONE that knowledge is power, some this be
u l; power; but there Is an ap'thsgm 'hei sti
III place on high above them all, when IN,
n tina, Truth il power. Wealth eanne, par ia