Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-29
A CHRISTMAS STORY.
Thomas Jefferson's Letter to the
0toe lrdian Chiefs.
The Public Departments Closed and the Clerks
Enjoying Holiday.

WAsnINGToN. Dec. 2S.-[Special. l--sac.
retary Morton Of the agricultural depart
ment told Christmas story Of rather
uncommon sort the other day. I'm the
year 1854, F" be began. Il left Chicago and
went out to Nebraska to become a settler.
1T Bellevue l put up q ranchhouse, the
first ore In that part of the country. 1t
was on Christmas day Of that year that we
lad for visitors party Of Indians Of the
Otoc tribe. They were friendly and stop
ped for several hours with US and partook
Of "A hearty meal, the weather being stormy.
While In the ranch they showed me doc
ument which at once attracted my atten-
tioD. 1t was an old piece of parchment
which had been preserved by placing it
carefully between two pieces of bark. To
my great surprise, on taking the parch-
ment out Of liz case ] found it was a let
ter given by Thomas jefferson while pres
ident to some Indian chiefs. Obviously
the chiefs were on a visit to Washington
Z and had called on the great father. The
signature and date wore in Jcfferson,s
handwriting, but the body of the letter
was evidently written by one of his secre-
4
markable trait Of ciinging through gener-
alton after generation to official letters OF
comfnendation or praise given them, but
] was not prepared to believe they would
carry letter about with them and keep it
in a good state of preservation, too, for al
most 30 years. This letter Of Jefferson s
was Is years old and was still in good con-
dition. l was SO much impressed by the
lotte-, its literary execution and its prac-
tical advice and wisdom that l made a
copy Of it then and there and now have it
on my desk. 1t is worth reading"
Thomas Jefferson's Letter.
The following is u copy of the letter,
which, so far as Secretary Morton can
learn, has never been published:
My Friends and Children, Chiefs Of the Osages,
Missouris, Kansas, 0toes, Panis, Ayowas,
Sioux, Pottawatonies, Foxes and Sacs:
Your visit TO US at this place has given me
great pleasure, and an very thankful for your
having taken the trouble Of so long q journey
Tor this purpose. But hope it win turn out
rs useful TO your own people as to us. la-
laent indeed the loss OF several of your chiefs
by sickness. Accident and the change il their
diet and manner of living have probably occa"
stoned this, and the will Of the Great Spirit, to
which we must all submit. Man must die at
lome or abroad. Coming abroad it has happen
cd to them. AT home it might happen to
some of you. They are lost, but friendship
and good understanding between your peo
pie ana the United States are established and
our mutual happiness promoted.
My children, you have had opportunities Of
seeing many things among us. You have seen
how by living in peace, cultivating the earth
and practicing the useful arts We who were
onco but few travellers landing on this soil,
.I.. and
greater You, too, possess good land, and
abundance of 1t. by cultivating that and llv-
ing in peace you may become as we are.
You have seen here some of the Cherokecs
and Chickasaws, who are just now beginning
to follow our advice TO rG.-s food in planty
from the Garth, TO make their own clothes, To
learn the useful arts and to live in peace. In
stead Of lessening i'll their numbers, as they
did while they followed war and hunting, they
now bt gin to increase TO live in case peace
and plenty. 1t VIII give me great pleasure to
see all The other nations of red men following
their example and advancing i'll knowledge,
prosperity and happiness
We shall do everything in our power, my
children, TO encourage and aid them in this.
We cannot do it at once and to all, because
there are many nations, but we win proceed
as fast rs we caIi in furnishing them with what
il most useful.
This is the advice, my children, which /
wish you 80 carry to your nations: Tell them
that their father here receives them all into
his bosom as his children; that he wishes TO
always live in peace and friendship with them,
doing Go them all the good in his power; that,
above all things, he wishes to see them live i'll
peace with one another, that their wives and
children may ba safe III thair houses, that they
may have leisure to provide food IN plenty
from the earth and to make clothing for thciIi-
stlvos, that they may raise children and be-
come strong and happy. Tell them how many
days Journey you have travelled among your
white brethren, from St. Louis to this place,
from this place to Baltimore, Philadelphia,
New York, Boston and back again; that every
where they received you as brothers ;tnl have
shown TO you u sincere friendship Tel your
chiefs, your warriors, your women and chill
dren thar they WI find in me an affcctionata
father, dcsiroas TO maintain peace and friend
ship among all his children, and, like every
good father, unwilling to see qparreling and
wrangling ami fighting among his children;
that We viii cD3cavor to put our trade with
them upon a i.ir and just footing and pre-.
vent iheir being cheated and imposed on by
bad mon. Aul may the Great Spirit take yoo,
NY children, ~ Tho hand, conduct You back
III health and safety to your families, give
you to lind them in hc,lta and happiness att
er your loa;; absence.
/ give you my words in writing, that you
may have them read to your people Preserve
ihsm in yonr towns. refresh your memories
with them from time to time, so that the re-
membranes Of them may never be lost but he
handed down 10 your children.
Tn. JEFFERSON.
April IL, 1906.
In Holiday Time.
Washington is a gay city in the holiday
season, though too far south to have a
Christmas climate. a snowstorm is a very
rare thing here, and sleighing is to be en-