TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1825-1843
The following tribes were represented in Council, viz: The Dela- ware, Shawnee, Caddo, Ioni, A-na-darko, Tawakoni, Waco, Wichita and Keechi. ------ - The following individual!:'.l acted as Interpreters during the !'itting of the Council, viz: John Connor. Jim Second-Eye, Jim Shaw, Luis Sanchez, Jess Chisholm, and Red Horse ---- After the usual prelimary of smoking being finished, a letter from His Excellency the President addressed to Linney the Shawnee Chief was read and interpreted to the Indians in Coun- cil.-This communication seemed to give general satisfaction. - Geni. Terrell then addressed the Council as follows:--- My Brothers, The business on which we have met together is of great im- portance to all of us, and to our people. With some of you, we h.;.ve long been at War. Our business is to remove all causes of War, and establish peace between us. The path between us has long been red with the blood of the white and the red man. The bones of our brothers and kindred have been strewed along the path we have travelled. Clouds and darkness have rested unon it. This we believe is wrong, and should no longer exist. The bow has been strung, and the rifle kept loaded too long. The white and the red man all belong to the same great family; therefore we should all live together in peace and friendship. Wolves and bears and other beasts of the forest naturally fight, and war upon one another; but the human family are not made with tt.iSks and claws to tear and devour each other. ---- The Great Spirit, as our fathers have taught us, has given u::; a book; in that book he says, it is good and pleasant for b1·others to live together in peace and friendship; for this pur- pose we wish to remove all the brush from the path between us, and make the road we travel clean and v.·hite. ------ The President of Texas has heard that our brothers, the red men, want to make peace with us: for this purpose he has sent us, his Commissioners to meet you. We have been a long time in getting together. The weather has been very bad, and the waters very high. But now that we have met, the Sun that represents the Great Spirit, smiles upon us; so it is with our countenances; when we look upon each other, all appears bright apd cheerful. You have heard the talk of our President read to you. He is the friend of the red man; he alwayR has been their
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