Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/361

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The Great Brother of the U. S. with Houston.
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and killed the Comanche chiefs who came to San Antonio to make peace. They are now gone, and can not do your people any more injury. We must now forget past sorrows, and embrace each other as friends and brothers. I have always been the friend of the red man. The Delawares, Cherokees, and Shawnees will tell you this.

I saw the treaty which Pah-hah-yuco made with my young chief, to do no more harm till the council. This was very good, and my heart was glad. It showed that you would be a friend to the whites and our brother. The council at Bird's Fort and the great rains and high waters, have prevented my young chiefs from meeting you in council; and I send my chiefs, who will give you this, to tell you the reason, and to request you and all your chiefs to attend a council to be held on or near Tahwoccany Creek, about J the full moon in April next. My Great Brother, the President of the United States, has been invited to send some of his chiefs to the council, and see the people of Texas make peace with their red brothers. My Great Brother is anxious for peace, and will see that both the white and red men do right, and injure each other no more.

I hope my good friend Pah-hah-yuco and the chiefs of the several bands of the Comanches and Kiaways, will be present a' the council on Tahwoccany Creek at the time appointed. I hope, also, that they will send runners and invite' each other to the council, that all may be there to make peace, that there may be no more war and distress between the white and red man, and that the traders may furnish all the several bands with goods. The prisoners we have of your people will be at the council, and when our people among you are given up, they will all be restored to their kindred and friends, and be happy. The little prisoners I sent you are pledges of my sincerity. I never told a red brother a lie. Bring all our prisoners, and all yours shall be given up as soon as a peace is made. When you see them you will say that they have been well treated. They have not been hurt. The white people have been kind to the red prisoners. When peace is made no more prisoners shall be taken. The white and the red man will meet and shake hands, and sit around the same fire and smoke the pipe as friends and brothers. There will be none to make them afraid.

Come with your chiefs to the council; and those I send to speak to you will be your friends, and will speak nothing but truth and peace.

Your brother, Sam Houston.

LETTER TO A-CAH-QUASH.

Executive Department,
Washington, December 14, 1843.

To A-cah-quash, Chief of Wacoes, etc.:

My Brother:—— I have heard of you in the prairies. I was rejoiced. My friends told me that you yet walked in the white path. Your words came to me by the lean captain [Gen. Geo. W. Terrell]. My heart is warm toward my friends. I will never forget that you were amongst the first to walk in the path between the red and the white man. To let you