3. CHAP. III.
Containing Observations.
THE Captain was certainly to be commended
in declining to countenance
the imposition of making Teague a Kickapoo
chief. Had he been disposed to adventure
in a contraband trade of this
kind, he might have undertaken it as a
principal, and not as furnishing an assistant
only. He could have passed Teague
for a chief, and himself for an interpreter.
He might pretend to have conducted this
prince from a very distant nation, and that
he had been several moons in travelling,
and wanted, the Lord knows how much,
goods for his people, that otherwise would
come to war. By this means, the Captain
would have taken the whole emolument
of the treaty, and not have been put
off with a small share of the profit which
another made by it.
I should like to have seen Teague in
an Indian dress, come to treat with the
commissioners. It would be necessary for
him only to talk Irish, which he might pass
for the Shawanee, or other language. The
Captain could have interpreted in the usual
words on these occasions.
The policy of treating with the Indians
is very good; because it takes off a great
deal of loose merchandize, that might otherwise
lie upon our hands, and cuts
away superfluities from the finances of
the government; at the same time, as every
fresh treaty lays the foundation of a
new war, it will serve to check the too rapid
growth of the settlements. The extremities
of a government, like the arm or
ancle of an individual, are the parts at
which blood is to be let.
Struck with the good effects of treating
with the savages, and that our wise men
who conduct affairs, pursue the policy, I
have been led to wonder, that the agricultural
societies, have not proposed treaties
with the wolves and bears, that they
might not clandestinely invade our sheep
and pig folds. This might be done by
sending messages to the several ursine and
vulpine nations, and calling them to a council
fire, to which four or five hundred waggon
load of beef should be sent, and distributed.
If it should be said, that this would
restrain them no longer from their prey
than while they continued to be satiated,
the same might be said of the Potawatamies,
or other Indian nations; and yet
we see that those at the head of our affairs
think it prudent to negotiate with them.
A bear and wolf treaty might seem an
odd thing at first; but we should soon come
to be accustomed to it. I should be sorry
abuses should prevail, by treaty-making
men passing rough water-dogs for bears,
or mastiffs for wolves, upon our secretaries
at war, or subordinate commissioners;
which might be done as in the case of the
savages, where it is pretended that some
tribe that had not been at the general treaty,
now sends a chief to represent them
and to get goods.
If our traders go amongst the wolves in
consequence of a treaty, I could wish they
could check themselves in the introduction
of spirituous liquors. A drunk wolf, or
bear, would be a dangerous animal. It
may be thought, that a bear or wolf chief
would not get drunk, as it would be setting
a bad example to their people; but I
have seen Indian kings lying on the earth
drunk, and exposing their nakedness, like
Noah to Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and
if Indians that are a sort of human creature,
act thus, what might we not expect
from a poor brute wolf or bear.
If treaties with the wolves and bears
should be found to succeed, it might not be
amiss to institute them also with the foxes.
This is a sagacious animal, and particularly
destructive to ducks and other fowls.
It would be a great matter to settle a treaty
with them, which might be done at the expence
of nine or ten thousand dollars laid
out in goods.
