First came the speech of the commissioner.
It is too voluminous to be given in detail. Its chief points were, an
appeal to the Indians to conform peaceably to the terms of the Oclawaha
treaty--to yield up their lands in Florida--to move to the west--to the
country assigned them upon the White River of Arkansas--in short, to
accept all the terms which the government had commissioned him to
require.
He took pains to specify the advantages which would accrue from the
removal. He painted the new home as a perfect paradise--prairies
covered with game, elk, antelopes, and buffalo--rivers teeming with
fish--crystal waters and unclouded skies. Could he have found credence
for his words, the Seminole might have fancied that the happy
hunting-grounds of his fancied heaven existed in reality upon the earth.
On the other hand, he pointed out to the Indians the consequences of
their non-compliance. White men would be settling thickly along their
borders. Bad white men would enter upon their lands; there would be
strife and the spilling of blood; the red man would be tried in the
court of the white man, where, according to law, his oath would be of no
avail; and _therefore he must suffer injustice_!
Such were in reality the sentiments of Mr Commissioner Wiley Thompson
[historically true], uttered in the council of Fort King, in April,
1835. I shall give them in his own words; they are worthy of record, as
a specimen of _fair dealing_ between white and red. Thus spoke he:
"Suppose--what is, however impossible--that you could be permitted to
remain here for a few years longer, what would be your condition? This
land will soon be surveyed, sold to, and settled by the whites. _There
is now a surveyor in the country_. The jurisdiction of the government
will soon be extended over you. Your laws will be set aside--your
chiefs will cease to be chiefs. Claims for debt and for your negroes
would be set up against you by bad white men; or you would perhaps be
charged with crimes affecting life. You would be haled before the white
man's court. The claims and charges would be decided by the white man's
law. White men would be witnesses against you. Indians would not be
permitted to give evidence. Your condition in a few years would be
hopeless wretchedness. You would be reduced to abject poverty, and when
urged by hunger to ask--perhaps from the man who had thus ruined you--
for a crust of bread, you might be called an Indian dog, and spurned
from his presence. For this reason it is that your `Great Father' (!)
wishes to remove you to the west--to save you from all these evils."
And this language in the face of a former treaty--that of Camp
Moultrie--which guaranteed to the Seminoles their right to remain in
Florida, and the third article of which runs thus:
"The United States will take the Florida Indians under their care and
patronage; _and will afford them protection against all persons
whatsoever_."
_O tempora, O mores_!
The speech was a mixture of sophistry and implied menace--now uttered in
the tones of a petitioner, anon assuming the bold air of the bully. It
was by no means clever--both characters being overdone.
The commissioner felt no positive hostility towards the Seminoles. He
was indignant only with those chiefs who had already raised opposition
to his designs, and one, in particular, he _hated_; but the principal
_animus_ by which he was inspired, was a desire to do the work for which
he had been delegated--an ambition to carry out the wish of his
government and nation and thus gain for himself credit and glory. At
this shrine he was ready--as most officials are--to sacrifice his
personal independence of thought, with every principle of morality and
honour. What matters the cause so long as it is the king's? Make it
"congress" instead of "king's" and you have the motto of our Indian
agent.
Shallow as was the speech, it was not without its effects. The weak and
wavering were influenced by it. The flattering sketch of their new
home, with the contrasted awful picture of what might be their future
condition, affected the minds of many. During that spring the Seminoles
had planted but little corn. The summons of war had been sounding in
their ears; and they had neglected seed time: there would be no
harvest--no maize, nor rice, nor yams. Already were they suffering from
their improvidence. Even then were they collecting the roots of the
China briar [Note 1], and the acorns of the live-oak. How much worse
would be their condition in the winter?
It is not to be wondered at that they gave way to apprehension; and I
noticed many whose countenances bore an expression of awe. Even the
patriot chiefs appeared to evince some apprehension for the result.
They were not dismayed, however. After a short interval, Hoitle-mattee,
one of the strongest opponents of the removal, rose to reply. There is
no order of precedence in such matters. The tribes have their
acknowledged orators, who are usually permitted to express the
sentiments of the rest. The head chief was present, seated in the
middle of the ring, with a British crown upon his head--a relic of the
American Revolution. But "Onopa" was no orator, and waived his right to
reply in favour of Hoitle-mattee--his son-in-law.
