their willingness to remove upon these
terms distinctly ascertained.[12]

Under the treaty of 1804, the Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States,
more than twenty millions of acres of first rate land, for less than
twenty thousand dollars. Black Hawk not only contended for the
invalidity of this treaty, but insisted that the price paid by the
United States was wholly below the value of the land. Under such
circumstances, the course of the government was obvious--to have quieted
the complaints of the Indians and secured their peaceable removal to the
west, by a second purchase of their interest to the territory in
question. Had it cost twenty, fifty or one hundred thousand dollars, to
effect this object, our country would still have been the gainer, both
by the preservation of the national faith and the national treasure--for
the former was wantonly violated, and the latter uselessly squandered.
The contest with Black Hawk and his party, destroyed the lives of four
or five hundred Indian men, women and children--about two hundred
citizens of the United States--and cost the government near two millions
of dollars! Such are the results of a war commenced and waged by a great
nation, upon a remnant of poor ignorant savages;--a war which had its
origin in avarice and political ambition, which was prosecuted in bad
faith and closed in dishonor.

CHAPTER VIII.

Black Hawk, Naopope, the Prophet and others confined at Jefferson
Barracks--In April 1833 sent to Washington--Interview with the
President--sent to Fortress Monroe--Their release--Visit the eastern
cities--Return to the Mississippi--Conference at Rock island between
Maj. Garland, Keokuk, Black Hawk and other chiefs--speeches of Keokuk,
Pashshepaho and Black Hawk--Final discharge of the hostages--Their
return to their families--Black Hawk's visit to Washington in
1837--His return--His personal appearance--Military
talents--Intellectual and moral character.

Black Hawk, his two sons, Naopope, Wabokiesheik, and the other
prisoners, who under the treaty of 21st September, were to be held as
hostages, during the pleasure of the president, having been sent down
the Mississippi, to Jefferson Barracks, under charge of Lieutenant
Davis, were immediately put in irons, a measure of precaution,
apparently, as unnecessary as it was cruel.

"We were now confined," says the old chief, "to the barracks, and forced
to wear the _ball and chain_! This was ex