Sustained honor: The Age of Liberty EstablishedMusick, John R. (John Roy)
History
Sustained honor: The Age of Liberty Established
Musick, John R. (John Roy)
United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Fiction
"Our ships have gone one way, and we are much astonished to see our
father tying up everything and preparing to run away the other, without
letting his red children know what his intentions are. You always told
us to remain here and take care of our lands; it made our hearts glad to
hear that was your wish. Our great father, the king, is the head, and
you represent him. You always told us you would never draw your foot off
British ground; but now, father, we see that you are drawing back, and
we are sorry to see our father doing so without seeing the enemy. We
must compare your conduct to a fat dog, that carries its tail on its
back, but when affrighted, drops it between its legs and runs off.
Father, listen! the Americans have not yet defeated us by land, neither
are we sure that they have done so by water; we, therefore, wish to
remain here and fight our enemy, should they make their appearance. If
they defeat us, we will then retreat with our father. At the battle of
the rapids, the Americans certainly defeated us, and when we returned to
our father's fort at that place, the gates were shut against us. We were
afraid that it would now be the case; but instead of that, we now see
our British father preparing to march out of his garrison. Father, you
have got the arms and ammunition which our great father sent for his red
children. If you have any idea of going away, give them to us, and you
may go and welcome, for us. Our lives are in the hands of the Great
Spirit. We are determined to defend our lands, and, if it be his will,
we wish to leave our bones upon them."
Unless the unscrupulous Proctor was utterly lost to shame, his cheek
must have burned as he listened to the stinging reproof of the noble
Indian Chief. Ever since the white men began their political struggles
for power on the American continent, the unfortunate Indian has been
their tool, and their scapegoat. Cheated, deceived by falsehoods and
false friends, he was ever thrust forward as a sacrifice to the hatred
of contending white men. Spanish, English and French were all alike
equally guilty.
Proctor and Tecumseh fled from Malden at the approach of the Americans.
They had been gone scarce an hour, when the head of the American column
appeared playing Yankee Doodle.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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