The latter had the double reputation of being a wise councillor and
brave warrior; he was, furthermore, one of the most eloquent speakers in
the nation. He was the "prime-minister" of Onopa, and, to carry the
comparison into classic times, he might be styled the Ulysses of his
people. He was a tall, spare man, of dark complexion, sharp aquiline
features, and somewhat sinister aspect. He was not of the Seminole
race, but, as he stated himself, a descendant of one of the ancient
tribes who peopled Florida in the days of the early Spaniards. Perhaps
he was a Yamassee, and his dark skin would favour this supposition.
His powers of oratory may be gathered from his speech:
"At the treaty of Moultrie, it was engaged that we should rest in peace
upon the land allotted to us for twenty years. All difficulties were
buried, and we were assured that if we died, it should not be by the
violence of the white man, but in the course of nature. The lightning
should not rive and blast the tree, but the cold of old age should dry
up the sap, and the leaves should wither and fall, and the branches
drop, and the trunk decay and die.
"The deputation stipulated at the talk on the Oclawaha to be sent on the
part of the nation, was only authorised to _examine_ the country to
which it was proposed to remove us, and bring back its report to the
nation. We went according to agreement, and saw the land. It is no
doubt good land, and the fruit of the soil may smell sweet, and taste
well, and be healthy, but it is surrounded with bad and hostile
neighbours, and the fruit of bad neighbourhood is blood that spoils the
land, and fire that dries up the brook. Even of the horses we carried
with us, some were stolen by the Pawnees, and the riders obliged to
carry their packs on their backs. You would send us among bad Indians,
with whom we could never be at rest.
"When we saw the land, we said nothing; but the agents of the United
States made us sign our hands to a paper which _you_ say signified our
consent to remove, but _we considered_ we did no more than say we liked
the land, and when we returned, the _nation would decide_. We had no
authority to do more.
"Your talk is a good one, but my people cannot say they will go. The
people differ in their opinions, and must be indulged with time to
reflect. They cannot consent now; they are not willing to go. If their
tongues say yes, their hearts cry no, and call them liars. We are not
hungry for other lands--why should we go and hunt for them? We like our
own land, we are happy here. If suddenly we tear our hearts from the
homes round which they are twined, our heart-strings will snap. We
cannot consent to go--_we will not go_!"
A chief of the removal party spoke next. He was "Omatla," one of the
most powerful of the tribe, and suspected of an "alliance" with the
agent. His speech was of a pacific character, recommending his
red-brothers not to make any difficulty, but act as honourable men, and
comply with the treaty of the Oclawaha.
It was evident this chief spoke under restraint. He feared to show too
openly his partiality for the plans of the commissioner, dreading the
vengeance of the patriot warriors. These frowned upon him as he stood
up, and he was frequently interrupted by Arpiucki, Coa Hajo, and others.
A bolder speech, expressing similar views, was delivered by Lusta Hajo
(the Black Clay). He added little to the argument; but by his superior
daring, restored the confidence of the traitorous party and the
equanimity of the commissioner, who was beginning to exhibit signs of
impatience and excitement.
"Holata Mico" next rose on the opposite side--a mild and gentlemanly
Indian, and one of the most regarded of the chiefs. He was in ill
health, as his appearance indicated; and in consequence of this, his
speech was of a more pacific character than it might otherwise have
been; for he was well-known to be a firm opponent of the removal.
"We come to deliver our talk to-day. We are all made by the same Great
Father; and are all alike his children. We all came from the same
mother; and were suckled at the same breast. Therefore, we are
brothers; and, as brothers, should not quarrel, and let our blood rise
up against each other. If the blood of one of us, by each other's blow,
should fall upon the earth, it would stain it, and cry aloud for
vengeance from the land wherever it had sunk, and call down the frown
and the thunder of the Great Spirit. I am not well. Let others who are
stronger speak, and declare their minds."
