wo. When I met the
Governor at Suwanee he seemed to be afraid; I shook hands with him. I
gathered all my people and found that none was missing, and that the
mischief had been done by others. The Governor had them put in prison. I
was told that if one man kills another we must not kill any other man in
his place, but find the person who committed the murder and kill him.
One of my people was killed and his murderer's bones are now white at
Tallahassee. Another one that had done us mischief was killed at
Alpaha. A black man living among the whites has killed one of my people
and I wish to know who is to give me redress. Will my big father answer?
When our law is allowed to operate, we are quick; but they say the black
man is subject to the laws of the white people; now I want to see if the
white people do as they say. We wish our big father to say whether he
will have the black man tried for the murder of one of our people. If he
will give him up to us, the sun shall not move before he has justice
done to him. We work for justice, as well as the white people do. I wish
my friend and father to answer. In answer we may receive a story, for
men going backwards and forwards have not carried straight talks.
"I agreed to send away all the black people who had no masters, and I
have done it; but still they are sending to me for negroes. When an
Indian has bought a black man they come and take him away again, so that
we have no money and no negroes, too. A white man sells us a negro and
then turns around and claims him again, and our father orders us to give
him up. There is a negro girl in Charleston that belongs to my
daughter--her name is Patience. I want her restored to me. She has a
husband here; she has a child about a year old. I want my big father to
cause them to be sent to me, to do as he compels me to do, when I have
just claims. If my father is a true friend, he will send me my property
by our agent, who has gone to Washington. I have been told by the
Governor that all runaway negroes must be given up, but that all those
taken in war, were good property to us; but they have taken away those
taken in war, and those we have raised from children. * * *
"Will my father listen now to the voice of his children? He told me we
were to receive two thousand dollars' worth of corn--where is it? We
have received scarcely any, not even half, according to our judgment, of
what was intended for us. If the Governor and the white p
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