The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 8 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and PrivateJefferson, Thomas
History
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. 8 (of 9): Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private
Jefferson, Thomas
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1865
_Father_,--Your people of Kentucky are like mosquitos, and try
to destroy the red men. The red men are like mosquitos also,
and try to injure the people of Kentucky. But I look to you as
to a good being. Order your people to be just. They are always
trying to get our lands. They come on our lands, they hunt
on them; kill our game, and kill us. Keep them then on one side
of the line, and us on the other. Listen, father, to what we say,
and protect the nations of the Wabash and Mississippi in their lands.
The English have often spoken to me, but I shut my ears to
them. I despise their money, it is nothing to me. I am attached
to my lands. I love to eat in tranquillity, and not like
a bird on a bough.
The Piankeshaws, Wyattanons, Wiaws, and all the Indians of
the Mississippi and Wabash, pray you to open your heart and ears
to them, and as you befriend them, to give them Captain Prior
for their father. We love him, men, women, and children of us.
He has always been friendly to us, always taken care of us, and
you cannot give us a better proof of your friendship than in leaving
him with us.
[Here Three-Legs handed round the white pipe to be
smoked.] De Coigne, then, taking a third pipe, proceeded:
This pipe, my father, is sent you by the great chief of all the
Wiaws, called Crooked-Legs. He is old, infirm, and cannot
walk, therefore is not come. But he prays you to be his friend,
and to take care of his people. He tells you there are many red
people jealous of you, but you need not fear them. If he could
have walked he would have come; but he is old and sick, and
cannot walk. The English have a sugar mouth, but Crooked-Legs
would never listen to them. They threatened us to send
the red men to cut off him and his people, and they sent the red
men who threatened to do it, unless he would join the English.
But he would not join them.
The chiefs of the Wabash, father, pray you to listen. They
send you this pipe from afar. Keep your children quiet at the
Falls of Ohio. We know you are the head of all. We appeal
to you. Keep the Americans on one side of the Ohio, from the
falls downwards, and us on the other; that we may have something
to live on according to your agreement in the treaty which
you have. And do not take from the French the lands we have
given them.
Old Crooked-Legs sends you this pipe, [here he presented it,]
and he prays you to send him Captain Prior for his father, for
he is old, and you ought to do this for him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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