74 
VIEWS OF LOUISIANA. 
of the treaty, his nation ought not to be held to their part of it, 
even if fairly entered into. But, said he, the Osage nation has 
no right to sell its country, much less have a few chiefs, who have 
taken it on themselves to do so; our country belongs to our 
posterity as well as to ourselves; it is not absolutely ours, we re¬ 
ceive it only for our lifetimes, and then to transmit it to our des¬ 
cendants. Gur great father is good and just, will he permit his 
children to sell the bones of their fathers, to sell the inheritance 
of their children 1 No, my father, keep your goods, and letus keep 
our lands/’ This chief satisfied me of the talent for oratory 
amongst these rude men. He spoke for an hour, and as com¬ 
pletely exhausted his subject as could have been done by the 
best speaker. His speech was evidently prepared with care for 
the occasion. Governor Howard replied to him with dignity and 
firmness, and informed him, that the treaty must be kept; that 
their great father did not compel Indians to sell their lands, but 
when they did sell, the bargain could not be broken; that cir¬ 
cumstances had,rendered it impossible to pay the annuities soon¬ 
er, the treaty not having been approved by their great father for a 
considerable time. That the annuities for two years were ready 
for them, if they chose, they might accept, if not, it was of no con¬ 
sequence, the land would still be considered as purchased, and 
their obstinacy would have no other effect than that of displeas¬ 
ing their great father. Finding that opposition was useless, they 
finally promised to use their influence to induce their nation to 
accept. These purchases have a good appearance, but I question 
whether they are in reality more just than the French and Spanish 
mode of encroaching on their lands, and insinuating themselves 
into their country imperceptibly; taking a piece of land as they 
might happen to want it, without saying any thing about Indian 
title, and keeping those people quiet by presents, more pleasing 
to them than if given as the payment of a debt, for which an 
equivalent had been received. I fear it is not with respect to In¬ 
dian purchases, that we have manifested a conduct more gener¬ 
ous and noble than our predecessors ; we must look for this in 
the pains and expense which we have been at, in civilizing 
and instructing these people, together with the uniform practice 
of advising them to neutrality in our wars with white nations. 
