Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-11-13

tongue; he has but one word when
he promises to do athing he will do
it. We gave our country, and we did
not complain; but when we think Of
. our fathers, our great chiefs and braves
lying buried there, our hearts feel sad.
Ny father, at that treaty you said, 'Nly
children, you shall have rich and
: beautiful country on the east side Of the
Missouri river. Go there and build
yonr wigwams, and you. shall have a
permanent home as long as the sun
shines and the water runs. There your
children will grow up in health and
strength, like the weeds of the prairie;
and all that was promised in your treat
les shall be given TO you there. This
is what our great father said about
eleven winters ago; but We have not
got all that was promised us, and that
is the reason we have come to see you
ourselves. We cannot read or write;
and when our agent wrote, he was
told by some ofyour officers that you
wanted US to 60 south of the Missouri
to new country. My father, we like
the country we at present occupy, and
we came to tell you so. Here you see
before you my chiefs and braves-some
of them the oldest men in our nation.
They recollect what was told them at
Chicago, and they are much troubled.
We have, for some time, seen dark
cloud hanging over our heads; and we
have come to you to clear it away
My father, we know you came here
! from the West; that you know the
country occupied by your red children,
and what their wants and wishes are.
We trust all to you. This is all have
to say.
During the whole ofthis talk, which
was delivered and interpreted in SEN
fences, the President kept his standing
position. The attitude and gestures
of the orator were commanding and
graceful in the extreme, for they were
natural. His enunciation was clear,
distinct, and fluent; his voice powerful,
and entirely under his control. 1t is
though by some that 'Half Day. next
to Grizzly Bear the great orator of
the Menomonie tribe, is the most elo-
quent speaker they have heard among
the tribes of the Northwest. The Pot
tawatomie language is soft and must
cal, although somewhat cumbersome if
we may apply the term. ltirequires a
great many more words than our Ian
guage to express the same meaning
The room at this stage of the procee-
dings, was crowded with ladies and
gentlemen, who had accidentally heard
Hof what was going on. When his
last sentence was Interpreted, Half
) Day took the usual round of shaking
hands, and resumed his seat. This
being only intended as visit of form,
the ceremony of smoking was dispens-
ed with. 4 @
The President replied promptly,
frankly, and energeticaly. If the few
sentences be uttered could reach every
Indian hamlet within our broad domain,
and-be interpreted in sincerity and good
faith to the poor inmates, it would be
the means, in time to come, of saving
thousands of lives and millions of trea-
sure. The President at once hit the
cause of all our Indian difficutles-the
non-fulilment of treaty stipulations--
the technical construction Of compacts,
written by ourselves, and signed by
those who are our acknowledged wards,
: ignorant of our laws as they are Of our
language. President Polk said to the
: Interpreter, who kept his dark eye i'm
: movably fixed on his countenancc
Tell The chiefs and braves that | am
glad to see them, and l will listen to
all they have to say with the Creates
/, pleasure. ! am the friend of the rec
man, and all within our territory shall
e have full and entire justice done te
them, so far as have the power to dc
+ so. Tell the Pottawatomie chiefs thai
] they must Danish all fears of being fore
ed from the lands they now occupy
! these lands We're made theirs by treaty
e and :hey shall be protected in theil
i peaceable possession. Tell them, also
$ that every promise made to them BY
j any of my predecessors, shall be scru
!. puiously carried into effect. Wher
y the treaty Of Chicago was concluded,
e was not here; but whatever promise WA.
!. then made to them by their great father
g shall be, with good faith and grea
!. pleasure, redeemed by me now. Iii
r my determination TO carry out, in let
t ter and spirit, every treaty stipulation
q made between our government and th
i Indians within our borders. Justac
e shall be done to them; and / trust to Sc