Your Great Father, and ours of the United States, wishes the red men and the people of Texas to be brothers. He has written to me, and told me that you wanted peace, and would keep it. Because peace is good, we have listened to him. You, too, have heard his wishes, and you know the wishes of our red brothers on the Arkansas. Let us be like brothers, and bury the tomahawk forever.
Bad men make trouble: they can not be at peace; but when the water is clear they will disturb it and make it muddy. The Mexicans have lately come to San Antonio and brought war with them; they killed some of our people, and we killed and wounded many of them. We drove them out of the country; they fled in sorrow. If they come back again they shall no more leave our country, or it will be after they have been taken prisoners. Their coming has disturbed us; and for that reason I can not go to the Council to meet you, as I had intended. But my friends that I send to you will tell you all things, and make a treaty with you that I will look upon and rejoice at. You will counsel together. They will bring me all the words that you speak to them. The Great Spirit will hear the words that I speak to you, and«Hewill know the truth of the words that you send to me. When truth is spoken His countenance will rejoice; but before him who speaketh lies, the Great Spirit will place darkness, and will not give light to his going. Let all the red men make peace; let no man injure his brother; let us meet every year in council, that we may know the heart of each other. I wish some of the chiefs of my red brothers to come and see me at Washington. They shall come in peace, and none shall make them afraid.
The messenger from the Oueen of England and the messenger from the United States are both in Texas, and will be in Washington, if thy are not sick. They will be happy to see my brothers. If the Dig Mush is in council he has not forgotten my words; and he knows my counsel was always that of a brother; and that I never deceived my red brothers, the Cherokees. They had much trouble and sorrow brought upon them, but it was done by chiefs whose counsel was wicked, and I was far off and could not hinder the mischief that was brought upon his people. Our great council is to meet within one moon and I will send a talk to our agent at the trad ing-house, who will send it to my red brothers.
Let the war-whoop be no more heard in our prairies—let songs of joy be heard upon our hills. In our valleys let there be laughter and in our wigwams let the voices of our women and children be heard—let trouble be taken away far from us; and when our warriors meet together, let them smoke the pipe of peace and be happy.
Your brother, Sam Houston.
TALK TO BORDER CHIEFS.
Executive Department, |
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Washington, February 13, 1843. |
Brothers: —The great rains, like your sorrows, I hope have passed away, and the sun is again shining upon us. When we all make peace, it will be
