Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/351

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Appeals for Peace to Indian Chiefs.
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they will not tell the truth. When we shake hands we will become friends. Our friendship shall not cease. We will be friends when people around us are not at war. The tomahawk shall never be raised between us.

You and your friends shall trade with our people, and you shall buy from us such things as you need, and our price shall not be great. We will buy from you your furs, your horses, your silver and gold. Treat my friends as brothers, and we will treat you likewise when you come to see us. We shall then write down a treaty which shall not wear out, but shall remain with our children, that they may know their fathers had shaken hands and smoked together the pipe of peace.

I hope the Great Spirit may give light to your path, and the clouds of sorrow never rest upon your journey of life.

Thy brother, Sam Houston.

LETTER TO CASTRO AND FLACO.

City of Houston, September 1, 1842

To Castro and Flaco:

My Brothers:—I send to you Drs. Tower and Cottle, on their way to the Apache nation. Antonio, an Apache, is with them. They want you to send some of your people with them. I hope you will do so; and if they want horses, I wish you would let them have good ones for them to ride. I will make presents to the Lipans who may go with my agents to the Apache nation.

I am your brother, Sam Houston.

LETTER TO RED BEAR AND OTHER CHIEFS.

Executive Department,
Washington, October 18, 1842.

To the Red Bear and Chiefs of the Council:

My Brothers:—The path between us is open; it has become white. We wish it to remain open, and that it shall no more be stained with blood. The last Council took brush out of oiar way. Clouds hang no longer over us, but the sun gives light to our footsteps. Darkness is taken away from us, and we can look at each other as friends. I send councilors with my talk. They will give it to you. Hear it, and remember my words. I have never opened my lips to tell a red brother a lie. My red brothers, who know me, will tell you that my counsel has always been for peace; that I have eaten bread and drank water with the red men. They listened to my words and were not troubled. A bad chief came in my place, and told them lies and did them much harm. His counsel was listened to, and the people did evil. His counsel is no more heard, and the people love peace with their red brothers. You, too, love peace; and you wish to kill the buffalo for your women and children. There are many in Texas, and we wish you to enjoy them. We are willing that your women and children should be free from harm.