CHAPTER XVII.
Who will believe that, with a smile whose blessing Would, like the patriarch's, soothe a dying hour; With voice as low, as gentle, and caressing As e'er won maiden's lips in moonlight bower;
With look like patient Job's, eschewing evil; With motions graceful as the birds in air; Thou art, in sober truth, the veriest devil That e'er clinched fingers in a captive's hair? --HALLECK'S Red-Jacket.
Although the arrival of the runner was so totally unexpected, itscarcely disturbed the quiet of that grave assembly. His approachingstep had been heard, and he was introduced in the manner mentioned, whenthe young chief resumed his seat, leaving the messenger standing nearthe centre of the circle, and altogether within the influence of thelight. He was an Ottawa, and had evidently travelled far and fast. Atlength he spoke; no one having put a single question to him, or betrayedthe least sign of impatient curiosity.
"I come to tell the chiefs what has happened," said the runner. "OurGreat Father from Quebec has sent his young men against the Yankees. Redwarriors, too, were there in hundreds--" here a murmur of interest wasslightly apparent among the chiefs--"their path led them to Detroit; itis taken."
A low murmur, expressive of satisfaction, passed round the circle,for Detroit was then the most important of all the posts held by theAmericans, along the whole line of the great lakes. Eye met eye insurprise and admiration; then one of the older chiefs yielded to hisinterest in the subject, and inquired:
"Have our young men taken many pale-face scalps?"
"So few that they are not worth counting. I did not see one pole thatwas such as an Indian loves to look on."
"Did our young men keep back, and let the warriors from Quebec do allthe fighting?"
"No one fought. The Yankees asked to be made prisoners, without usingtheir rifles. Never before have so many captives been led into thevillages with so little to make their enemies look on them with friendlyeyes."
A gleam of fierce delight passed athwart the dark features of Peter. Itis probable that he fell into the same error, on hearing these tidings,as that which so generally prevailed for a short time among the nativesof the old world, at the commencement of both of the two last wars ofthe republic, when the disasters with which they opened induced somany to fall into the fatal error of regarding Jonathan as merelya "shopkeeper." A shopkeeper, in a certain sense, he may well beaccounted; but among his wares are arms, that he has the head, theheart, and the hands to use, as man has very rarely been known to usethem before. Even at this very instant, the brilliant success which hasrendered the armed citizens of this country the wonder of Europe, isreacting on the masses of the old world, teaching them their power, andinciting them to stand up to the regularly armed bands of their rulers,with a spirit and confidence that, hitherto, has been little known intheir histories. Happy, thrice happy will it be, if the conquerors usetheir success in moderation, and settle down into the ways of practicalreason, instead of suffering their minds to be led astray in questof the political jack-o'-lanterns, that are certain to conduct theirfollowers into the quagmires of impracticable and visionary theories.To abolish abuses, to set in motion the car of state on the track ofjustice and economy, and to distinguish between that which is reallyessential to human happiness and human rights, and that which is merelythe result of some wild and bootless proposition in political economy,are the great self-imposed tasks that the European people seem now tohave assumed; and God grant that they may complete their labors with themoderation and success with which they would appear to have commencedthem!
As for Peter, with the curse of ignorance weighing on his mind, it is tobe presumed that he fancied his own great task of destroying the whiteswas so much the lighter, in consequence of the feeble defence of theYankees at Detroit. The runner was now questioned by the differentchiefs for details, which he furnished with sufficient intelligence anddistinctness. The whole of that discreditable story is too prominent inhistory, and of too recent occurrence, to stand in need of repetitionhere. When the runner had told his tale, the chiefs broke the order oftheir circle, to converse the more easily concerning the great eventswhich had just occurred. Some were not backward in letting theircontempt for the "Yankees" be known. Here were three of their strongplaces taken, in quick succession, and almost without a blow. Detroit,the strongest of them all, and defended by an army, had fallen in a wayto bring the blush to the American face, seemingly leaving the wholeof the northwestern frontier of the country ravished from the red man,exposed to his incursions and depredations.
"What does my father think of this?" asked Bear's Meat of Peter, as thetwo stood apart, in a cluster of some three or four of the principalpersonages present. "Does the news make his heart stronger?"
"It is always strong when this business is before it. The Manitou haslong looked darkly upon the red men, but now his face brightens. Thecloud is passing from before his countenance, and we can begin again tosee his smile. It will be with our sons as it was with our fathers. Ourhunting-grounds will be our own, and the buffalo and deer will be plentyin our wigwams. The fire-water will flow after them that brought it intothe country, and the red man will once more be happy, as in times past!"
