A treaty of peace was finally in sight–the treaty of Portage des Sioux! And now up to this time, it must be owned by the impartial mind that rather than receiving any wrong from the Americans, Black Hawk, without any provocation and contrary to his promises, had waged a merciless war on the feeble settlements simply because he hated the Americans–the enemy of his friends, the British. Drake, to condone those atrocities, has stated on page 90 of his “Life of Black Hawk:” “Some palliation for these outrages may be found in the fact that the British on the northwest frontier, long after they were officially notified of the peace, continued to excite the Indians to acts of violence against the United States, and, indeed, participated in them likewise.” This statement, from a man snugly ensconced in an upholstered chair, must be regarded as magnanimous! We have found here Black Hawk the cold-blooded aggressor and murderer, and when he subsequently stated that the treaty signed by him in 1816 was not made known to him, can he be believed? Armstrong, another apologist for the “poor Indian,” stated that Black Hawk was a truthful Indian, though he “withheld facts that were material.”[42] The frightful plight of the settlers can never be realized by the present generation; neither can the actions of the British be justly comprehended in the face of present amity. Plotting destruction, Black Hawk was invariably found to the front, and while successful, he found no fault with the defense of the Americans. That remained for the time when he felt the heel of the conqueror, resenting his years of blood-shedding. Where one man is invariably the offender, it is safe to pronounce him an incorrigible quarreler. Black Hawk was this and more–he was a British mercenary. ----- Footnote 32: Copy of letter to Gen. Howard, Niles Reg., Sup. to Vol. 7, p. 137. Footnote 33: Niles Reg., Vol. 8, p. 311.–June 10, 1815. Footnote 34: Black Hawk claimed the credit of being in the sink and also of killing Capt. Craig, “the leader,” which, of course, could not be true. Footnote 35: Niles Reg., Vol. 8, p. 311.–July 1, 1815. Footnote 36: Niles Reg., Vol. 8, p. 312.–July 1, 1815. Footnote 37: Niles, Vol. 8, p. 312.–July 1, 1815. Footnote 38: Niles, Vol. 8, p. 271.–June 17, 1815. Footnote 39: Niles, Vol. 8, p. 348.–July 15, 1815. Footnote 40: Niles, Vol. 8, p. 436.–Aug. 19, 1815. Footnote 41: All these Indian troubles dated from Black Hawk’s return, it must be noted. Prior to it, no record is to be found of hostile Sacs. Footnote 42: Armstrong’s “The Sauks, etc.,” p. 126. ----- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER IX. TREATY OF PORTAGE DES SIOUX, 1815–TREATY OF ST. LOUIS, 1816.