Part 54 (1/2)

_27th_. I am requested, from a high quarter, to furnish an article for the _Southern Literary Messenger_. ”You are in for a sc.r.a.pe,” says a gay note on the subject. ”I have told Mr. White all about it. I am greatly obliged to you for relieving me.” Truth is, I have never regarded the employment of literary time as thrown away. The discipline of the mind, induced by composition, is something, and it is surprising what may be done by a person who carefully ”redeems” all his time. It does not, in the least, incapacitate him for business. It rather quickens his intellect for it.

_Feb. 1st_. My former agreeable guest at Mackinack (Rev. Geo. H.

Hastings) writes me from Walnut Hills, Ohio: ”There is a missionary spirit in our inst.i.tution (Lane Seminary) that responds to the wants of the world. The faculty have pressed upon the minds of us all the duty of examining early the question, 'Ought I to be a missionary?'”

_16th_. My brother James writes from St. Mary's, foot of Lake Superior: ”The month has been remarkably cold, the thermometer having ranged from 13.23 to 38 below zero. Snow we have had in great abundance.”

_17th_. Hon. Lewis F. Linn, U.S. Senator, writes respecting the scientific character and resources of Missouri, in view of a project, matured by him, for establis.h.i.+ng a western armory: ”Your intimate knowledge of the Ozark Mountains, its streams descending north and south, and those pa.s.sing through to the east, with its unequaled mineral resources, would be, to me, of infinite service, to accomplish the purpose I have in view, should you be so kind as to communicate them, in reference to this particular measure, and by so doing you would confer a lasting obligation.”

The resources of Missouri in iron, lead, and coal, to which I first called attention in 1819, are of such a n.o.ble character as surely to require no bolstering from the effects of particular measures.

_March 4th_. Mr. J.O. Lewis, of Philadelphia, furnishes me seven numbers of his _Indian Portfolio_. Few artists have had his means of observation of the aboriginal man, in the great panorama of the west, where he has carried his easel. The results are given, in this work, with biographical notices of the common events in the lives of the chiefs.

Altogether, it is to be regarded as a valuable contribution to this species of knowledge. He has painted the Indian lineaments on the spot, and is ent.i.tled to patronage--not as supplying all that is desirable, or practicable, perhaps, but as a first and original effort. We should cherish all such efforts.

_9th_. A shrewd and discriminating judge of literary things in New York, writes: ”Have you seen the last number of Hoffman's Magazine? There is a pretty thing of his in it about Indian corn, and an Indian story by the author of 'Tales in the North-west,' which I do not, think good. The number generally is indifferent. Some one recently told me, that the true orthography of Illinois is Illinwa, like Ottawa, &c. Do you think that the fact?[77] By the way, why have you, and all other Indian travelers, used the French word 'lodge,' instead of the Indian wigwam?

Don't you think the latter the better term? I do, and if my book was to print again, I would always use wigwam instead of _lodge_. We have so few relics of the poor Indians, that I am unwilling to part with any one, even so trifling as adopting the red man's name for the red man's house.”

[Footnote 77: No.]

We have no news here. Paulding's book on slavery has been little noticed. Dr. Hawk's 'History of Episcopacy in Virginia' is good--very good, so they say, for I have not read it. Some Jerseyman has written a bad novel called ”Herbert--” something or other--I forget what. What do they say at Was.h.i.+ngton, and what do you say about Gen. Macomb's 'Pontiac?'[78] Is the Indian Prince, who was traveling in these parts a while ago, one of the getters up of this affair? I suspect him. Does the prince go to 'profane stageplays and such like vanities,' as the dear old Puritans would say?

[Footnote 78: Fudge!]

”I hear nothing of Mr. Gallatin and his Indian languages. Do you? I see, by the English magazines, that Willis and his 'pencilings' get little quarter there; they deserve none. The book is not yet published here.

Walsh, they say, will kill it, unless it should chance to be still-born.

Hoffman is a friend of it, or rather he has made up his mind to join hands with the 'Mirror' set. I think he has made a mistake. They will sink him before he raises them. I suppose, however, if he will praise them they will praise him, and praise is sweet, we all know.”

_9th_. Rev. William McMurray writes, from the Canadian side of Sault St.