The ignis fatuus of human happiness employs all minds, all faculties,all pens, and all theories, just at this particular moment. A thousandprojects have been broached, will continue to be broached, and willfail, each in its time, showing the mistakes of men, without remedyingthe evils of which they complain. This is not because a beneficentProvidence has neglected to enlighten their minds, and to show them theway to be happy, here and hereafter; but because human conceit runs,pari passu, with human woes, and we are too proud to look for ourlessons of conduct, in that code in which they have been set before usby unerring wisdom and ceaseless love. If the political economists,and reformers, and revolutionists of the age, would turn from theirspeculations to those familiar precepts which all are taught and so fewobey, they would find rules for every emergency; and, most of all, wouldthey learn the great secret which lies so profoundly hid from them andtheir philosophy, in the contented mind. Nothing short of this will everbring the mighty reform that the world needs. The press may be declaredfree, but a very brief experience will teach those who fancy that thisone conquest will secure the victory, that they have only obtained KingStork in the lieu of King Log; a vulgar and most hideous tyrant for oneof royal birth and gentle manners. They may set up the rule of patriotsby profession, in place of the dominion of those who have so longpretended that the art of governing descends from male to male,according to the order of primogeniture, and live to wonder that loveof country should have so many weaknesses in common with love of itself.They may rely on written charters for their liberties, instead ofthe divine right of kings, and come perchance to learn, that neitherlanguage, nor covenants, nor signatures, nor seals avail much, asagainst the necessities of nations, and the policy of rulers. Do we thenregard reform as impossible, and society to be doomed to struggle on inits old sloughs of oppression and abuses? Far from it. We believe andhope, that at each effort of a sage character, something is gained,while much more than had been expected is lost; and such we think willcontinue to be the course of events, until men shall reach that periodin their history when, possibly to their wonder, they will find that afaultless code for the government of all their affairs has been lyingneglected, daily and hourly, in their very hands, for eighteen centuriesand a half, without their perceiving the all-important truth. In dueseason this code will supersede all others, when the world will, for thefirst time, be happy and truly free.
There was a marked resemblance between the hopes and expectations ofPeter, in reference to the overthrow of his pale-face enemies on theAmerican continent, and those of the revolutionists of the old world inreference to the overthrow of their strong-intrenched foes on that ofEurope. Each fancies success more easy of attainment than the end islikely to show; both overlook the terrible power of their
adversaries;and both take the suggestions of a hope that is lively rather thanenlightened, as the substitute for the lessons of wisdom.
It was some little time ere the council had so far regained its calm,as to think of inviting the missionary to resume his discourse. The lasthad necessarily heard the news, and was so much troubled by it, as tofeel no great disposition to proceed; but Peter intimating that "theears of his friends were open," he was of opinion it would be wisest togo on with his traditions.
"Thus it was, my children," Parson Amen continued, the circle being justas quiet and attentive as if no interruption had occurred--"the GreatSpirit, selecting from among the nations of the earth, one to be hischosen people. I cannot stop, now, to tell you all he did for thisnation, in the way of wonders and powers; but, finally, he placed themin a beautiful country, where milk and honey abounded, and made themits masters. From that people, in his earthly character, came the Christwhom we missionaries preach to you, and who is the great head of ourchurch. Although the Jews, or Israelites, as we call that people, werethus honored and thus favored of the Manitou, they were but men, theyhad the weaknesses of men. On more than one occasion they displeased theGreat Spirit, and that so seriously as to draw down condign punishmenton themselves, and on their wives and children. In various ways werethey visited for their backsliding and sins, each time repenting andreceiving forgiveness. At length the Great Spirit, tired of theirforgetfulness and crimes, allowed an army to come into their land,and to carry away as captives no less than ten of their twelve tribes;putting their people in strange hunting-grounds. Now, this happened manythousands of moons since, and no one can say with certainty what hasbecome of those captives, whom Christians are accustomed to call 'thelost tribes of Israel.'"
Here the missionary paused to arrange his thoughts, and a slight murmurwas heard in the circle as the chiefs communed together, in interestedcomments on what had just been said. The pause, however, was short,and the speaker again proceeded, safe from any ungracious interruption,among auditors so trained in self-restraint.
