Page:Life and Select Literary Remains of Sam Houston of Texas (1884).djvu/358

 sold your prisoners, nor have we treated them unkindly. We have looked upon them as our children, and they have not been hungry amongst us. I send you two prisoners, that you may see them, and know that they have been well treated. You must bring all our prisoners to the council; and when peace has been made, and we have become friends forever, we will give you all your prisoners. When you look upon them you will see that the white people have been kind to their red prisoners; and when peace is made no more prisoners will be taken, but the path between us will remain open, and when we meet our red brothers, the Comanches, we will take them by the hand as friends—we will sit by the same fire, and the pipe of peace which I send you by Jim Shaw, shall be smoked. It has been smoked in the council of friends, and the smoke which rose from it showed that the red and white man sat together in peace—that they had made a smooth path between their fires, and had taken away the clouds of trouble from their nations. Your brother,


 * —I send this talk to you by the Chief Counselor of my warriors. The words I shall speak to you are the words of a brother, who has never told his red brother what was not true.

Those that I send to you have sat by my side and eaten bread with me. They have learned to love the red brothers. They know the counsels of peace which I have always given. They will tell you of many things which it will be good to hear. They will speak the words of truth only.

Chiefs who wish to be friendly should talk to each other. They should know each other's thoughts and have peace. Peace will make the red and white men happy.

If we have war, our men must perish in battle. They will not return to our feasts, nor sit by our council fires. Peace will save our warriors from death and our women and children from trouble. Then the buffalo can be killed and the wigwams filled with plenty. Hunger and distress will be far away.

When peace is made firm between us, trading-houses will be established and all things that your people need, our traders will have to sell to them. You will not have to go to a great distance, but in the midst of your hunting-grounds you can find land where you will find buffalo and water. The warm sun of the South will give you grass in winter, and no longer will you have to travel to the snows of the North to get your goods. You can sell your horses and your mules—your silver and your gold, and all you have to dispose of, to our traders. When peace is made firm between us, and we know that you are our friends, and there is no more war upon our borders, we will sell you powder and lead, tomahawks, spears, guns, and knives, so that you can kill your game without trouble. Friends only sell these things to each other; and we can not let you have them until we have made a