TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1844-1845
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retary of War and Marine, Hon G. W. Terrell Attorney Gen- eral, Messrs. Sloat and Slater Indian Agents and several visit- ing whites:-lndians.-- The Chiefs of the Comanche, Keechi, Waco, Tawakoni, Caddo, Joni, Anadarko, Cherokee, Delaware, Shawnee and many of their Captains and warriors. Interpreters Col L. H. Williams, Daniel G. Watson, Jesse Chisholm, Luis Sanchez, Mexican, James Shaw and John Con- ner, Delaware, and Vicente, ·a Caddo. The Council was opened by smoking the pipe of Friendship and peace, after which His Excellency, the President, made the following remarks: "We have met here to talk with the Chief of the Comanche and the other Chiefs: if he or they wish to talk we will hear them; if not I will talk and speak for myself and my chiefs." The Indian Chiefs replied they would listen to him, and His Excel- lency gave the following talk:- "To the Chiefs of the Comanche, and to all the Chiefs;-We, the Chiefs of the white people are very glad to see you. You are welcome to our presence. We are glad that you are here. We have been very far apart, and the path that led from your vil- lages to us has been a long and bloody one; the blood hath been taken out of the path between the white people and many na- tions of the Red people, we have now met to take away the blood from the path of the Comanche and the wh"ite people. Six years ago, I made a peace with the Comanche: that peace was kept until a bad chief took my place. That Chief made war on the Comanche and murdered them at San An- tonio: he made war, too, on the Cherokee, and drove them from the country. Now this has to be mended, war can do us no good. It may kill white men: it ma.y kill red men: it will cause trouble to women and children, and can bring no happiness to them. If war can do us no good stealing can do us no good. If our red brothers want to steal there are more horses on the Rio Grande than in Texas, and they have been accustomed to take them from there. If stealing horses in Texas is not stopped, it must make war between the white people and the red people; and between the red people themselves. good men don't want their property taken, and I don't want war. Some Waco who would not listen to the Treaty and the voice of Acaquash have stolen horses. they must bring back those horses and steal no
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