The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-19
TEcUMsEH's oRATORIcAL POWERS
An Indians Description of Them
From Hearsay.


From Hearsay.
simon Pokagon in Harper's Magazine.
Ahout this time Tecumseh, a great ora
cor and hero in war, visited the different
tribes. unfolding TO them his plan to unite
them as one nation and make desperate
effort to regain and hold their ancient
lands. He sent out runners before him to
announce the time he would meet each
tribe at their council fires and make
known his plans. He and two other chiefs
went from tribe to tribe, riding spirited
hack ponies finely equipped, and them
ae.yes gayly dressed. When he arose in
me council house his bearing was so no.
HE that cheer on cheer would be given
before he would open his mouth to speak.
NV father and many others who listened
10 the speeches of Tecumseh many times
rtpeated to me his words when l was
boy but it was impossible to give an
idea Of their spirit and power. He gener-
ally spoke as follows:
"Before me stand the rightful owners
OF kWaw -notchi-We au-kee (this beautiful
land) The Great Spirit in his wisdom
gave it 20 you and your children to de-
fend and placed you here. But, a-te-wa!
(alasD the incoming race, like a huge ser
psnt is coiling closer and closer about
you. And not content with hemming you
in on every side, they have built at She
gog-ong Chicago, in the very center OF
our country, a military fort, garrisoned
with soldiers, ready and equipped for bat
tie As sure as waw-kwen-og (the heav-
ens) are above you they are determined to
destroy you and your children and occupy
this gOodly land themselves.
Then they will destroy these forests.
whose brap cIQS wave the winds abn1ya
the graves of your fathers, chanting their
praises. If you doubt it, come go with
me eastward or southwark a few days
journey along your ancient mi-kan-og
(uails), and l will show you a land you
once occupied made desolate. There the
forests of untold years have been hewn
down and cast into the fire! There be-
sheck-kee and waw -mawsh-ka-she (the
buffalo and deer. pe-nay-shen and ke-gon
(the fowl and fish, are all gone. There the
woodland birds, whose sweet songs once
pleased your ears, have forsaken the land.
never to return; and -bi-gon-ag (the
wild flowers), which your maidens once
loved to wear, have all wthered and died.
You must bear in mind these strangers
are moi as you are-they are devoid of nat
urai affection, loving gold or gain better
than one another, or k-tchi-tchag (their
own souls). Some of them follow on vour
track as quietly as maw-in-gawn (the
WoD pursues the deer to shoot you down.
as You hunt and kill me-she-be-zhe (the
panther. But few years since I saw with
mine own eyes young white man near
the Ohio river who was held by our pto-
PIE as a prisoner of war He won the
hearts of his captors with his apparent
lHendshp and goodwill, while murder was
IN his heart. They trusted him as they
trusted one another. But he most ireach-
eFousy betrayed their confidence, and Sc
cIety Killed not less than nech-to-naw
I-V before his crimes were detected. and
tnen he had fled. After this, when Chief
harmar Ga United States general invited
some OF cur head men to meet him at Fort
!ia,inar 10 try and settle our war spirits.
mat same young man lay in wait. and Sc
He'ly shot down memo au-nish-naw "a
eoou indian mani just as he reached the
treaty grounds and vet for that outra-
seOus crime he went unpublished. and TO-
UaS Is oelng petted by wau-be au-nene-eg
N""'e mem as you pet him who kills me-
s"e-De-zhe Che panther). I speak of this
SaSe-ahd there are many of them within
IuS own personal knowledge-tbat Won
may Know our enemies are cunning
iaiY' ana cruel, without honor. without
natural affection.
4, Nneh We We're many and strong and
tbof =" ohu weak, they reached out
uieT hands for wido- kaW-ke-win helm
ana we filled them with wie-aus and mo 90 ~
"a" -iHih (meat and CORN; we lived wa
"a" -H"en lin peace together; but now
'"eS are many and strong. and we arc
eSe,u's lew and weak, they waw nendam
ioIsolten) the deep debt of mawmo-
"eHuam (sratitude) they owe us. ana are
no" Scheming to drive us toward le-so
U.He setting sum- into desert pleoes far
1loul he-wln (home) and dana XII aul1ee
W 'i n5uVe land. Eh (yes), they come 10
al az" ups smoother than bi-me-da (oiD
0,lr."Oiu9 sWeeter than amose-poma
'e9l' out beware of themi The venom
oos aho wasp is in their odaw (hearNi
ana lheir dealings with us. when we have
no' lamely submitted, has ever been NAV
ie,N ana ashki-koman powder and
leaU' against such mau-tchi au-nene
INV" mem our only pagos-seni-ma
ii1'opeb our only ininijim (safety). is In
,oiiIug all our tribes, and then. and NOT
uui, then, will We be able to drive The
oouiess invaders back! Fail in this and
are our! ieOH" Vuea'H)
r.. ana lastly, do not forget that what
- you nave enjoyed in the past fifty
years in your homes and on vour hnn llo
8.ou.us you entirely owe to the brave |
ou'lac' who, at the risk of his own life
i+ royed the forts of your enemies around
~, steat lakes, driving the white invaders
,r w one tribe refused to unite In the |
eaeaV Algonquin confederacy. While Te- |
,,e 1,'1eh was at work night and dav Dre- |
ts for the inevitable struggle between
v- 1e t"o races Gen. Harrison, quiet as the |
Ill invaded our territory with a vast |
, NY defeating Eiks-wa- ta-wa. an Indian |
!TrstopHet and twin brother of Tecumseh. al |
u -lIecanoe, Ind. He slew many warriors, |
~ 9,'eh and children, burned our villages |
r,i 'lp suppiles, leaving us and our little ones
TN and destitute This was the fourth |
,-5d', ~ rev years, our country was in
ana W. IN autumn time near cold weather, |
81 ~ "5 our supplies for winters use burn |
~. ~, DESTROYED, which created a feeling of |
'1'cose in the hearts of our people.