"Children, I shall not now say anything touching the birth of Christ,the redemption of the world, and the history of the two tribes thatremained in the land where God had placed his people; for that is apart of the subject that comes properly within the scope of my ordinaryteaching. At present I wish only to speak of yourselves; of the red manof America, of his probable origin and end, and of a great discoverythat many of us think we have made, on this most interesting topic inthe history of the good book. Does any one present know aught of the tenlost tribes of whom I have spoken?"
Eye met eye, and expectation was lively among those primitive anduntaught savages. At length Crowsfeather arose to answer, the missionarystanding the whole time, motionless, as if waiting for a reply.
"My brother has told us a tradition," said the Pottawattamie. "It isa good tradition. It is a strange tradition. Red men love to hear suchtraditions. It is wonderful that so many as ten tribes should be LOST,at the same time, and no one know what has become of them! My brotherasks us if WE know what has become of these ten tribes. How should poorred men, who live on their hunting-grounds, and who are busy when thegrass grows in getting together food for their squaws and pappooses,against a time when the buffalo can find nothing to eat in this part ofthe world, know anything of a people that they never saw? My brother hasasked a question that he only can answer. Let him tell us where theseten tribes are to be found, if he knows the place. We should like to goand look at them."
"Here!" exclaimed the missionary, the instant Crowsfeather ceasedspeaking, and even before he was seated. "Here--in this council--onthese prairies--in these openings--here, on the shores of the greatlakes of sweet water, and throughout the land of America, are thesetribes to be found. The red man is a Jew; a Jew is a red man. TheManitou has brought the scattered people of Israel to this part of theworld, and I see his power in the wonderful fact. Nothing but a miraclecould have done this!"
Great was the admiration of the Indians at this announcement! None oftheir own traditions gave this account of their origin; but there isreason to believe, on the other hand, that none of them contradictit. Nevertheless, here was a medicine-priest of the pale-faces boldlyproclaiming the fact, and great was the wonder of all who heard,thereat! Having spoken, the missionary again paused, that his wordsmight produce their effect. Bear's Meat now became his interrogator,rising respectfully, and standing during the colloquy that succeeded.
"My brother has spoken a great tradition," said the Menominee. "Did hefirst hear it from his fathers?"
"In part, only. The history of the lost tribes has come down to us fromour fathers; it is written in the good book of the pale-faces; the bookthat contains the word of the Great Spirit."
"Does the good book of the pale-faces say that the red men are thechildren of the people he has mentioned?"
"I cannot say that it does. While the good book tells us so much,it also leaves very much untold. It is best that we should look forourselves, that we may find out some of its meanings. It is in thuslooking, that many Christians see the great truth which makes theIndians of America and the Jews beyond the great salt lake, one and thesame people."
"If this be so, let my brother tell us how far it is from ourhunting-grounds to that distant land across the great salt lake."
"I cannot give you this distance in miles exactly; but I suppose it maybe eleven or twelve times the length of Michigan."
"Will my brother tell us how much of this long path is water, and howmuch of it is dry land?"
"Perhaps one-fourth is land, as the traveller may choose; the rest mustbe water, if the journey be made from the rising toward the settingsun, which is the shortest path; but, let the journey be made fromthe setting toward the rising sun, and there is little water to cross;rivers and lakes of no great width, as is seen here, but only a smallbreadth of salt lake."
"Are there, then, two roads to that far-off land, where the red men arethought to have once lived?
"Even so. The traveller may come to this spot from that land by way ofthe rising sun, or by way of the setting sun."
The general movement among the members of the council denoted thesurprise with which this account was received. As the Indians, untilthey have had much intercourse with the whites, very generally believethe earth to be flat, it was not easy for them to comprehend how a givenpoint could be reached by directly opposite routes. Such an apparentcontradiction would be very likely to extort further questions.
"My brother is a medicine-man of the pale-faces; his hairs are gray,"observed Crowsfeather. "Some of your medicine-men are good, and somewicked. It is so with the medicine-men of the red-skins. Good and badare to be found in all nations. A medicine-man of your people cheated myyoung men by promising to show them where fire-water grows. He did notshow them. He let them smell, but he did not let them drink. That was awicked medicine-man. His scalp would not be safe did my young men see itagain"--here the bee-hunter, insensibly to himself, felt for his rifle,making sure that he had it between his legs; the corporal being a littlesurprised at the sudden start he gave. "His hair does not grow on hishead closer than the trees grow to the ground. Even a tree can becut down. But all medicine-men are not alike. My brother is a GOODmedicine-man. All he says may not be just as he thinks, but he BELIEVESwhat he says. It is wonderful how men can look two ways; but it ismore wonderful that they should go to the same place by paths that leadbefore and behind. This we do not understand; my brother will tell ushow it can be."