Marie: ”Our excellent governor, Sir John Colbourne, has resigned his situation, which is at present filled by Sir Francis Head, who has recently arrived from England. As far as I can learn, he is rather a literary character, and is the same person who, some years ago, visited South America on a mining expedition. The most correct intelligence I have received respecting him is by an express from Toronto. From it I learn that he is disposed to be kind and good towards the poor Indians.

As an instance of which, he intends visiting every Indian mission next summer, in order that he may see for himself their secret wants, and how their condition may be best ameliorated.”

My brother James gives a somewhat amusing account of Indian matters at the Sault after the leaving of their delegates for Was.h.i.+ngton.

”Since Whaiskee's departure, the whole Sault has been troubled; I mean the 'busy bodies,' and this, by the way, comprises nearly the whole population. A council has accordingly been held before the Major-Agent, in which the British chief, Gitshee Kawgaosh, appeared as orator. The harangue from the sachem ran very much as follows:--”

'Father, _why_ and for what purpose has the man Whaiskee gone to the home of our great father? _Why_ did he leave without notifying _me_, and the other men of _influence_ of my tribe, of the nature of his mission?

Why should he, whose _totem-fathers_ live about Shaugawaumekong (La Pointe), be, at his own will, made the representative of the ancient band of the red men whose _totem_ is the lofty Crane? Say, father?

Father, we ask you to know; we ask of you to tell _why_ this strange man has so strangely gone to smoke with the great chief of the ”long knives?” Kunnah-gakunnah!'

”Here the chief, drawing the folds of his blanket with perfect grace, and extending his right arm with dignity to the agent, seated himself again upon the floor, while, at the same time, a warrior of distinction, whose eagle-plumed head spoke him the fiercest of his tribe, gave to the sachem the lighted pipe. The eyes of the red men, like those of their snowy chief, were now riveted to the floor.”

'Sons of the forest,' answered the American agent, '_I_, like yourselves, know nothing of this strange business! _I_, the father of all the red men, have not been consulted in this man's going beyond the lakes to ”the great waters!” _I_ am the man through whom such messages should come! _I_, the man who should hand the wampum, and _I_, the man to whom the red men should look for redress! Friends, your speech shall reach the ears of our great father, and then this strange man of the far-off _totem_ of Addik shall know that the Crane _totem_ is protected by me, the hero of the Southern clime! Men of the forest, I am done.'

”Tobacco was then distributed to the a.s.sembly, and, after many _hoghs_, the red men dispersed.”

_24th_. Mr. Bancroft, bringing a few lines from the Secretary of War, came to see me to confer on the character of the Indians, which he is about to handle in the next volume of his History. This care to a.s.sure himself of the truth of the conclusions to be introduced in his work, is calculated to inspire confidence in his mode of research.

_28th_. Was.h.i.+ngton. My reception here has been most cordial, and such as to a.s.sure me in the propriety of the step I took, in resolving to proceed to the capital, without the approval of the secretary and acting governor (Horner), who was, indeed, from his recent arrival and little experience in this matter, quite in the dark respecting the true condition of Indian affairs in Michigan. The self-const.i.tuted Ottawa delegation of chiefs from the lower peninsula had preceded me a few days. After a conference between them and the Secretary of War, they were referred to me, under authority from the President, communicated by special appointment, as commissioner for treating with them. It was found that the deputation was quite too local for the transaction of any general business. The Ottawas, from the valley of Grand River, an important section, were unrepresented. The various bands of Chippewas living intercalated among them, on the lower peninsula, extending down the Huron sh.o.r.e to Thunder Bay, were unapprized of the movement. The Chippewas of the upper peninsula, north of Michilimackinack, were entirely unrepresented. I immediately wrote, authorizing deputations to be sent from each of the unrepresented districts, and transmitting funds for the purpose. This authority to collect delegates from the two nations, whose interests in the lands were held in common, was promptly and efficiently carried out; and, when the chiefs and delegates arrived, they were a.s.sembled in public council, at the Masonic Hall, corner of 4-1/2 street, and negotiations formally opened. These meetings were continued from day to day, and resulted in an important cession of territory, comprising all their lands lying in the lower peninsula of Michigan, north of Grand River and west of Thunder Bay; and on the upper peninsula, extending from Drummond Island and Detour, through the Straits of St. Mary, west to Chocolate River, on Lake Superior, and thence southerly to Green Bay. This cession was obtained on the principle of making limited reserves for the princ.i.p.al villages, and granting the ma.s.s of Indian population the right to live on and occupy any portion of the lands until it is actually required for settlement.