436 General Obfervations on
but we fhould firft do fo to, or fhorten the heads of, the latter, with a poi- foned tomohawk, as ajuft emblem of their mifchievous poifoning conduct.
I told them, that the efiential part of our laws was fixed and unalterable, and alfo the fucceffion of each of our great chieftains, while they obferve them faithfully, and order them to be honeftly executed, but no longer. That formerly when the people's hearts became forely aggrieved, and bit terly vexed, as pride for unlimited power, had made fome of the rulers heads giddy, the enraged community had fhortened fome of them, and drove away others from corrupting the beloved land, without any poflibility of returning in fafety. May none of our prefent or future ftatefmen, by wilful mifconduft, and bad principles, be ever forced to appear at the dreadful bar of an abufed and enraged community ! for as they mete, fo it will furely be meted to them again. The Indian fyftem feems to coincide with the grand fundamental law" A natura lex, a virtute rex ," which the great conqueror of the eaft feelingly declared in his laft moments to be juft, by willing his crown to him who moft excelled in virtue.
The ill opinion they entertain of our courts of judicature, may have rifen in fome degree from the wrong information of our interpreters, who have occafionally accompanied them to the courts : but they generally retain a long time the firft imprefiions they imbibe from any one they efteem One law caufe which the Chikkafah attended, proved tedious, and was carried contrary to their opinion of juftice and equity : on their re turn to their own country, they faid, that two or three of their old women would have brought in a quicker, and honefter verdict. They compared our counfellors to the mercenary Choktah, who often kill people, and even one another, for the fake of a French reward, as they earneftly ftrove to draw fuffering truth to their own fide of the debate, and painted it contrary to its native form, with a deformed lying face.
They tell us, that when their head-men are deliberating on public affairs, they difpafllonately examine things, and always fpeak the naked truth , for its honeft face hates a maflt, having nothing to hide from a fearching eye, and its drefs plain and fimple; that people can as eafily diftinguifh it from falfhood, as light from darknefs, or clear and wholefome water from that which is turbid and hurtful, without giving up their reafon to hired fpeakers,
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