The Ohio Democrat and Dover advertiser. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1839-1840, 1840-10-30
From the Knickerbocker.
A SEMINOLE TRADITION.
BY Washington Irving.


When the Floridas were erected into terri
tory Of the United States, one OF the earliest
cares oft the Governor, w. p. Duval, was di-
rected to the instruction and civilization of the
natives. For this purpose he called meeting
Of the chiefs, IN which he informed them Of the
wish of their Great Father at Washington that
they should have schools and teachers among
them, and that their children should be instruct.
ed like the children Of white men. The chiefs
| listened with their customary silence and deco.
rum to long speech, setting forth the advan>
tages that would accrue to them from this mea-
sure, and when he had concluded. begged the
isteryal of day TO deliberate on it.
On the following day, a solemn convocation
was held, al which one Of their chiefs address.
~ the Governor in the name fall the rest.
my brother" said he, 1--WE have been think
ing over the prosition Of our Great Father at
! Washington to send teachers and set up schools
among US. We are very thankful for the inter-
| ei, he takes in our welfare, but after much de-
liberation, have concluded to decline his offer.
What will do we'll for white men, will no, do
for red men. know you white men say we
all come from the same father and mother, but
yon are mistaken. We have tradition hand
ed down from our forefatherS, and we believe
it, that the Great Spirit when he undertook TO
make men. made the black man twas his first
aitompt and pretty well for beginning; but he
SO,Jn saw that he buDgled; 90 he determined to
try his hand again. He did so, and he made
the red man. lie liked him much better than
the black man, but still he was not exactly what
he wanted. So he tried once more, and made
the white man - and then he was satisfied.
You see, therefore, that you were made
last and that is reason Icall you my youngest
brother.
When the Great Spirit had made the three
men, he called them together and showed them
three boxes. The first was filed with books +,
and maps, and papers, the second with bows
aud arrows, knives and tomahawkS; the third
with spades, axes, hoes. and hammers. "These
my sons" said he, ''are the means by which
you are TO live; choose among them according
to your fancy.
Tie white man being the favorite, had the
first shoice. lie passed by the box of working
took without notice; but when he came to the
wesaons for war and hunting, he stopped and
looked hard al them. The red man trembled
for tp had set his heart upon that box. The
whAs man, however, after looking upon il for
a III (ment, passed on. and chose the box o
book aud papeIs. The red mans turn came
next and you may be sure he seized with Joy
upod the bows and arrows and tomahawks
As The black man, he had no choice lefl. bu
, to pd' up with tho box Of tools.
Flsnthis i, is clear that the Great Spirit in.
[ tendEd the white man should learn to read anc
/. wriA;f 10 understand all about tho moon ant
stara olatss make every thing, eyeIffum anC
I l wis rhatu thu red man shouid lie q firs
fate tuuter, and mighty warrior, but he wa
q no. ttI learn anything from books, as the Grei
:, Spiri. had not given him any; nor was he I
, make rum and whiskey. lest he should kill hir
: self With drinking. As 10 the black man, as h
0 had nothing but working tools, it was clear h
v was 10 work for The white and red man, whic
. | he hae continued 10 do.
We must 60 according to the wishes of tn
Great Spirit, or we shall get into trouble. II
know how TO read and write is very good fo
6 white men, but very bad for red men. make
Z. white men better, bnt rcd men worse. Somt
;. of tie Creeks and Cherokees learnt to read AM
write, and they are the greatest raScals among
all the Indians. They went on to Washington
Il and said they were going to see their Great Fa
= ther, TO talk about the good of the nation. Ant
{ when they got there, they all wrote upon lit
q, ,le niece of paper without the n ton at hom
knowing anything aboutit And the first thin
g the nation at home knew Of the matter, the,
were called together by the Indian agent, VIII,
showed them little piece of paper which HI
told them was treaty, which their brother
I had made in their name, with their Great Fathe
at Washington. And as they knew not whn
p a treaty was, he held up the little piece of pa
4 per, aud they looked under II, and 10 il covel
ed g,eat extent of country, and found tha
their brethren, by knowing how to read an
write, had sold their houses, and thei lands
{ and the graves of their fathers; and that tn
Y white man, by knowing how TO read and write
. had gained them. Tell our Great Father q
Washington, therefore thatwe are very sorry W
cannot receive teachers among us, for readln
= and writing, though very good 70: white ner
3 is very Dad for Indians"