Evening star., 1940-01-14

loStlOli VI away
those who loved him more and ap-
preciated him better than did the
white man at Washington.
OF course the Government paid
the debit always does pay its
just obligations-but not until 1888,
"a years after poor old Push" had
gone to the happy hunting grounds,
where even United States coin will
not pass as currency.
Guest of Executive.
| While in Washington this Indian
chief was frequently the guest of
the President at the White House
and was often dined and wined by
other public officials, notably Gen.
Andrew jackson, who, while serving
in the Senate, was always glad to
see this celebrated chief who had
joined with a large number of his
| warriors in the Creek War of 1873
IA, and engaged with distinction in
all the battles of that eventful pc
rlod-Talladega Holy Ground and
Pensacola-and later accompanied
Gen. jackson to New Orleans, where
he witnessed the battle of January
8, 1915, though not as a partici-
pant.
When in Washington, Pushmataha
met other prominent men, includ-
ing Gen. Lafayette and John C.
Calhoun then Secretary of War, to
whom he made the following ap-
peal for assistance:
Father, when in my own coun-
try I often looked toward this coun-
Gil house and wanted to come here.
I am in trouble. l will tell my dis
tresses. I feel like a small child,
not half as high as its father, who
comes up to look in his fathers
face, hanging in the bend of his
arm, to tell him his troubles. So,
father, hang in the bend of your
arm and look up in your face, and
now hear me speak.
Father, when / was in my own
country I heard there were men
appointed to talk to US. I would
not speak there. I chose to come
here and speak in this beloved
house. I can boast and say and
tell the truth that none of my
fathers or grandfathers, nor any
Choctaw ever drew bows against
the United States. They have al
ways been friendly. We have held
the hands of the United States so
long that our nails are long, like
birds claws, and there is no danger
of their slipping out.
, Father, 1 have come to speak.
My nation has always listened to
the applications of the white peo-
Pile. They have given to their
country till it is very small. I re-
peat the same about the land east
. Of the Tombigbee. came here
when young man to see my Fa-
ther Jefferson. He told me if ever
we got in trouble we must run and
tell him. I am come. This Is a
friendly talk. 1t is like man who
meets another and says, HOW do
you dor"
Randolph's Tribute.
John Randolph of Roanoke said
of this celebrated Indian:
Sir, in a late visit to the public
graveyard my attention was ar
! rested by the simple monument of
. the Choctaw Chief Pushmataha.
He was, as has been told by those
who knew him, one of natures no.
biity; a man who would have
adorned any society. He lies quiet
ly by the side of our statesman and
his magistrates in the region-for
! there is one Such-where the red
, man and the white man are on a
level. On the sides of the plain
shaft that marks his place of burial,
, I read these words 'Pushmataha, a
Choctaw chief, lies here This monu-
, ment to his memory is erected by
his brother chiefs, who were asso-
, ciated with him in delegation from
, their nation, in the year 1924, to
, the Government of the United
States. Pushmataha was war
. rlor OF great distinction. He was
+ wise in council, eloquent in an ex-
traordinary degree, and on all oc-
, caslons and under all circumstances
the white mans friend. He died
: in Washington on the oath of De-
cember, 1924, of the Group, in the
, Goth year of his age Among his
! last words were the following: When
, I am gone let the big guns be fired
over me-"
!. In Browns Hotel 1.-THE Star Span
gled Banner" was sung for the first
time in Washington, about De-
cember IA, 1914.
Here, also, was given an inaugural
, ball for James Monroe upon his
. first inauguration, in 1917, when
the hostelry was known as Davis.
Holel. Monroe's second inaugural
ball was held at the same place in
1921, when it was known as Browns
Indian Queen Hotel. In 1841 Chief
, Justice Cranch of the District of
Columbia Supreme Court admins.
tered the oath of Office to Presi-
dent John Tyler, and here the Hun
garian patriot, Louis Kossuth, and
his suite were guests of Congress.
after their arrival in this city, De-
cember S, 1851, and here, it is said,
they went to bed with their boots
on after imbibing too freely of
, American balloon juice, otherwise
known as spiritus frumenti.
Some of the outstanding Amer
cans who stopped at the Metro
, politan or the earlier hotel on this
site, Browns Indian Queen Hotel,
include Senator James Barbour of
Virginia, James Buchanan, after
ward President, P. P. Barbour Of
Virginia, Speaker. of the United
States House of Representatives;
Sam Houston, President of Texas,
and later United States Senator;
Andrew Stevenson, Speaker Of the
House Of Representatives, 1827-1s34;