Year: 1867

heaVY rains fell. But Win this NOR


ming came a bright sun, with clouds


along the horizon, like snow fakes in


the air. The splendor of MONDAY is


all around US, and the air is dry and


pure. When we had breakfasted this


morning, and when our morning work


had been done, such as shaking and


airing our blankets, and sweeping our


tents and tent yards out, Senator Hen


derson came to the large hospital tent,


inscribed on either flap, Press Tent. +"


and said to US, "Satauk, the senior


Chief, and the Daniel Webster like


orator of the Kiowa Nation, in camp,


and is going to speak to the Commis-


sion-we had better come in" This


venerable old Chief had said nothing


in allths councils held with his people


hut had given way to the young men


of his tribe, who were ambitious TO do


their own talking. We had heard of


HIM before, and better pleasure could


not have been given tous.


HIS SPEECH.


"My Friends 1T has made me glad


to meet you who are the Commission


ers of the Great Father. You, no doubt


are tired of the much talk of our peo-


pie. Many OF them have put them


selves forward and filed you with their


sayings. have kept back and said


nothing. not that l do not consider


myself the principal Chief of the Xiowa


Nation, but others younger than de-


sired to talk, and l left it TO them


Before leaving however, as | now in


tend to go, | came to say that the


Kiowas and Commanches have made


with you peace, and they intend to


keep it. If it brings prosperity 10 US,


we, of course, will like it better If it


brings prosperity or adversely we will


not abandon it. 1t is our contract, and


it shall stand. Our people once carried
war against Texas. We thought the
Great Father would not be offended,


for the Texans had gone out from
among his people and become his enc
mics. You tell US they have made
peace, and returned to the great family.
The KioWas and Comanches will now
make no bloody trail in their land
They have pledged their honor, and


that word shall last unless the whites


break their contract and invite the
horrors of war. We do not break trea.
ties. We make but few contracts, and
them we remember well The whites
make SO many that they are liable to
forget them. The white chief seems
not to be able 10 govern his braves
The Great Father seems powerless in
the face of his children. He some
times becomes angry when he sees the
wrongs of his people, committed on
the red men, and his voice becomes
loud as the roaring winds. But, like
the wind, it dies away, and leaves the
sullen calm of unheeded oppression


We hope now that better time has
come. If all would talk and then do
as you have done, the sun of peace
would shine forever. We have warred
against the white man, but never be-
cause it give US pleasure. Before the
day of oppression came no white man
ever went away hungry 1t gave US
more Joy to share with him than it gave
him to partake of our hospitalities.-
In the far distant past there was no
suspicion among US. The world SEEM
ed large enough for both the red and
the white man. Its broad plains seem
now to contract, and the white man
grows jealous of his red brother. He
once came TO trade, he now comes to
fight. He once came as citizen, he
now comes as a soldier. He once put
his trust in our friendship ard wanted
no shield but fidelity, but now he
builds forts and plants big guns on
their walls. He once gave guns and
powder and bade US hunt game. We
then loved him for his confidence
He now suspects our plighted faith and
drives US 10 be his enemies. He now
covers his face with the cloud of jeal-
ousy and anger: and tells US to begone,
as the offended master speaks to his
dog, We thank the Great Spirit that
all these wrongs are now to cease, and
the old days of peace and friendship
to come again. You came as friends, |
you talked as friends You have pa
tiently heard our many complaints
To you many have seemed trifiing. to |
US they are everything. You have not |
tried to make new bargain merely to |
TO get the advantage. You have not |
asked to make our snnuities smaller, |
but, unssked, you have made them |
large. You have not Withdrawn a sin
gle gift, but voluntarily you have pro-
Vided new guarantees for our education |
and comfort. When we saw these
things we then said these are the men
of the past. We at once gave you our
hearts. Do for US what is best. Teach
US the road to travel, and we will not
depart from it forever. For your sake
the green grass shall not be stained /
with the blood of the whites. Your
people shall be again our people, and
peace shall be our mutual hostage. If |
wrong comes we shall look to you for
the right. We know you will not for
sake US and tell your people to be as
you have been. am old and will soon
oin my Father, but those who come
after me will remember this day. It
is now treasured up by the old and will
be carried with them to the grave and
then handed down to be kept as a sa-
cred tradition, by their children and
,hildren's children.


"And now the time has come that |
must go; good by. You may not see
me again, but remember Satauk, as the
white mans friend"


promised you his speech, there it is,
read it and answer who it is that can
better it. have heard the re-echoing
sloquence of statesmen, as it warbled
through the House and Senate" of our
capital. Ihave heard and felt
he influences of ministerial oratory,
IS it came down from the rostrum.
melting divinity and enkindling afi-
lity as it ran out its mission, but never
laTe | seen and known true eloquence
before this day. Imagine yourself seat
ID in the center Of an area of two acres
IN the wild and heretofore untouched
,osom OF nature in her widest beauty,
lere in the valley of the Nes-ca- tumga,
rom whose southern shore are deep i
.uts and green peaks, mOuntain-like,
Looping to the west, and upward out of
rision, against the horizon, whose mel 1
ow light sdmires its own resplendency.
then following the Nes-ca-tumga to its /
lead, to the westward, tread lightly +
Ipon the green foliages its shores. A 1
lew scene to the northward one mile |
re rolling hills, perfect in symetry, ,
Iotted all over with twelve thousand /