Several chiefs rose successively and delivered their opinions. Those
for removal followed the strain of Omatla and the Black Clay. They were
"Obala" (the big warrior), the brothers Itolasse and Charles Omatla, and
a few others of less note.
In opposition to those, spoke the patriots "Acola," "Yaha Hajo" (mad
wolf), "Echa Matta" (the water-serpent), "Poshalla" (the dwarf), and the
negro "Abram." The last was an old "refugee," from Pensacola; but now
chief of the blacks living with the Micosauc tribe [Note 2], and one of
the counsellors of Onopa, over whom he held supreme influence. He spoke
English fluently; and at the council--as also that of the Oclawaha--he
was the principal interpreter on the part of the Indians. He was a pure
negro, with the thick lips, prominent cheek-bones, and other physical
peculiarities of his race. He was brave, cool, and sagacious; and
though only an adopted chief, he proved to the last the true friend of
the people who had honoured him by their confidence. His speech was
brief and moderate; nevertheless it evinced a firm determination to
resist the will of the agent.
As yet, the "king" had not declared himself, and to him the commissioner
now appealed. Onopa was a large, stout man, of somewhat dull aspect,
but not without a considerable expression of dignity. He was not a man
of great intellect, nor yet an orator; and although the head "mico" of
the nation, his influence with the warriors was not equal to that of
several chiefs of inferior rank. His decision, therefore, would by no
means be regarded as definitive, or binding upon the others; but being
nominally "mico-mico," or chief-chief, and actually head of the largest
clan--the Micosaucs--his vote would be likely to turn the scale, one way
or the other. If he declared for the removal, the patriots might
despair.
There was an interval of breathless silence. The eyes of the whole
assemblage, of both red men and white men, rested upon the king. There
were only a few who were in the secret of his sentiments; and how he
would decide, was to most of those present a matter of uncertainty.
Hence the anxiety with which they awaited his words.
At this crisis, a movement was observed among the people who stood
behind the king. They were making way for some one who was passing
through their midst. It was evidently one of authority, for the crowd
readily yielded him passage.
The moment after, he appeared in front--a young warrior, proudly
caparisoned, and of noble aspect. He wore the insignia of a chief; but
it needed not this to tell that he was one; there was that in his look
and bearing which at once pronounced him a leader of men.
His dress was rich, without being frivolous or gay. His tunic, embraced
by the bright wampum sash, hung well and gracefully; and the
close-fitting leggings of scarlet cloth displayed the perfect sweep of
his limbs. His form was a model of strength--terse, well-knit,
symmetrical. His head was turbaned with a shawl of brilliant hues; and
from the front rose three black ostrich-plumes, that drooped backward
over the crown till their tips almost touched his shoulders. Various
ornaments were suspended from his neck; but one upon his breast was
conspicuous. It was a circular plate of gold, with lines radiating from
a common centre. It was a representation of the Rising Sun.
His face was stained of a uniform vermilion red: but despite the
levelling effect of the dye, the lineaments of noble features could be
traced. A well-formed mouth and chin, thin lips, a jawbone expressive
of firmness, a nose slightly aquiline, a high, broad forehead, with eyes
that, like the eagle's, seemed strong enough to gaze against the sun.
The appearance of this remarkable man produced an electric effect upon
all present. It was similar to that exhibited by the audience in a
theatre on the _entree_ of the great tragedian for whom they have been
waiting.
Not from the behaviour of the young chief himself--withal right modest--
but from the action of the others, I perceived that he was in reality
the hero of the hour. The _dramatis personae_, who had already
performed their parts, were evidently but secondary characters; and this
was the man for whom all had been waiting.
There followed a movement--a murmur of voices--an excited tremor among
the crowd--and then, simultaneously, as if from one throat, was shouted
the name, "Osceola!"
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Note 1. _Smilax pseudo-China_. From its roots the Seminoles make the
_conti_, a species of jelly--a sweet and nourishing food.
Note 2. The Micosauc (Micosaukee) or tribe of the "redstick," was the
largest and most warlike of the nation. It was under the immediate
government of the head chief Onopa--usually called "Miconopa."