"I believe I understand what it is that my children would know. Theythink the earth is flat, but the pale-faces know that it is round. Hewho travels and travels toward the setting sun would come to this veryspot, if he travelled long enough. The distance would be great, but theend of every straight path in this world is the place of starting."
"My brother says this. He says many curious things. I have heard amedicine-man of his people say that the palefaces have seen their GreatSpirit, talked with him, walked with h
im. It is not so with us Indians.Our Manitou speaks to us in thunder only. We are ignorant, and wish tolearn more than we now know. Has my brother ever travelled on that pathwhich ends where it begins? Once, on the prairies, I lost my way. Therewas snow, and glad was I to find tracks. I followed the tracks. But onetraveller had passed. After walking an hour, two had passed. Anotherhour, and the three had passed, Then I saw the tracks were my own, andthat I had been walking, as the squaws reason, round and round, but notgoing ahead."
"I understand my friend, but he is wrong. It is no matter which path thelost tribes travelled to get here. The main question is, whether theycame at all. I see in the red men, in their customs, their history,their looks, and even in their traditions, proof that they are theseJews, once the favored people of the Great Spirit."
"If the Manitou so well loves the Indians, why has he permitted thepale-faces to take away their hunting-grounds? Why has he made the redman poor, and the white man rich? Brother, I am afraid your tradition isa lying tradition, or these things would not be so."
"It is not given to men to understand the wisdom that cometh from above.That which seemeth so strange to us may be right. The lost tribes hadoffended God; and their scattering, and captivity, and punishment, arebut so many proofs of his displeasure. But, if lost, we have reason tobelieve that one day they will be found. Yes, my children, it will bethe pleasure of the Great Spirit, one day, to restore you to the landof your fathers, and make you again, what you once were, a great andglorious people!"
As the well-meaning but enthusiastic missionary spoke with great fervor,the announcement of such an event, coming as it did from one whom theyrespected, even while they could not understand him, did not fail toproduce a deep sensation. If their fortunes were really the care of theGreat Spirit, and justice was to be done to them by his love and wisdom,then would the projects of Peter, and those who acted and felt withhim, be unnecessary, and might lead to evil instead of to good. Thatsagacious savage did not fail to discover this truth; and he nowbelieved it might be well for him to say a word, in order to lessen theinfluence Parson Amen might otherwise obtain among those whom it was hisdesign to mould in a way entirely to meet his own wishes. So intensewas the desire of this mysterious leader to execute vengeance on thepale-faces, that the redemption of the tribes from misery and poverty,unaccompanied by this part of his own project, would have given him painin lieu of pleasure. His very soul had got to be absorbed in this onenotion of retribution, and of annihilation for the oppressors of hisrace; and he regarded all things through a medium of revenge, thuscreated by his feelings, much as the missionary endeavored to bend everyfact and circumstance, connected with the Indians, to the support of histheory touching their Jewish origin.
When Peter arose, therefore, fierce and malignant passions were at workin his bosom; such as a merciful and a benignant deity never wishes tosee in the breast of man, whether civilized or savage. The self-commandof the Tribeless, however, was great, and he so far succeeded insuppressing the volcano that was raging within, as to speak with hisusual dignity and an entire calmness of exterior.
"My brothers have heard what the medicine-man had to say," Petercommenced. "He has told them that which was new to them. He has toldthem an Indian is not an Indian. That a red man is a pale-face, and thatwe are not what we thought we were. It is good to learn. It makes thedifference between the wise and the foolish. The palefaces learn morethan the red-skins. That is the way they have learned how to get ourhunting-grounds. That is the way they have learned to build theirvillages on the spots where our fathers killed the deer. That is the waythey have learned how to come and tell us that we are not Indians, butJews. I wish to learn. Though old, my mind craves to know more. That Imay know more, I will ask this medicine-man questions, and my brotherscan open their ears, and learn a little, too, by what he answers.Perhaps we shall believe that we are not red-skins, but pale-faces.Perhaps we shall believe that our true hunting-grounds are not near thegreat lakes of sweet water, but under the rising sun. Perhaps we shallwish to go home, and to leave these pleasant openings for the pale facesto put their cabins on them, as the small-pox that they have also givento us, puts its sores on our bodies. Brother--" turning toward themissionary--"listen. You say we are no longer Indians, but Jews: is thistrue of ALL red men, or only of the tribes whose chiefs are HERE?"
