Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/346

 334 ^ n -Account of the Choktah Natron.

other things it contains, I guefs, are of the fame forked-tongued family }. for if your fpeech had come from your own heart, it muft have been flraighter. What can be more crooked than it now is ? Though I have no eccafion to make any reply to your unjuft complaints againft the EnglHh people, as their chieftain, my friend, has his ears open, and can eafily con fute alf you faid againft his people and himfelf ; yet to prevent any rieed- lefs delay on our day's march, I fhall give as full an anfvver to your fpeech, as the (hart time we can day here will allow. Since the time the Englilh firft (halted hands with you, have not they always held you fad by the arm, clofe to their heart, contrary to the good liking of your favourite French ? And had they not helped you with a conftant fuppiy of every thing you flood in need of, in what manner could you have lived at home ? Befides, how could you have fecured your land from being fpoiled by the many friendly red people of the French, iffuing from the cold north ? Only for their brotherly help, the artful and covetous French, by the weight of pre- fents and the (kill of their forked tongues, would before now, have fet you to war againft each other, in the very fame manner they have done by the Choktah ; and when by long and fharp druggies, you had greatly weakened yourfelves, they by the afiiftance of their 'northern red friends, would have ferved you in the very fame manner, their lying mouths, from their own guilty hearts, have taught you fo unjuftly and fhamefully to repeat of the Englilh. You have openly acknowledged your bafe ingratitude to your bed and old fteady friends, who, I believe, could damage you as much as they have be friended you, if you provoke them to it. Allowing the fpeech you have ut tered with your mouth to be true, that you are fent by all the red chieftains of your Mufkohge people, were your hearts fo weak as to imagine it could any way frighten the Chikkafah ? Ye well know, the ugly yellow French have proved mod bitter enemies to us, ever fince we difappointed them in their fpiteful defign of inflaving and murdering our poor, defencelefs, .and inoffenfive red brethren, the Nahchee, on the banks of the Mefhef- heepe water-path. Ye may love them, if it feems good to your hearts ; your example that way (hall have no weight with us. We are born and bred in a date of war with them : and though we have lod the greater part of our people, chiefly through the mean fpirit of their red hirelings, who were continually dealing our people for the fake of a reward ; yet they feelingly know we beat them, and their employers, in every public engage ment. We are the fame people, and we lhall certainly live and die, in i fuch

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