The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1870-09-24
IN OId Story of the Border.

We fnd in our book of border history the
story Of General George Rogers CIark's treaty
with the Indians at the mouth of the Great Mi
ami. in l7s6. Attended by very small retinue,
General Clark reached the place of meeting and
found large body of Indians awaiting the coun-
Gil. They entered the room of meeting in a very
abrupt and scornful manner, but "the commits
sioners, without noticing the disorderly con-
due. of the other party, or appearing to have
discovered their meditated treachery, opened the
council in due form. They lighted the peace
pipe, and after drawing few whiffs, passed it
to tbe chiefs, who received it. Col. Clark then
rose to explain the purpose for which the treaty
was ordered. With an unembarrassed air, with
the tpne of one accustomed to command, and an
easy assurance of perfect security and selfpos-
session, he stated that the commissioners had
been sent to offer peace to the Shawnees that
the President had no wish to. continue the war
he hal no resentment to crafty and, if the red
men Cesire9 peace, they could have il on reason
able f'7rnaa If ..aeh Re the Y ! ot the Shaw
n, lcIuded, let some . their wise men
tse-
ga ,hef arose. drew up his tall person to its
full height, and assuming naughty attitude,
threw his eye contemptuously over the commits
soners and their small retinue, as if to measure
their insignifcance in comparison with his own
numerous train, and then stalking to the table,
threw upon it two belts of wampum, of different
colors-the war and the peace belt.
"'Wecome here, he exclaimed, to offer you
two pieces of wampum; they are of different
colors; you know what they mean; you can
take which you like; and turning upon his heel,
be resumed his seat
The chiefs drew themselves up, in conscious
ness of having hurled defiance in the teeth of
the white men. They had offered an insult to
the renowned leader OF the Long Knives, to
which they knew it would be hard for him to
submit, while they did not suppose he dared re-
sent it. The council-pipe was laid aside Those
fierce, wild men gazed intently at Clark. The
Americans saw that the crisis had arrived they
could no longer doubt that the Indians under
stood the advantage they possessed, and were
disposed 10 use it; and common sense OF danger
caused each eye to be turned on the leading
commissioner He sat undisurbed and appa-
rently careless until the chief who had thrown
the belts upon the table had taken his seat; then,
with small cane which be held in his hand, he
reached, as if playfully, toward the war belt,
entangIed the end of the stick in it, drew it tow
ard him, and then, with a switch OF the cane
threw the belt into the midst of the chiefs. The
effect was electric. Every man in the council of
each party sprang to his feet, the savage, with
a loud exclamation of astonishment, Hugh
the Americans in expectation of a hopeless con-
fict against overwhelming numbers. Every
hand grasped weapon.
''Ciark alone was unawed The expression OF
his countenance changed to ferocious sternness,
and his eye flashed, but otherwise he was un-
moved. A bitter smile was perceptble upon his
compressed lips as he gazed upon that savage
and in horrid exultation upon him as they stood,
like pack of wolves at bay, thirsting for blood,
and ready to rush upon him whenever one bold
er than tne rest should commence the attack
1t was one of those moments of indecision, when
the slightest weight thrown into either scale will
make it preponderate moment in which
bold man, conversant with secret springs of bu-
man action, may sieze upon the minds of all
around him and sway them at his will.
''Such man was the intrepid Virginian. He
spoke, and there was no man bold enough to
gainsay him none that could return the fierce
glance of his eye. Raising his arm and waving
his hand toward the door, he exclaimed, Dogs,
BegOneP TIE Indians hesitated for moment
and then rushed tumultuously out of the coun-
cil-room. The Indians were heard all that night
debating in the bushes near the fort; a part of
them for war and part of them for peace. The
latter prevailed, and the rext morning they
came back and sued for peace.n