Elkswatawa : $b or, The prophet of the west. A tale of the frontierFrench, James Strange
General
Elkswatawa : $b or, The prophet of the west. A tale of the frontier
French, James Strange
Tippecanoe, Battle of, Ind., 1811 -- Fiction
But while he was thus occupied in removing all who were hostile to
him; his emissaries were at work, preaching his doctrines to distant
tribes, and endeavouring to unite them all in one great bond of union.
His conduct now became a subject of discussion among the whites, and
many believed that his ultimate intentions were hostile, although, as
yet, against them, not an unfriendly act had been committed. And there
were many who regarded him as the agent of the English, and believed
that in exciting the Indians, he was only acting in accordance with
orders received from the Canadian posts. The burning of the Delaware
chiefs, however, created so much excitement throughout the frontiers
that General Harrison, Governor of Indiana Territory, within the
borders of which, many of the scenes described had taken place, was
induced, through a spirit of humanity, to interfere with a hope of
preventing a farther sacrifice of victims through the machinations of
the Prophet. And in accordance with this view, he sent a messenger to
the Delawares, where most of these occurrences had taken place, with
the following speech, which we insert for the purpose of making more
explicit the Prophet's answer, which follows.
“My Children,
“My heart is filled with grief, and my eyes are dissolved in tears, at
the news which has reached me. You have been celebrated for your
wisdom above all the tribes of red people who inhabit this great
island. Your fame as warriors has extended to the remotest nations;
and the wisdom of your chiefs has gained for you the appellation of
grand-fathers from all the neighbouring tribes. From what cause, then,
does it proceed, that you have departed from the wise councils of your
fathers, and covered yourselves with guilt?—My children, tread back
the steps you have taken, and endeavour to regain the straight road
which you have abandoned. The dark, crooked, and thorny one which you
are now pursuing will certainly lead to endless wo and misery. But who
is this pretended Prophet who dares to speak in the name of the Great
Creator? Is he more wise or virtuous than you are yourselves, that he
should be selected to convey to you the orders of your God? Demand of
him some proofs at least of his being the messenger of the Deity. If
God has really employed him, he has doubtless authorised him to
perform some miracles, that he may be known and received as a prophet.
If he is really a prophet, ask of him to cause the sun to stand still,
the moon to alter its course, the rivers to cease to flow, or the dead
to rise from their graves. If he does these things, you may then
believe that he has been sent from God. He tells you that the Great
Spirit commands you to punish with death those who deal in magic, and
that _he_ is authorised to point them out. Wretched delusion! Is,
then, the Master of life obliged to employ mortal man to punish those
who offend Him? Has he not the thunder and all the powers of nature at
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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