his command? and could he not sweep away from the earth a whole nation with one motion of his arm? My children! do not believe that the good and great Creator of mankind has directed you to destroy your own flesh; and do not doubt but that, if you pursue this abominable wickedness, his vengeance will overtake and crush you. “The above is addressed to you in the name of the ‘Seventeen Fires.’ I now speak to you from myself, as a friend who wishes nothing more sincerely than to see you prosperous and happy. Clear your eyes, I beseech you, from the mist which surrounds them. No longer be imposed upon by the acts of an impostor. Drive him from your town, and let peace and harmony once more prevail among you. Let your poor old men and women sleep in quietness, and banish from their minds the dreadful idea of being burnt alive by their own friends and countrymen. I charge you to stop your bloody career; and if you value the friendship of your great father, the President, if you wish to preserve the good opinion of the ‘Seventeen Fires,’ let me hear, by the return of the bearer, that you have determined to follow my advice.”[1] [Footnote 1: See note A.] To this speech, which served in a great measure to arrest the mad fury of Elkswatawa and his followers, the Prophet, who happened to be present at the time of its reception, delivered to the messenger who brought it in the presence of the assembled Indians, the following speech, which he requested him to write down, and hand over to Gen. Harrison. It will be seen from this that the governor had sometime previously charged the Prophet with being influenced by the English, an opinion which was current long before hostilities actually commenced. The speech of the governor which we have before given was directed to the Delawares, and the Prophet, being a Shawanee, was not called upon to answer it, but having been strongly denounced he thought proper to do so; and one cannot but be amused at the canting professions which were contained in his answer. It runs thus: “Father,—I am very sorry that you listen to the advice of bad birds. You have impeached me with having correspondence with the British; and with calling and sending for the Indians from the most distant parts of the country, ‘to listen to a fool that speaks not the words of the Great Spirit, but the words of the devil.’ Father, those impeachments I deny, and say they are not true. I never had a word with the British, and I never sent for any Indians. They came here themselves, to listen and hear the words of the Great Spirit. “Father,—I wish you would not listen any more to the voice of bad birds; and you may rest assured, that it is the least of our idea to make disturbance, and we will rather try to stop any such proceedings than encourage them.”