58 THE REPLY. 



as food and drink, that we may meet around our lodge-fires with comfort 

 and rejoice in His goodness, even while he spreads his white robe upon the 

 hills, and lays the conch of winter upon the plains. 



"All these — all this country — everything that the Long-knife beholds are 

 ours. The Yellow-hair* said truly, — all, all belong to us ; — we have them 

 — the Great Spirit has given them to us, — they are ours ! (Great ap- 

 plause.) 



" Long-knife : You have come to trade with us : — it is good. Your 

 people are wise, and make many things ; — you bring them to us, and we 

 take them ; but we give you robes and horses in their stead ; — we pay you 

 for them all. Yet, the Long-knife pays not for all he takes from us. 



" Do I say the Long-knile steals ? No. The Long-knife will not steal. 

 He says, none but bad men steal, and the Long-knife is not bad. But yet 

 he takes our property without paying for it ! He kills our game, he eats our 

 meat, he burns our wood, he drinks our water, and he travels our country, — 

 and ivhat does he give the red man in exchange for all this ? (Unbounded 

 applause.) 



" Long-knife and friend : My people are generous, — they are brave, — 

 they are all soldiers. The Long-knife bears the fire-water in his road- 

 travellers, (waggons ;) — we have heard of it and are glad. 



" My people would drink of the fire-water that their strong hearts may 

 become stronger. It is good that they should drink it, — it is good that the 

 Long-knife should give it to them ; that we be twice glad to see him, and 

 bless him in our hearts while we drink around our lodge-fires. (Ap- 

 plause.) 



" Long-knife : Would you be our friend ? Then give us the fire-water. 

 My people are generous, but they are brave. The Long-knife has taken 

 our property, let him refuse not the fire-water, lest they be angry and rise 

 like the mountain bear, nerved for conflict. Then will they take it of 

 themselves and avenge the wrongs of the red man !" (Great applause.) 



Upon this, the Brave Bear resumed his seat, and the commandant began 

 his reply, which was rendered into the ISioux language, by their inter- 

 preter. The purport of it was : 



" It is true, the Great Spirit is good to His children. He made all things 

 of which the Brave Bear speaks, and He has given them to his children. 

 The white and the red man are alike his children; the buffalo, the elk, the 

 deer, and the antelope, with the wood, the water, and the whole country 

 around, equally belong to both. 



" I and many people have come as friends, to trade with you. We have 

 smoked with you before. The Long-knife takes nothing from you he pays 

 not for. He buys the things he bears to you in a far distant country, and 

 throws for them the white-iron. f He brings them to you and swaps them 

 for robes and horses. 



" He takes nothing without paying for it, unless it be that which the Great 

 Spirit has given equally to his children, — the white and the red man. 



* This is the name applied, by the Indians, to Gen. Clarke, one of the leaders of the 

 firi^t party of whites that ever crossed the mountains. An allusion is here had to an 

 expre>;t-ion made use of in his talk to the Sioux on that occasion. 



t Silver. I'his phrase is the Sioux mode of expressing the act of paying money 

 for any article. 



