Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/291

 An Account of the Mufkohge Nation. 279

by the ruling motive of mutual intereft, to be reconciled through his bro therly mediation. Though the Cheerake were great lofers in the war, yet the furviving relations of thofe who had been, killed without equal revenge of blood, were at firft inflexible, and deaf to the mediation : but, by the ora tory of fome of their own fpeakers who fiad not differed, connected with our traders perfuafions, each feparate family at laft confented to meet their ene mies, at the time and place appointed by brotherly requeft, and there bury the bloody tomohawk under ground, and fmoke together, out of the friendly white pipe. But, as the Mufkohge were conquerors, and fre quently returned home in their favourite and public triumphant manner, and had then no mifchievous views againft the Englifh, as at prefent, it was a very difficult tafk to reconcile them, to our beloved man's pacific mea- fures : their head-men had great fway over the ambitious, and young rifing warriors, and by the former manly conduct of South-Carolina, in obtaining fpeedy redrefs for every material injury, the more fenfible and honeft part of the old leading men were as much averfe to peace, as the light-headed warriors. They well knew the fickle and ungovernable temper of their young men, and ambitious leaders, when they had no red enemies to- war with, to obtain higher war-titles by fcalps and their wifdom faw at a dif- tance, the dangerous confequences that muft attend a general peace : for a confiderable time, therefore, they highly inveighed, and firmly guarded againft it. But when a man's private intereft coincides with what he intends to accomplifh, he is afllduous and more intent to effect it. This was veri fied by the unwearied diligence of the prime magiftrate alluded to ; he knew the Indians could not kill fo many deer and beaver in the time of war as of peace, and by his addrefo, he perfuaded feveral of the leading traders, even contrary to their own outward fecurity and inward choice, to exert their ftrongeft endeavours with the Mufkohge for a reconciliation with the Chee rake. The chief of thofe trading gentlemen, who unwillingly involved himfelf in this pernicious affair, was the humane and intelligent L. M'G 1 wr, Efq. Each had their leflbns, to fet forth the reciprocal ad vantages of .the contending parties, by fuch a coalition; but it was finifhed by that gentleman's earneft and well-timed application, connected, with his great natural fenfe, and eafy flow of their own bold figurative way of ex- preflion and their favourable opinion of his fteady, honeft principles. Since that unlucky period, he has as often lamented his fuccefs in that affair, as the diicerning honeft rulers of the Mufkohge oppofed it. He told me, that

when

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