Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-11-01
RECEPTION OF THE PoTTAwATAMIEs BY THE
PRESIDENT.

On Thursday last the Pottawatamie Indians, now
in this city visedt the President accompanied by their
agent, Col. X. s. ELLIOTT, for the purpose of pay
ing their respects TO him as the head of the Govern
ment. HALF Day, the Pottawatainie orator, ex-
pressed to the President the qualification which they
all felt on seeing and shaking hands with their Great
Father. The President replied that he was pleased
10 see them; that some of them were old men,
who had come a long distance to attend to what
they considered matters ofimporance and that they
should be patiently heard, and full justice done to
them. The Government, he said, desired to pre-
serve relations Of friendship and peace with all the
Indian tribes; he trusted that before they left the
city all their business would be satisfactorily ar
ranged, and that the Ratchet between the red and
the white man might long remain buried.
Half Day rejomed that they had great respect
for the Government Of the United States; that they
had sold to the Government all their country upon
the great lakes that they never refused their Great
Father when he asked them for land; that their
reply was like that of good children, always "yes )
that they could not help looking back to the fine
country which they had parted with, where they
had left the bones Of their grandfathers that the
country is no longer theirs, but they love il still,
and when they think of it, their hearts are sad.
They had now, he said, country which they were
told was to be their home as long as the sun shines
anu HOWSS WilcTc ulcy WtIc W SiOW up HhC
the grass of the praires. II was good country,
he said, and they love it. They had always lived
up to their promises with the Government But
they had been asked go southwest oil the Mis-
souri,, and are in trouble for they know not what
to do. Eleven winters ago they were told, nc said,
that if they had but one wigwam on their present
lands, they would see there all that had been pro-
missed them but they mad not it all, and
therefore had come all the way to Washington to
inquire of their Great Father concerning it; that
there was cloud before their eyes, which they
hoped he would take away. You from the
West, said he to The President, and know what
your red children want we look to you for justice
The President replied that the Government
would act in good faith towards them that the bar
gains with them had been voluntarily made their
part, and should be scrupulously fulfilled by the
Government; and That tho Secretary of War would
see that they were heard and treated properly.
The President further said that he would see
them and shake hands with them again when they
got their business adjusted
The Indians then took leave by shaking hands
with the President, the Secretary of War, the
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Mr.. Crawford,
(Ex-CommissioneE) and other gentlemen present.
The interview was interesting, and the manner OF
the President towards the Indians kind and concli-
atory. A large number of gentlemen and few
ladies Witnessed the ceremony, and had the gratifi-
cation of hearing real Indian speech, delivered by
an Indian orator, and interpreted by PIERRE LIZ
CLERC, Potawatamie halfbreed