The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1843-05-19
SPEECH OF col. COBB,

Head Mngo offhe Chocta,cs east efthe Mississ;p.
pi, IN reply 10 The Agent Of he U. STATES.
Brother--Wc have heard you talk as
from the lips of our father, the great
White Chief at Washington, and my PEG.
pie have called upon me to speak TO you.
The red man has no books, and when he
wishes to make known his views, like his
fathers before him, he speaks from his
mouth. He is afraid of writing. When
he speaks, he knows what he says; the
Great Spirit hears him. Writing is the
invention of the pale faces it gives birth
to error and to feuds. The Great Spirit
talks-we hear him in the thunder--in
the rushing winds, and the mighty wa
lers-but he never writes. Brother, when
you were young we were strong; we
fought by your side; but our arms are
now broken. You have grown largo
my people have become small. Brother,
my voice is weak you can scarcely hear
me; il is not the shout Of a warrior, but
the wall of an infant. have lost it in
mourning over the misfor,unes of my
people. These are their graves, and in
those aged pines you hear the ghosts Of
The departed. Their ashes are here, and
we have been left to protect them. Our
warriors are nearly all gone TO the far
country west; but here are our aead.
Shall we go, too, and give their bones TO
the wolves! Brother, two sleeps have
passed since we heare you talk. We
have thought upon it. You ask US to
leave our country, and tell us il is our
fathers wish. We would not desire to
displease our Father. We respect him,
and you his clild-8ut the Choctaw al
ways thinks. We want time TO answer.
Brother, our hearts are full. Twelve
winters ago our chief sold our country.
Every warrior that you see here was or.
posed TO the treaty. If the dead could
have been counted, it could never have
been made; but alas, though they stood
around, they could not be seen or heard.
Their tears came in the rain drops, and
their voices in the waiing winds, but the
pale faces knew il not, and our lands was
taken away. Brother: We do not now
complain. The Chociaw suffers, but he
never weep. You have the strong arm,
and we cannot resist. But the pale face
worships the Great Spirit So does the
red man.--'The Great Spirit loves truth.
When you took our country, you prom.
ised us land. There is your promise in
THE book. Twelve times have the trees
dropped their leaves. and yet we have re-
ceivetl no land. Our houses have been
taken from US. The whise,manss plough
turns up the bones Of our fatl,srs. We
dare not kindle our fires and vet you
said we might remain, and you would
give us land. Brother Is this truth :
But we believe now our Great Father
knows our condition; he will listen 10
us We are as mourning orphans in our
country hu, our Father will take US BY
the hand. When he fuiils his promise,
we will answer his talk. He means well.
We know il. But we cannot think now.
Grief has made children Of Us. When
our business is settled we shsll be men
again, and talk to our Great Father about
VIVA, he has proposed. Brother: YOU
stand in the increasing Of great chief;
lyon speak the words Of mighty nation.
and your talk was long. NY people ars
small; their shadow scarcely vsschee u
your knee they are scattered md zone \
when shout | bear my voi6S y ~
depths OF the woods, hut ~ xnewsIin
shou, comes back. My wotdsI ~