"Of ALL red men, as I most sincerely believe. You are now red, but onceall of your people were fairer than the fairest of the pale-faces. It isclimate, and hardships, and sufferings that have changed your color."
"If suffering can do THAT," returned Peter, with emphasis, "I wonder weare not BLACK. When ALL our hunting-grounds are covered with the farmsof your people, I think we shall be BLACK."
Signs of powerful disgust were now visible among the listeners, anIndian having much of the contempt that seems to weigh so heavily onthat unfortunate class, for all of the color mentioned. At the south, asis known, the red man has already made a slave of the descendants of thechildren of Africa, but no man has ever yet made a slave of a son ofthe American forests! THAT is a result which no human power has yet beenable to accomplish. Early in the settlement of the country, attemptswere indeed MADE, by sending a few individuals to the islands; but sounsuccessful did the experiment turn out to be, that the design was soonabandoned. Whatever may be his degradation, and poverty, and ignorance,and savage ferocity, it would seem to be the settled purpose of theAmerican Indians of our own territories--unlike the aborigines who areto be found farther south--to live and die free men.
"My children," answered the missionary, "I pretend not to say what willhappen, except as it has been told to us in the word of God. You knowthat we pale-faces have a book, in which the Great Spirit has told ushis laws, and foretold to us many of the things that are to happen. Someof these things HAVE happened, while some remain TO happen. The lossof the ten tribes was foretold, and HAS happened; but their being FOUNDagain, has not YET happened, unless indeed I am so blessed as to be oneof those who have been permitted to meet them in these openings. Here isthe book--it goes where I go, and is my companion and friend, by day andby night; in good and evil; in season and out of season. To this book Icling as to my great anchor, that is to carry me through the storms insafety! Every line in it is precious; every word true!"
Perhaps half the chiefs present had seen books before, while those whonow laid eyes on one for the first time, had heard of this art of thepale-faces, which enabled them to set down their traditions in a waypeculiar to themselves. Even the Indians have their records, however,though resorting to the use of natural signs, and a species ofhieroglyphics, in lieu of the more artistical process of using words andletters, in a systemized written language. The Bible, too, was a book ofwhich all had heard, more or less; though not one of those present hadever been the subject of its influence. A Christian Indian, indeed--anda few of those were to be found even at that day--would hardly haveattended a council convened for the objects which had caused this to beconvened. Still, a strong but regulated curiosity existed, to see, andtouch, and examine the great medicine-book of the pale-faces. There wasa good deal of superstition blended with the Indian manner of regardingthe sacred volume; some present having their doubts about touchingit, even while most excited by admiration, and a desire to probe itssecrets.
Peter took the little volume, which the missionary extended as ifinviting any one who might so please, to examine it also. It was thefirst time the wary chief had ever suffered that mysterious book totouch him. Among his other speculations on the subject of the manner inwhich the white men were encroaching, from year to year, on the lands ofthe natives, it had occurred to his mind that this extraordinary volume,which the pale-faces all SEEMED to reverence, even to the drunkards ofthe garrisons, might contain the great elements of their power. Perhapshe was not very much out of the way in this supposition; though they whouse the volume habitually, are not themselves aware, one-half the time,why it is so.
On the present occasion, Peter saw the grea
t importance of not betrayingapprehension, and he turned over the pages awkwardly, as one wouldbe apt to handle a book for the first time, but boldly and withouthesitation. Encouraged by the impunity that accompanied this hardihood,Peter shook the leaves open, and held the volume on high, in a way thattold his own people that he cared not for its charms or power. Therewas more of seeming than of truth, however, in this bravado; for neverbefore had this extraordinary being made so heavy a draft on his courageand self-command, as in the performance of this simple act. He did not,could not know what were the virtues of the book, and his imaginationvery readily suggested the worst. As the great medicine-volume of thepale-faces, it was quite likely to contain that which was hostile to thered men; and this fact, so probable to his eyes, rendered it likely thatsome serious evil to himself might follow from the contact. It didnot, however; and a smile of grim satisfaction lighted his swarthycountenance, as, turning to the missionary, he said with point--
"Let my brother open his eyes. I have looked into his medicine-book, butdo not see that the red man is anything but a red man. The Great Spiritmade him; and what the Great Spirit makes, lasts. The pale-faces havemade their book, and it lies."
