TEXAS INDIAN PAPERS, 1825-1843
63
Your village has been the chief point where our enemies have met to concert the'ir plans and we believe that it has been partly through your tribe, that other Indians with whom we are at war, hr.ve r~ceived their ammunition and supplies. Neither is this G'Jvernment ignorant of the fact that a secret under standing has existed between you and the traitor Cordova, whose return from the Rio Grande and co-operation is expected by you. He is our open enemy and known to be your confidential f [r]iend and counsellor. Under such circumstances a military post was ordereci to be established at the Saline with no intention of in- terrupting your people in their enjoyment of their possessions or any of their rights, but for the purpose of guarding more effectually against the incursions of the hostile tr'ibes and to prevent their making your settlement the Head Quarters for conspiracy, and a place of refuge in danger. A measure so essential to our safety, and in nowise involving, yours, could not reasonable be objected to by you, if your designs were as pacific as your profess'ions. But the fact that you are unwilling for Major Waters to occupy a point which you know to be all im- portant to the protection of a large portion of our exposed popu- lation, as well as the threatening and dictatorial language with which you have thought proper to order him off makes it more necessary that he should not abandon "it. I have accordingly ordered him back to the Saline and, in doing this, it becomes proper that the relations which are to subsist between the Cher- okee and this Government, should be d'istinctly understood. Permit me then, as one who never dece'ived the redman, to aclvise the Cherokee to abandon all idea of war, to remain at home in peace, cultivate their farms, renounce all connection with our enemies and shew by their conduct as well as by their words, that they are sincere 'in their professions of friendship. Let them do this; and await the next meeting of our Congress, and the President will take pleasure in recommending to that honorable body to take their peculiar situation into cons·ideration and to adopt towards them a policy, which shall be so liberal in its character as to satisfy every reasonable mind, and lead to a permanent friendship between the two parties. The President will do this because he is the friend of peace, justice and human- ity; and if the Cherokee will act right on their part, he has nC1 hesitancy in saying that the Congress will do for them what- ever duty and honor shall require.
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