New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-02-13

The Buffalo Commercial Advertiser has the following
description of Indian Council recently held at St.
Paul; 9. p,,,, u,....oz. ,,n . ,o,.
The Winnehagoes dissatisfied with the country
signed them, aud the LIST inst. their principal chiefs
held council in st. Paul with their agent. Major Friedy.
the subject They had come down for the express
purpose and to invoke the good offices of Gov Ramsay
in their behalf The council held in of the
OF the American Hotel.
The Indians seated themselves around the the
floor all wearing grave aspect, and one them re-
rning under bed with his face downwards stuck his
head from behind the curtain like Satan peerng into
Paradise Their costume about half land half Indian
and American On entering they severaily shook hands
with and general smoke all round was INDUCED in
necessary preliminary to business. This afforded
opportunity to their features, observe their keen
gances and learn something of their history.
There Baptise, half-breed, the only among
them who could speak understand English at ALL and
overmatch for the most expert gamblers ut playing
cards There the Prophet, quiet, STRENGTHENING |
and next him The Little Hill, orator, versed in
the arts of the politician By the door sat The Farmer
who cutiyates his land with much industry the |
white man By the side of BaPtiste in the corner,
great warrior. Hearing that Gen Harrison also a
great warrior he travelled to the frontier in 1872 to fight
with him He has taken many scalp in his day and
from the Witness and stealth with which he stole,
wares upon his victims he derived his cognomen of The
Rogue Internxed with these other chiefs of less
note But the most venerable object in the was
OncEyed Dekora ninety OF age six feet in height
and still erect his step firm his limbs supple and his
sight undimmed. His head sparsey covered with
fray hairs his countcnance grave and his bearing digni-
fed From his dependant profusion of silver
ornaments resembling huge bundles oil Shall keys. lie
engaged in the of 1872 ally Of the British
and it was he who captured Black Hawk and delivered
him up to the whites.
After the company had been seated for time. he
laid aside his tomahawk and advancing took each of
hy the hand and then opened the council Assuming an
attitude suited to what he conceived the importance of
his subject, he addressed speech to the Agent in his
native tongue. which interpreted substantially
follows
Az ISpAs SpErcu-- Father The Great Spirit knows
that what l am about to tell you is the truth.
am AN old man. These chiefs you see around me
>lre the sons of old men knew their fathers-they
TS-dead and these are their children They wish me to
talk with you
We were once great people and strong; we are now
few, weak and needy, We hope the white who are
many and rich will take pity Our great father at
Washington. wishes us to be happy He has sent many
agents among take he knows that we
very poor But they cared nothing for US and did
but little good He has sent you to be friend
You are the first good man lie has sent u.s. and we have
confidence in you, and believe what you say.
The traders not our friends they do not help us
When great Father sends us money, they want it
they talk well then but when money is gone they
trouble themselves about My people wish to
leave the place where they live and go another where
the traders cannot modest them and you only will be with
them.
- The lands great Father has given us are not good
We placed between two fires, The Chippeways live
side of and the Sioux the other We are no
towards not because we have no hands to strike
feet to walk with that we have not avenged ourselves
but have listened to your advice We wish to
live in peace and desire to go where enemies can
not hurt US; but We are not afraid,
Our hunting grounds do not suit us They are COW
cred with thick and tall trees and the game them is
TbEy would be good for white to live on. but
they not for us. Had not great Father fed
when were hungry. should have died for we can
not find enough to eat the lands he has given
people get sick by living them and they filled
already with the graves of our relatives and friends We
want better hunting grounds which live and
he happy where the trees few that the light may
shine down and see it without looking up
We have seen the lands beyond the Missouri and do
not want them They are not so good as those
hsye. But there is country below the Minsotah, and
around the clear lake. which like we have looked
it and know that is good Many of people have
left because our lands not good they would
TO the banks Of the clear water, and could
live together again there.
We want you. for to ask great father to take
back the lands he has given which not ours
give those desire to live upon 1t will be good
bargain for him Then we shall he satisfied and will
try TO do better in future.
have told you the truth and this all have to saw
This short speech uttered with musical voice.
with good degree of emphasis and accompanied with
simed his seat and filling the bowl in the back Of his
tomahawk with tobacco and knniknnick he commenced
drawing the smoke through the handle while the reply of
the agent interpreted to him. 1t was adverse to his
application This he seemed to have anticipated and was
not therefore Disconnected He drew fresh supply of
knninnick from his pouch composed of the whole skin
f pole cat. properly ornamentcd and continued his
smoking.
The little Hill then rose to speak and after promising
that when he talked to Indians he generally lied but
when he talked to white he always spoke the truth
reiterated the arguments of Dckorn and proposed
compromise to exchange their lands for others lying
between the Sank and Grow rivers- request which the
agent promised to aid At the end of each paragraph
OF tne council slgnlfed their
assent appreciation of what had been said by eac-
atiug together deep and cultural ough
The main question being thus disposed of some other
matters discussed and then the chiefs all rising
shook hands with us again and retired Thus the council
was broken up
The Winnebagocs have been more corrupted by inter
course with the whites than amy of the ncighborine
tribes but still retain enough of their primitive character
to make the deliberations of their assembled chiefs
ceeiingy interesting. They numbered upwards Of
twenty thousand but are now reduced to less than three
thousand Their annuities large, not far from $3.50
600 yearly and have encouraged them in habits of idle
and vice, In few years more remnant o
this powerful tribe will be left Dekora has lived tt
the graves of the greater part of his waning people