Year: 1867

A correspondent u1 the New York Tri-
bune, with the Commission at Medicine
Lodge creek, gives the following speech OF
Satank, Chief of tie Kiowas. Satank
came in before departing, and delivered a
most splendid speech which will equal any
Indian oration ever uttered 1t reads thus


1t has made me glad to meet you, who
are the Commissioners of the Great Father.
You no doubt are tired of the much talk OF
our people. Many of them have put them
selves forward and filled you with their say
ings. | have kept back and said nothing.
not that / did not consider myself still the
principal Chief of the Kiowa nation, but
others, Younger than |, desired to talk, and
left it to them Before leaving, however.
as | now intend to go, | come to say that tie
Kiowas and Comancbes have made with you
a peace, and they intend to keep 1t. 1t 1t
brings prosperity to US, we, Of course Will
like it the better. If it brings prosperity or
adversity we will not abandon 1t. 1t Is our
contract and it shall stand. Our people
once carried war against Texas. lie
thought the Great Father would not be
offended, for the Texans had gone out from
among his people and become his enemies
You now tell US they have made peace and
returned to the great family. The kiowa
and Comanche will now make no bloody
trail in their land. They have pledged their
word, and that word shall last unless the
whites shall break their contract and invite
the horrors Of war. We do not break treat
les. We make but few contracts, and them
we remember well. The whites make 50
make so many that they are liable to forget
them. The white chief seems not to be
able to govern his braves. The Great
II h. Co. nf
children He sometimes becomes angry
when he sees the wrongs of his people CON
mitted on the red man, and his vnce be
comes loud as the roaring winds. But, like
the wind, it soon dies away. and leaves the
sullen calm Of unheeded oppression. We
hone now that letter time has come. If
all would talk and then do as you have done,
the sun of peace would shine forever. We
have wared against the white man, but
never because it gave US pleasure. Before
the day of oppression came, no white man
came to our villages and went away hungry.
1t gave us more joy to share with him than
1t gave him to partake of our hospitality
In the far distant past there was no suspi-
cions amour US. The world seemed biz
enough for both the red and the white ma n.
Its broad plains seem now to contract, and
the white man grows jealous of his red
brother. lie once came to trade, he now
comes to fight. He once came as a citizen.
he now comes as a soldier He once put his
trust in our friendship, and wanted no
shield but out fidelity, but now he builds
forts and plants big guns on their walls.-
lie once gave us arms and powder and bade
us hunt the game. We then loved him for
his confidence. lie now suspects our plight
faith, and drives US to be bis enemies lie
now covers his face with the cloud of jealousy
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 day of peace
and friendship to come again. You came
as friends. You talked as friends You
have patiently heard our many complaints
To you they may have seemed trifing to
us they are everything. You have not tried,
as many do, to get from us our lands for
nothing. You have not tried to make new
bargain merely to get the advantage. You
have not asked to make our annuities small
er; but unasked you have made them larger
You have not withdrawn single gift, but
voluntarily you have provided new guar antees
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





know what is best for US. Do for US what
is best. Teach us the road to travel. and we
will not depart from it forever. For your
sakes the green grass shall not be stained
with the blood of the white Your people
shall again be our people, and peace shall be
our mutual heritage. If wrong comes, we
shall look to you for the right. We know
you will not forsake US, and tell our people
to be as you have been. | am old and will
soon join my father, but those who come
after me will remember this day. 1t 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 sacred tradition by
their children, and their children's children.
There is not drop of my blood running
in the veins of any creature living. And
when l am gore to the happy land, who will
mourn for Satank. And now tho time has
come that | must 60 Goodbyl You may
never see me more, but remember Sataak
as the white man S friend


Every one present was deeply affected on
hearing the old chiefs eloquent speech. By
the hearers, have no doubt that this speech
will be long remembered. The above is a
true transcription of it.