"No, no--Peter, Peter, thou utterest wicked words. But the Lord willpardon thee, since thou knowest not what thou sayest. Give me the sacredvolume, that I may place it next my heart, where I humbly trust so manyof its divine precepts are already entrenched."
This was said in English, under the impulse of feeling, but beingunderstood by Peter, the latter quietly relinquished the Bible,preparing to follow up the advantage he perceived he had gained, on thespot.
"My brother has his medicine-book, again," said Peter, "and the red menlive. This hand is not withered like the dead branch of the hemlock; yetit has held his word of the Great Spirit! It may be that a red-skin anda pale-face book cannot do each other harm. I looked into my brother'sgreat charm, but did not see or hear a tradition that tells me we areJews. There is a bee-hunter in these openings. I have talked with him.He has told me who these Jews are. He says they are people who do notgo with the pale-faces, but live apart from them, like men with thesmall-pox. It is not right for my brother to come among the red men, andtell them that their fathers were not good enough to live, and eat, andgo on the same paths as his fathers."
"This is all a mistake, Peter--a great and dangerous mistake. Thebee-hunter has heard the Jews spoken of by those who do not sufficientlyread the good book. They have been, and are still, the chosen people ofthe Great Spirit, and will one day be received back to his favor.Would that I were one of them, only enlightened by the words of theNew Testament! No real Christian ever can, or does now despise a son ofIsrael, whatever has been done in times past. It is an honor, and not adisgrace, to be what I have said my friends are."
"If this be so, why do not the pale-faces let us keep outhunting-grounds to ourselves? We are content. We do not wish to be Jews.Our canoes are too small to cross the great salt lake. They are hardlylarge enough to cross the great lakes of sweet water. We should betired of paddling so far. My brother says there is a rich land under therising sun, which the Manitou gave to the red men. Is this so?"
"Beyond all doubt. It was given to the children of Israel, for apossession forever; and though you have been carried away from it fora time, there the land still is, open to receive you, and waiting thereturn of its ancient masters. In good season that return must come; forwe have the word of God for it, in our Christian Bible."
"Let my brother open his ears very wide, and hear what I have to say.We thank him for letting us know that we are Jews. We believe that hethinks what he says. Still, we think we are red men, and Injins, and notJews. We never saw the place where the sun rises. We do not wish to seeit. Our hunting-grounds are nearer to the place where he sets. If thepale-faces believe we have a right to that distant land, which is sorich in good things, we will give it to them, and keep these openings,and prairies, and woods. We know the game of this country, and havefound out how to kill it. We do not know the game under the rising sun,which may kill us. Go to your friends and say, 'The Injins will giveyou that land near the rising sun, if you will let them alone on theirhunting-grounds, where they have so long been. They say that your canoesare larger than their canoes, and that one can carry a whole tribe. Theyhave seen some of your big canoes on the great lakes, and have measuredthem. Fill all you have got with your squaws and pappooses, put yourproperty in them, and go back by the long path through which you came.Then will the red man thank the pale-face and be his friend. The whiteman is welcome to that far-off land. Let him take it, and build hisvillages on it, and cut down its trees. This is all the Injins ask. Ifthe pale-faces can take away with them the small-pox and the fire-water,it will be better still. They brought both into this country, it isright that they should take them away.' Will my brother tell this to hispeople?"
"It would do no good. They know that the land of Judea is reserved byGod for his chosen people, and they are not Jews. None but the childrenof Israel can restore that land to its ancient fertility. It would beuseless for any other to attempt it. Armies have been there, and itwas once thought that a Christian kingdom was set up on the spot; butneither the time nor the people had come. Jews alone can make Judea whatit was, and what it will be again. If my people owned that land, theycould not use it. There are also too many of us now, to go away incanoes."
"Did not the fathers of the pale-faces come in canoes?" demanded Peter,a little sternly.
"They did; but since that time their increase has been so great, thatcanoes enough to hold them could not be found. No; the Great Spirit,for his own wise ends, has brought my people hither; and here must theyremain to the end of time. It is not easy to make the pigeons fly southin the spring."
This declaration, quietly but distinctly made, as it was the habit ofthe missionary to speak, had its effect. It told Peter, and those withhim, as plainly as language could tell them, that there was no reasonto expect the pale-faces would ever willingly abandon the country, andseemed the more distinctly, in all their uninstructed minds, toplace the issue on the armed hand. It is not improbable that somemanifestation of feeling would have escaped the circle, had not aninterruption to the proceedings occurred, which put a stop to all otheremotions but those peculiar to the lives of savages.
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