After a full and patient enquiry into the facts of the case, it appeared that the murder of Myers, was the act of an individual, and not justly chargeable upon either party of the Indians.  Several speeches were made by the chiefs, but Tecumseh was the principal speaker.  He gave a full explanation of the views of the Prophet and himself, in calling around them a band of Indians—­disavowed all hostile intentions towards the United States, and denied that he or those under his control had committed any aggressions upon the whites.  His manner, when speaking, was animated, fluent and rapid, and made a strong impression upon those present.  The council terminated.  In the course of it, the two hostile parties became reconciled to each other, and quiet was restored to the frontier.

The Indians remained in Springfield for three days, and on several occasions amused themselves by engaging in various games and other athletic exercises, in which Tecumseh generally proved himself victorious.  His strength, and power of muscular action, were remarkably great, and in the opinion of those who attended the council, corresponded with the high order of his moral and intellectual character.[A]

[Footnote A:  Dr. Hunt.]

CHAPTER V.

Governor Harrison’s address to the Shawanoe chiefs at Greenville—­the Prophet’s reply—­his influence felt among the remote tribes—­he is visited in 1808 by great numbers of Indians—­Tecumseh and the Prophet remove to Tippecanoe—­the latter sends a speech to governor Harrison—­makes him a visit at Vincennes.

The alarm caused by the assembling of the Indians at Greenville, still continuing, governor Harrison, in the autumn of this year, sent to the head chiefs of the Shawanoe tribe, by John Conner, one of our Indian agents, the following address:—­

“My Children—­Listen to me, I speak in the name of your father, the great chief of the Seventeen Fires.

“My children, it is now twelve years since the tomahawk, which you had raised by the advice of your father, the king of Great Britain, was buried at Greenville, in the presence of that great warrior, general Wayne.

“My children, you then promised, and the Great Spirit heard it, that you would in future live in peace and friendship with your brothers, the Americans.  You made a treaty with your father, and one that contained a number of good things, equally beneficial to all the tribes of red people, who were parties to it.

“My children, you promised in that treaty to acknowledge no other father than the chief of the Seventeen Fires; and never to listen to the proposition of any foreign nation.  You promised never to lift up the tomahawk against any of your father’s children, and to give him notice of any other tribe that intended it:  your father also promised to do something for you, particularly to deliver to you, every year, a certain quantity of goods; to prevent