TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1844-1845
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of the red men who would not follow the counsels of their chiefs have been killed while stealing horses. this will not make the Great Spirit angry, nor the chiefs of the red people sorry, for they were bad men. The chiefs in council must not let these things bring harm upon their women and children. The Tonkawa and Lipan are our friends and live near us. they will be kept at home, and will not be permitted to steal from our red brothers, or to do them harm. We want all our r<:d brothers to treat them as friends and not to steal tl:eir horses or make war against them. They will be kept as far from our other red brothers as they can. Should any of their bad and foolish young men steal horses, do not make war upon their people, but send to our Agents and we will try to bring them back the horses stolen, and give them to the Chiefs from whom they were taken. then all will be made right. I will now read to you the words of Sam Houston, the great chief of Texas: these are the words of his own mouth, spoken by him and sent to us to deliver to his red brothers. The words I have said to you are the words spoken by ourselves as his counsellors, sent by him to talk to his red brothers. we have often set by his side and eat and drank with him: these are the words spoken by himself. "So soon as the Comanche can be seen the line will be run, and we will have it pointed out in such a way that there will be no dissatisfaction between the whites and the indians. On the East side of the Brazos the line will be considered as run- ning between the Upper and lower Cross Timbers, until it can be marked. Until peace is made with the Comanche, it will be best for no indians to come below that line, unless they come down by Mr. Torrey's trading house and get from the Superin- tendent or Mr Sloat, Agent, letters to come down into the settle- ments to hunt or trade. You will give out this talk to all the In- dians. if it is not listened to it may bring trouble. When the line is marked I want a chief of each tribe to go with the men who mark it. When the leaves fall and I meet the chiefs in council I will have medals and such presents for my brother chiefs as they will be happy to receive: this will be four moons and a half from the present time. Tel1 them all to keep blood out of our path, and to let no horses be stolen: tell them this year to raise corn anywhere they please above the trading house on the Brazos, Noland's
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