Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-02

Then ii was decided by the Govern
ment to move the Seminoles out of
Florida.
Where should they go? That was
the next question. The West was
good place; for they came from the
West. But they were not Creeks
inhabitants to the West. They were
of Creek mixture; and they were bit
ter toward the Creeks and would
have no intercourse with them. But
the Government insisted on the re-
moval: force was applied and war
broke out.
The heart and soul of Seminole OPP
position to removal from the land OF
their fathers was Osceola. tail, dark.
proud chieftain of his race. At the
time pressure was brought to bear on
the Indians Osceola was in the prime
of young manhood. active, astute and
full of military cleverness. He had
a burning passion for his race and
their ancient ancestral homes; and
this passion, coupled with a lofty and
magnanimous spirit, lifted him high
in the estimation of all who came into
contact with him, whether of the
white race or his own.
Osceola's grip on his people was
little short of marvellous: they bowed
obedient to his command in the con-
duct of the war soon to be waged
against the whites. At the massacre
of Dade's men not a piece of jew
elry was taken. not a body despoiled
Of its clothing. not spur taken by
the Indians-and Osceola a hundred
miles away.
The Government received its first in
sight into Osceolas character and his
independent spirit at the signing of
what is known in Seminole history
as the treaty of Payne's Landing. "
A pen portrait of this Indian, who has
left such an indelible stain on the
character of contemporary white men,
has been handed down by an Army Of
ficer who was present at that meeting.
In describing Osceola, he said: His
eye, calm, serious. fixed: his attitude,
manly, graceful, erect; his rather thin
and close-pressed lips. indicative of the
mind made up of which he speaks;
his firm, easy. yet restrained tread,
free from all stride or swagger; his
dignified and composed attitude; his
perfect and solemn silence except dur
ing his formal talk; the head thrown
backward and the arms firmly folded
on the protruding chest.-all instantly
changed whenever the agent stated a
proposition from which he dissented.
~
pAYNE'S treaty. looking to the
removal of the Indians to the
Western country. followed that OF
Camp Moultrie by nine years. The
Moultrie treaty was made in 1928 and
had to do with the removal of the
Seminoles to southern Florida around
ST. Augustine. The Indian chiefs OBJ
jected to the Payne treaty on the
ground that the Moultrie treaty had
not expired as yet, this being only the
year 1S32--eleven years short of the
expiration date. In this Osceola was
Arm: and his firmness brought on the
Seminole War.
When the time came for him to sign
the Payne treaty, his blood surg
ing hot in his veins at the wrongs
heaped upon his people by the Moul-
trie treaty and the palpable viola
ton of it, he arose and approached the
table on which the paper was spread.
the object of every eye. AS he drew
near the rough-hewn support. a soft
stir amid the boughs of the over
spreading canopy of Nature ceased,
and the forest seemed to strain its
eyes for a dramatic scene about to be
enacted; for his people knowing his
opposition to removal from Florida,
knowing his spirit and his leadership,
were astontsheA 90 sse osceoia arise
at all.