Council of Vincennes, Speeches by Chiefs, Warriors, and Captain Pasteur: Page #1

Council of Vincennes, Speeches by Chiefs, Warriors, and Captain Pasteur: Page #1

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As a Council held at Vincennes with certain Chiefs and Warriors of the Laques, Fox, and Kaskashian Indians, at which attended several [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] the 20 ^th. day of June 1794. The Council was opened by Captain Pasteur in the words following- My Brothers. Agreeable to your desires, I have had here met you, to listen to what you will say, at the same time let not interest or [undecipherable] sway you ; but let the both flow freely from your hearts, as it shall from mine - You are under my Father's protection, and I am your Guardian at this post. I shall now be attentive to you. Then arose [undecipherable], great chief of the [undecipherable], and delivered a speech to the following effect - That he had come to let his father know what he had to say from his heart: That the heavens were clear, and that his speech would be clear also. "Behold", said he. "The Tomahawk I bear, I never have; nor ever will do harm with it." that both Speeches and tomahawks had been set to his [undecipherable] to excite him to war; but that he had always rejected them: that he had been here before; and was now come again, wishing to see his father upon the sea shot. (meaning General Washington) but observed, that some of his young people, having fallen sick, he should be compelled to return. [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] Chief, next got up to make a speech for [undecipherable], Chief of the Fox Nation. He demanded to know whether Captain Prior had not invited the [undecipherable] and Foxes to met him, and was [undecipherable]. But the language he spoke being the Kickapoo, and not well understood by the Interpreters, he resumed his speech in the Pottawatini Tongue. He said he had come a long way with his young men to see his friends - that he had sent away all bad birds from his Village; that he hoped his brother, (meaning Captain Pasteur) would take pity on him and his young men, since they had come so far to see him - that however it was not their intention to proceed further, notwithstanding, they had set out for the purpose of seeing their father General Washington - That the road they had travelled was made firm and smooth, and they had not once stumbled in it (meaning by this figure they had been invited to come) but that now they were determined to return home - that he would tell all and hide nothing in his hear. "Here", said he, "is [undecipherable] Great Chief of the Mississippi, what he tells us we believe and will follow." Then addressing himself to Captain Prior, he said "You are my father; you have done always well for us; but we can not help you, we expect to hear you speak." Turning now to Captain Pasteur, he observed that General Washington and his red people were as one - That they had come from the Illinois to see their brothers, the Americans and French, and to hear him speak, repeating that they had found a smooth and open road and never stumbled. [There he delivered at string of black and white [undecipherable] That immediately on receiving the letter, meaning a letter of coin, <s>to</s> requesting them to go and see General Washington, he [undecipherable]