Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1843-01-17
sAcs AND FOXES.

| - tSAN0 SAtNV EOALfo.rH
The editor Of the Iowa Gazette atten
ded the late treaiy-makiag council be.
tween Gov. Chambers and the Saes and
Foxes, and in his last paper has an arti
Gle on the subject, from which we ex,
tract the following:
\ "iThe Sacs and Foxes are peThsps the
finest looking Indians on the globe-Oi
large, athletic, forms,and most grace.
ful carriage--and brave, high-mInded,
and honorable set Of fellows. There are
few men in this world equal TO the eeIe
brated Keokuk, whose commanding ora.
tory raised him,even in his youth, from
the common ranks of his tribe, and plac>
ed him, without Hereditary right, in
despite Of all competition, at the head
Of bis nation. Many statesmen in our
government might learn useful lessons in
diplomacy, land many Of our best orators
receive profitable instruction from this
gifted Indian.
"The younger son Of Black Hawk is
the Adonis OF his tribe, and is probably
the handsOmest man in the world. He
is SIX feet three or four inches high, grace
ful and elegant in his manners, and al>
though weighing perhaps two hundred,
he treads as lightly as an infant. Hish-
e.kosb, chief of much distinction a.
mong them, is a talented man, and
though as brave as C@sar, he is a regular
built Brummel exquisite. He usually
sports an ebony, cane With glOriousIy
large and bright brass head, which be
twiEls in his fingers in the most elegant
style imaginable, and when sitting rests
his chin and lips upon the brilliant orna~
ment. a Ia 'the fine old English gentle.
man He is a smiling chap, and celebrated
as gallant, as your smiling gentlemen
usually are. 1t was rather amusing TO
witness his efforts TO come tho polite thing
over his brotheTsavages.
every night the Indian camp was con.
verted into a vast ballroom, and every
varietyof dances.known among them, from
the clothing ofthe dead to the fiat boat
double shuffle,' performed by them; the |
squaws have no part in these amusements, |
and usually manifest but little curiosity
10 Witness4ber performance. Il is any
thing bal dancing, according 10 our no |
ton, consisting as it does Of violent stamp.
ing upon the ground TO the measured
beats Ofa drum--a regular t4ring up-oF
the earth,orras the Mississippi indictment |
expressed it, kicking up fuss generals
ly;' though there is system in it, and we
noticed that the daGcers preserved excel.
lent time. The chiefa and braves are the |
principal performers in these scenes. In
addition to the beating of the drum, the
dances are erflivened BY perhaps the wild
est and most hideous yells that ever is.
sued from the throats Of human beings
And, allho' good christian might think
all Pandemonim had been turned loose
upon our praies, yet strange TO say
there is music in the horrid compound. |
"When all things are put into full blast,
the drum beating the dancers moving,
and the, singers yelling, hundreds Of L.
dian dogs join in the delightful chorus,
and it is then that the air is made redo. |
lent with savage sounds which make the |
listener quake while he laughs at the su-
tentatively ludicrOus character Of the |
whole scene before him. The young
Of the tribe amuse themselves, |
some BY apiRg The dancers at respectable |
distance, and others by wrestling, foot "a. |
ces, sc. Most Of these young rascals |
have horses. .6flheiF own and it was laugh |
able, while pitiabls, to see them abuse |
the poor animals BY running them from !
morning till night, sometimes in races,
and at others without any apparent mo, |
tive butte 'cut a spluTgs.'
"This is the only thing We have sgainst
the Sacs and Foxes-they have no mercy
on horses.. The abuse Ofthese noble an
imals IS the meanest sin which any one,
white, red, or black, cah commit. Il iss
great mistake that Indians are stoicS, mis-
anthropes, OF any thing Of the kind. A
more u0ciable, communicative, happy set
Of fellows than the Sacs and Foxes do not
exist any where. But we believe il not
only impossible but impolitic to civilize
them. They are happier as they arc, and
We should regret any attempt TO interfere
with their domestic policy. Place them |
beyond the corrupting influence Of the
white settlements keep fIom them that
destroyer Of human happiness among sll
cOlOrs, the death dealing 'fre-water, and
government will then have conferred the
best blessing upon the Indians, and the
only one for which they will feel thank.
f,il - & E"