Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1844-09-07
MANIFESTO OF THE BEARS
TO THE. BADGRRs. !

4 " AhE bhDoLhSss
Badgers! We sue for truce. We implore
you to spare The poor remnant of Us. Remem.
Der that you might yourselves have been born
bears instead of badgers. Why are we thus
buchered, shot, skinned, quarieredl our wives
slain and our children taken prisoners and
held 10 bondage like SO many Africanss Would
you treat ,chite bears thus! or even grizzly
bears! Let US expostulale-letu US demonstrate
let Us reason with you. And first, let US
ask, il we are not your fellow citizens-l nay;
if we are not Natives TO the manor born"1
nay more; if we are not by the letter of the
Statute book enacted by your legislative, FREE.
MEN! entitled to act with the other ..iaha5it.
ants in adopting a constitution! Our home
is in this Terrltory-north Of The Wisconsin
river. We are not mere squa,ters. We were
born here. Our fathers were born here. Our
title is not of yesterday. Our ancestors held
possession here before Geer, or Davidson or
Vineyard or Graham, or any of The old badgers
had dug hole here; nay before the Americ an
rebellion! nay; before the paper charter claim
OF Virginiam nay; before Blackhawk's red pro.
genitors had roamed from the wilds of Tartary
and padded their bark canoes hither, across
the isihmus of Darien.!! Surely we are neilh.
er 'neophytes" not the children of"neophy,es"!
We have geaealogy as ancient as Rome and
pedigree as noble as the haughtiest of you.
! Mas IF IL
cousin TO the she wolf that sucked Romulus,
The founder Of the Roman empire, What are
the Badgers that they should affec, 10 be more
than peers Of us! Have you more ancient
pedigree? are you fat,er! Have you warmer
dresses, or more physical strength Are you
less brutal! Are your annals stained with
less OF crime and of blood. Ye, you treat Us
like strangers, enemies, outlaws, If your
umbermen in the pinery, were 10 receive from
US one title of the savage treatment you have
offered US, would they bear ia Aye! They
'cOuH BEAR 1T, with vengeance!!
The case is simply this: Last May, there
came frost-"a killing frost''; and when we
went out, as usual. 10 hunt mast, the acorns
came up missing Thus deprived of sus,en
ance, and almost famished with hunger, we
started with our wives and children for land
of milder skies and warmer suns; our imagina.
lions piciurng to US forests of living green in
The south. groaning under the burden of acorns
and pecannuIs innumerable. We did no,
cross the Wisconsin by the ferries; for the
boats are small and i'll suited to emgrants.
We did not travel in the highways; for we
found them nearly impossible; but we took a
bear ine-the sucker shoot; each family 90.
ing by itself--like Mormons evacuaiing Kir,.
land. That we were travelling. like the children
Of Jacob into Egypt, with any fell design upon
co'7.feids-Ihai we started upon any predato-
re- excursion, with purpose Of robbing roosis,
uproo,ing corrfelds, Staying ghosily swine or
killing lousy calves, is false, slanderous
and malicious accusation. That the necessi.
ties Of hunger have compelled US ia some in
stances to appropriate private property is mos,
true. Is it charitable to kill poor bear, ia.
tigued and emaciated with hunger, because
! you catch him in a cornfeld of Sunday,
shelling little corn for his dinnerl What
says Valtel! b. ?. oh. 9. p. AS. "1he earth
was designed to feed its inhabitants; and The
property OF one, ought not to reduce him who is
in the want of every thing, to die with hunger"
Again: Extreme necessity revives the print.
tive communion; the abolition of which ought
TO deprive no one of The necessaries of life"
Necessity, dire. pressing necessity; hunger,
which is even allowed 10 break through stone
i0alks, excuses the every head and front of our
offending. We have done you none of those
wrongs and crimes which you daily practice
upon each other. We have Gu. no pnrses-no
lhroass. We are guilIess frapes, burglaries
treason or arson; yet you turn out--all you
rag shay and bob.tail-every thing two legged
that can pull a trigger, and shoot US down as
remorselessly as you would Mormon chiefs!
Dot upon such savage ferocily: such brutal,
cold. blcoded murder! Badgers! for these wan
ton outrages, you deserve TO be roasted in
place as much hotter than that to which you
are fast travelling. than that place is hotter
than the north side Of an Arctic ice-house!!!
(Signed) BIG BLACK.FOOT,
Chief of the Bearfoo,ed Rangers.
BEARS KILLED AND TAKEN PRIsoNERs.-Mr.
Kills oui-Nimrods Nimrod. He and Mr.. Man.