The Land of the Miamis: An Account of the Struggle to Secure Possession of the North-West from the End of the Revolution until 1812Barce, Elmore
History
The Land of the Miamis: An Account of the Struggle to Secure Possession of the North-West from the End of the Revolution until 1812
Barce, Elmore
Indians of North America -- Wars -- 1750-1815; Miami Indians; Northwest, Old -- History
Miamis without your consent. Miamis, I now tell you that nothing can be
done without your consent. The consent of the whole is necessary."
This second appeal met with the same reception as the first. On the
twenty-sixth, the Miamis, again declared that they would never consent
to the sale of any more of their lands. "That they had been advised by
their Father, the British, never to sell another foot." At this moment
it was that the Potawatomi started a violent altercation, setting up a
shout of open defiance in the council house and threatening to resort to
force. On repairing to the Governor's headquarters, however, and
reporting their conduct, Harrison, "blamed them for their rashness and
made them promise not to offer the Miamis any further insults."
On the evening of the same day, the Governor held another extended
conference with the Miami chiefs, and explained to them that the British
were to blame for all their troubles. His remarks were prophetic. He
said: "In case of a war with the latter (the Americans), the English
knew that they were unable to defend Canada with their own force; they
were therefore desirous of interposing the Indians between them and
danger." The death of Tecumseh in the British ranks was part of the
fulfillment of this prediction.
All the conferences proved in vain. On the twenty-seventh, Silver Heels,
a Miami chief, was won over and spoke in favor of the treaty, and
Harrison succeeded on the twenty-eighth in reconciling the Miamis and
Potawatomi, but in full council on the twenty-ninth, The Owl, a Miami
chief, flatly refused to sell an acre; made a bitter and sarcastic
speech, and among other things said; "You remember the time when we
first took each other by the hand at Greenville. You there told us where
the line would be between us. You told us to love our women and children
and to take care of our lands. You told us that the Spanish had a great
deal of money, the English, and some of your people likewise, but that
we should not sell our lands to any of them. In consequence of which
last fall we put our hands upon our hearts and determined not to sell
our lands." Harrison answered in a speech of two hours length, and ended
by saying, "that he was tired of waiting and that on the next day he
would submit to them the form of a treaty which he wished them to sign
and if they would not agree to it he would extinguish the council
fire."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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