nor by any reasonings, to make it less horrible, than it is. But yet I will notwithstanding venture to aver, that there is some apology to be found in their history.

As to the fact of the Indians making war "unprovoked," as a character belonging to them, I have entirely changed my opinion, so far as respects their contests with the whites; and I think so also, as to the wars among themselves. But that is not to the present purpose. With few exceptions, (and those I could not specify) I fully believe, they have never made war upon the whites, when, considering what they are, they have not been well provoked. I do not mean by this to justify war, in their case, or in any other. I confess myself more than half a Quaker on this subject. But I am speaking of the fact of provocation-of a sense of injury. The American Indians have always stood in terror of the whites, and have never, as a prevailing disposition, sought to embroil themselves with them in a controversy of arms. I speak this, as my deep conviction, although I have not time to enter into proofs. My principal aim here is to say a little of the merits of the particular controversy alluded to, in the passage I have quoted from the President's message.

It happened some half-dozen years ago, or

more, that a murder, or massacre of some watermen on the Mississippi river, was committed by those very Indians, who have so recently been at war with the United States, if such a quarrel is to be dignified with this name. As might be expected, the event of the murder made a good deal of clamour. The authorities of the Government were put in requisition to investigate the affair, and to demand satisfaction. The murderers were required to be given up, that they might suffer capital punishment, as an example; and according to the best of my recollections, they were tried, convicted, and executed. If the event were worthy of such a notice, we might perhaps expect to find, on the file of Congressional documents for the time, and in the President's message, some such passage as

this:

"An atrocious and wanton murder of three (or more, I have forgotten the number) of our citizens, was committed last summer, on the banks of the Mississippi, by a savage horde of the Sauks and Fox Indians, who fired from an ambush, on the banks of the river, as their victims were peaceably floating down the stream, unconscious of their danger. I immediately sent a commission, supported by an armed force, with full powers to investigate the case, and to convict and punish the offenders. They have been

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delivered up, and as an example to others, have suffered the penalty due to their crime." 'An atrocious and wanton murder," it was called and thought to be at the time. The people of the whole country were horror-struck at the intelligence, and made deeply anxious for all their fellow-citizens, who might have occasion to do business on that frontier. And the energetic measures of Government inflicted a far greater terror on the poor Indians. I say: - poor Indians, as will soon appear, notwithstanding the libel of this "wanton" and "unprovoked" outrage stands against them to this day, before the public of the United States, as deserved and

true.

When I was in that quarter, in the summer of 1830, I happened incidentally to be made acquainted with the facts of the case. These unoffending citizens of the United States, so wantonly murdered, turned out to have been part of a vicious and worthless crew of watermen, who, late from New Orleans, the den of all vice, fell upon an Indian village, on those upper waters of the Mississippi, when the men of the village were absent on a hunting expedition, and committed crimes, which cannot be named. And even with this hint, imagination will never reach the worst and

still more nameless part of their offending. The watermen continued their course up the river, and the men of the village returned to be made acquainted with their deeds. Maddened exasperated to fury, they awaited the return of these wretches, and sought and obtained their revenge, in the way, that has been suggestedalthough they could never obtain the reparation of their injury. And these watermen, thus meritoriously visited, whose punishment was far lighter than their crimes, have been held up before the public, as wantonly murdered. What else could be expected of the Indian, who knows not how to bring such wretches to justice, under the forms of civilized society?- but who did know, in this instance, that he never could prosecute them there? Was he not "provoked?"

Thus are Indians, unknown to the world, continually subject to the incursions and remorseless depredations of vicious white men.

I learned at the same time, that these very Indians, as well as other tribes in those regions, were becoming exceedingly suspicious of the designs of white men on their rights, and on their country; as well they might be. For such was the fact. And they had heard of it in various forms; and been convinced of it. They had many and good reasons to withhold confidence,

even from Government. In their ignorance, their imagination magnified and distorted every shadow of evil, and threw over it a thousand false colours. Who does not love his country? Who would not fight for the home of his fathers, so long as there is hope of defending it? Will any man blame the Indian for doing that, which he would do for himself?-and for the lack of doing which, he would deem any civilized man base, and unworthy of respect? The remote and wild Indian, born and bred and always buried in the forest, does not know the power of his antagonist, when, with a little band, he attempts to grapple with a powerful and civilized nation. He may err in judgment, when he is right in feeling. He has less knowledge and less skill, but it does not follow, that he has less virtue. And all his rights, which he feels and knows no man, or power of man, may lawfully wrest from him, are as dear to him, as they can be to a white man.

For myself, I have not a single doubt, that if the chapter of reasons for the recent Indian war in America, as they existed in the minds of the Sauks and Foxes, were open before the world, all would agree in the verdict, that they had as much and as good provocation for these" aggressions," so called, as they had to shoot the