Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-24

Tecumseh, sorrowing for his people
had been meditating for long time OF
a plan to unite them in a great con
federacy. Soon after the division o
the Northwestern territory Laulewasi
kaw announced himself as a prophet
He preached with much earnestnes:
against Indian women marrying whites
He denounced drunkenness and witch
craft. and said that since becoming
prophet he had gone up into the cloud:
and in the home of the devil he haC
found it peopled with men who hat
died drunkards Flames Of fire ISSUED
from their mouths. The duty of the
dwelt upon as one of the most sacred
of obligations. and he proposed com
munity Of property practically the
same as that now advocated by com
Indians he inveighed against. and he
appealed to their pride by declaring
the Great Spirit had told him they
were His most beloved people. SO far
the prophet was not a bad teacher, but
he was not content. He professed to
Spirit to cure any disease. prevent
death on the battlefield and crush any
one who opposed him.
There can be no doubt the prophet
He got followers in large number. They
were the young men of the tribes. I'm
der his exhorting they abstained from
liquor and in many other ways prac-
ticed their leaders precepts. But the
prophets teachings aroused the medi-
cine men. They saw a powerful rival
rising, and they combated him at every
turn. The prophet retaliated by de-
nouncing some of them as witches, and
this led to the most violent acts OF
fanaticism.
The reports Of the religious unrest
among the Indians worried the officials at
Vincennes and at Washington. Thomas
Jefferson, writing to John Adams. de-
clared the prophet was more rogue than
fool Gov Harrison addressed letter to
the Indians, begging them not to be mis-
led My children" he said. tread back
the steps you have taken, and endeavor
to regain the straight road Which you
have abandoned. The dark, crooked and
thOrfy path you are now pursuing Will
lead to endless woe and misery. Who is
this pretended prophet who dares to
speak in the name of the great Creator?
Examine him. Is he more wise and vir-
tuous than you are yourselves that he
should be selected to convey to you the
orders of God? If God has employed
him He has doubtless authorized him to
perform miracles that he may be known
and received as a prophet. If he is really
a prophet ask him to cause the sun to
stand still. the moon to alter its course
the rivers to cease to flow or the dead to
rise from their graves.
This challenge was unfortunate. The
prophet took it up and announced that on
a certain day he would make darkness
come over the earth. On the day ap-
pointed it became dark at noon. This
was the day of the eclipse of the sun in
1906. The prophet probably had heard
the date from some whites. Thereafter
his following grew more rapidly. From
north, west and south came pilgrims to
the prophet. Within one year 500 In
dams passed through Fort Wayne on
their way to visit the prophet Many OF
these were from 1000 miles away. The
English were known to be assisting in
the excitement, and there was fear all
along the border of a general Indian up
rising.
Meanwhile Tecumseh travelled far and
wide visiting the tribes of the south and
those beyond the Mississippi and awak-
ening as far as possible through the re-
Iigious movement of his brother a spirit
of union and harmony. He added much
of the prophets power by his own noble
presence and influence. In the spring OF