Across America; Or, The Great West and the Pacific CoastRusling, James Fowler
History
Across America; Or, The Great West and the Pacific Coast
Rusling, James Fowler
Overland journeys to the Pacific; Pacific States -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
"Yes! So! Ooray comprehend! Much good! But my people no comprehend.
No make them now."
He seemed to think there was no use, in even trying to get such an
idea into their heads, and communicated to them some short answer,
which apparently satisfied them.
Again, after much deliberation, he warily asked:
"Suppose pale-face steal pony from red-man, what will Great Father do?"
To which Gov. C.:
"He will compel the pale-face to restore the pony. And if the thief
can't be found, and his red children prove their loss, the Great
Father will pay for it in goods or money."
This seemed to give great satisfaction, when he first interpreted it;
but presently the chiefs became excited, and a hot discussion spread
among them. Kit Carson said, as well as he could make out, they
were canvassing among themselves, whether on the same principle the
government would not compel them to restore or pay for what _they_
stole from the whites; and as their thefts were evidently much the
larger, they speedily directed Ooray to dodge this question, without
further talk.
There was some other desultory conversation, and much repetition
necessarily; but the above is about the substance of it all. The
council lasted two or three hours, and finally wound up with a
dignified expression of thanks by Ooray, for the interest the Great
Father and Gov. C. took in them. This was followed by a general
expression of "Bueno! Bueno!"[9] by the rest of the Indians, and
so the pow-wow ended. The governor managed his side of the affair
with much shrewdness and ability, but failed to secure the positive
pledges the government so much desired. On the other hand, Ooray
certainly conducted himself with great dignity and good sense, for
an "untutored savage," and fully realized our old-time notions of an
Indian chieftain. Should he live, he will yet make a figure among
the Indians, and go down to history as a Logan or a Red-Jacket. His
trip to Washington, he told me, convinced him, it was idle for his
people to contend with the pale-faces, and his counsels were always
for peace and civilization. Subsequently, some months afterwards,
when the Utes rose in hostilities against his advice, he deliberately
repaired to Fort Garland and gave himself up, refusing to have
anything to do with the tribe, until they laid down their arms again.
All honor and praise to this dusky son of the Plains and Mountains!
After the council broke up, there came a grand distribution of
presents, the most sensible of which were a flock of sheep and a small
herd of cattle. The balance amounted to but little in a practical point
of view, though the Utes of course were delighted with their beads,
paint, scarlet blankets, gilt trinkets, etc. The Agents seemed to deal
fairly and honestly by their savage wards, and I doubt not Mr. Hunt
(since Gov. of Colorado) did his duty in the premises very faithfully.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account