friendship between the Indians and whites might still be renewed; that
there were two roads open, one leading to peace, and the other to misery
and ruin; that it was useless to make war against the Seventeen Fires,
as their blue-coats were more numerous than the sands of the Wabash;
that if complaint was made as to the purchase of the Indian lands, that
the Governor was willing to send the principal chiefs to Washington to
make this complaint to the President in person; that everything
necessary for the journey should be prepared and a safe return
guaranteed.

On this visit Barron held much personal converse with Tecumseh and
lodged with him in a cabin. He professed to be much pleased with
Harrison's speech, observing that he had not seen him since he was a
young man seated at the side of General Wayne. He disclaimed any
intention of trying to make war, but said that it would be impossible to
remain on friendly terms with the United States unless they abandoned
the idea of trying to make settlements farther to the north and west,
and unless they acknowledged the principle that all the lands were held
by the tribes in common. Said he: "The Great Spirit gave this great
island to his red children; he placed the whites on the other side of
the big water; they were not contented with their own, but came to take
ours from us. They have driven us from the sea to the lakes, we can go
no further. They have taken upon themselves to say this tract belongs to
the Miamis, this to the Delawares, and so on, but the Great Spirit
intended it as the common property of all the tribes, nor can it be sold
without the consent of all. Our father tells us, that we have no
business upon the Wabash, the land belongs to other tribes, but the
Great Spirit ordered us to come here and here we shall stay."

Tecumseh now resolved on that famous meeting with the Governor at
Vincennes. Harrison had long known that there were those in his midst
who were inimical to his plans and who had opposed his purpose of the
fall before, but he did not learn until afterwards the full extent of
their treachery. It seems that Tecumseh had been given to understand
that about half of the population of Vincennes were friendly to his
cause. An American had visited him during the winter of 1809-10 who
informed him that Harrison had no authority whatever from the government
to make the purchase; that the Governor had only two years more to
remain in office, and that if T