Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-20

in very bad condition and should re-
Ceive better care.
The editor of The, Annals of Iowa
writing in January, 1897 says: "Wapello
was short in stature. but stoutly built.
Every account that has come down to US
in regard to him is to the effect that he
was kindly in his nature and disposed
to be at peace with the whites. Whether
this arose from his own personal qualities
an Unborn anna biity-or from the fact
that he saw the handwriting on the wall,
and knew how futile it would be to con-
tend against the tide of settlement which
was sweeping his people from the face
of the earth, we need not stop to inquire.
The impression we derive from the scanty
information now accessible is that he
pos essed most kindly disposition and
was endowed with considerable natural
ability He was next in rank and cOnse-
quence after Keokuk He went to New
York, Boston and Washington with keO-
l1uk and others of his tribe in 1927. While
in Boston he replied to speech of the
eloquent Gov. Edward Everett. in the
statehouse. expressing friendly senti-
ments toward the white man. The record
says that his remarks We're received with
applause.
The Intriguing Keokuk.
The great chief Keokuk is buried in the
city park of keokuk, Iowa and monu-
ment has been erected over his grave
bust stands in the Capitol at Washing
ton His name means zone who moves
about alert" He was chief of the Fox
tribe. and was born on Rock river. H..
about l7G0. He was not chief by birth,
but rose to the command Of his people
through his superior ability, force of
character and oratoricai power. His
mother is said to have been half French.
Keokuk was continually involved in in
trigues. Standing always in the back
t1t- ,,ln al f.,.f C,
against another. In time he became the
leading councillor in the Sank assembly
and enjoyed great popularity among mis-
people. But the Situation assumed diff
ferent aspect when the troubled period
of the Black Hawk war arrived. The
immediate cause of this conflict grew
out of an agreement first entered into
between the government and small
band of Sank. who, under their. leader
KWaskwa mia, We're in winter camp near
compact the Sank We're to give up the
Rock river valley in Illinois. AS soon
as the agreement became nolsed abroad
among all the Sank there was strong
opposition. particularly to the form in
when it had been made.
! Throughout the affair keokuk assumed
so passive attitude that he lost at once
his political prestige. Those of the Sank
nation who favored appeal 20 arms
then turned to a famous warrior of the
Thunder clan, known to the whites as
Black Hawk and he became their leader.
just at this critical period the feeble bond
of political union between the Sank and
the Foxes was broken. This was due
largely to internal dissensions brought
on by the intrigues of Keokuk, who,
with d following of unpa trio,ic Sank,
sought and obtained protection from the
Foxes under their chief. Paweshik The
fighting began before Black Hawk was
ready. and he was forced to take the field
with but small number of those on
whose support he had depended With
his depleted forces he could not sue
cessfully contend against the Illinois
militia and their Indian allies
keokuk doomed as diplomatist during
the final negotiations growing out OF
the war. and played SO deity into the
hands of the government officials that he
was made chief of the Sank 1t is said
that the announcement of his elevation
to supreme power. made in open coun-
Gil. SO aroused the anger and contempt
of Black Hawk that ne whipped off his
clout and slapped Keokuk across the face
with it. The act of creating Keokuk
chief of the Sank has always been re-
garded with ridicule by both the Sank and
the Foxes. for the reason that he was not
of the ruling clan. But the one great oc-
casion for which both the Sank and the
Foxes honored Keokuk was when, in the
city of Washington, in debate with the
representatives of the Sioux and other
tribes before government officials he es-
tablshed the claim of the Sank and
Foxes to the territory comprised i'm what
is now the state OF Iowa.
On his death In 1S4S, in Kansas, whittier