British agents could not influence Keokuk, whose temper was naturally amiable and gentle, and, if one wishes to adopt Black Hawk’s sarcasm, politic, too. He favored peace always. In a sense he was luxurious for an Indian, fond of pomp, and those attributes might in a measure have superinduced his love of peace; but peaceful he was after the fire of youth had somewhat succumbed to the influence of the whites, and so he continued unto his dying day. His oratory was so perfect, his logic so convincing, his person so magnetic and his pleas so engaging, that poor Black Hawk made a sorry figure against him, and, after a few attempts, dared never again appeal to the reason of his people against the invincible Keokuk.[23] As an orator, Keokuk had no equal among the red men, and the influence it acquired for him so rankled in the heart of Black Hawk that the latter could never overcome his hatred of Keokuk. Even down to the very last speech he ever made, at Fort Madison, he could not repress an unfortunate fling at his rival; and too bad it was that he allowed his passion to sway him from a plain and simple talk upon past or present events. The words and sentiments of that little talk were truly beautiful and had reflected much credit had he resisted the temptation to speak ill of Keokuk. His life was then ebbing away, and had that offensive portion of his talk been omitted, very many of his evil acts could have been pardoned and forgotten. His melancholy and his temper were his undoing. ----- Footnote 1: Occasionally rendered in early life “Black Sparrow Hawk.” Footnote 2: His weight is commonly placed at 140 pounds. Footnote 3: This statement, written at the time, would seem to warrant the assertion by friends that Black Hawk’s old and disfigured “plug” hat was buried with him, instead of a military cap, as contended by a few claiming knowledge. Footnote 4: Much has been written of the perfection of Black Hawk’s head; so much that it may not be inappropriate to refer to an article to be found in the American Phrenological Journal for November, 1838, Vol. I, No. 2, page 51 et seq. On page 60: “We are much pleased with the following extract from the pen of the editor of the U.S. Literary Gazette, Philadelphia: ‘We found time yesterday to visit Black Hawk and the Indian chiefs at the Congress Hall Hotel. We went into their chamber, and found most of them sitting or lying on their beds. Black Hawk was sitting on a chair and apparently depressed in spirits. He is about sixty-five, of middling size, with a head that would excite the envy of a phrenologist–one of the finest that Heaven ever let fall on the shoulders of an Indian.’