Wolfert's roost and other papers, now first collected |
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ORIGIN OF THE WHITE, THE RED, AND THE BLACK MEN.
A SEMINOLE TRADITION. |
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 | Wolfert's roost |  |
ORIGIN OF THE WHITE, THE RED, AND THE BLACK MEN.
A SEMINOLE TRADITION.
When the Floridas were erected into a territory of the United
States, one of the earliest cares of the Governor, William
P. Duval, was directed to the instruction and civilization of
the natives. For this purpose he called a meeting of the chiefs,
in which he informed them of the wish of their Great Father at
Washington that they should have schools and teachers among
them, and that their children should be instructed like the children
of white men. The chiefs listened with their customary
silence and decorum to a long speech, setting forth the advantages
that would accrue to them from this measure, and when he
had concluded, begged the interval of a day to deliberate on it.
On the following day, a solemn convocation was held, at
which one of the chiefs addressed the governor in the name of
all the rest. “My brother,” said he, “we have been thinking
over the proposition of our Great Father at Washington, to
send teachers and set up schools among us. We are very thankful
for the interest he takes in our welfare; but after much deliberation,
have concluded to decline his offer. What will do
very well for white men, will not do for red men. I know you
white men say we all come from the same father and mother, but
you are mistaken. We have a tradition handed down from our
forefathers, and we believe it, that the Great Spirit, when he undertook
to make men, made the black man; it was his first attempt,
and pretty well for a beginning; but he soon saw he had
and made the red man. He liked him much better than the
black man, but still he was not exactly what he wanted. So he
tried once more, and made the white man; and then he was satisfied.
You see, therefore, that you were made last, and that is
the reason I call you my youngest brother.
“When the Great Spirit had made the three men, he called
them together and showed them three boxes. The first was
filled with books, and maps, and papers; the second with bows
and arrows, knives and tomahawks; the third with spades, axes,
hoes, and hammers. `These, my sons,' said he, `are the means
by which you are to live; choose among them according to your
fancy.'
“The white man, being the favorite, had the first choice.
He passed by the box of working-tools without notice; but when
he came to the weapons for war and hunting, he stopped and
looked hard at them. The red man trembled, for he had set his
heart upon that box. The white man, however, after looking
upon it for a moment, passed on, and chose the box of books and
papers. The red man's turn came next; and you may be sure
he seized with joy upon the bows and arrows, and tomahawks.
As to the black man, he had no choice left, but to put up with
the box of tools.
“From this it is clear that the Great Spirit intended the
white man should learn to read and write; to understand all
about the moon and stars; and to make every thing, even rum
and whiskey. That the red man should be a first-rate hunter,
and a mighty warrior, but he was not to learn any thing from
books, as the Great Spirit had not given him any: nor was he to
As to the black man, as he had nothing but working-tools,
it was clear he was to work for the white and red man, which he
has continued to do.
“We must go according to the wishes of the Great Spirit,
or we shall get into trouble. To know how to read and write,
is very good for white men, but very bad for red men. It makes
white men better, but red men worse. Some of the Creeks and
Cherokees learnt to read and write, and they are the greatest rascals
among all the Indians. They went on to Washington, and
said they were going to see their Great Father, to talk about the
good of the nation. And when they got there, they all wrote
upon a little piece of paper, without the nation at home knowing
any thing about it. And the first thing the nation at home
knew of the matter, they were called together by the Indian
agent, who showed them a little piece of paper, which he told
them was a treaty, which their brethren had made in their name,
with their Great Father at Washington. And as they knew not
what a treaty was, he held up the little piece of paper, and they
looked under it, and lo! it covered a great extent of country,
and they found that their brethren, by knowing how to read and
write, had sold their houses, and their lands, and the graves of
their fathers; and that the white man, by knowing how to read
and write, had gained them. Tell our Great Father at Washington,
therefore, that we are very sorry we cannot receive teachers
among us; for reading and writing, though very good for
white men, is very bad for Indians.”
| Wolfert's roost | |