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The Blackhawk War BY HENRY LITTLE, 1875
Their laws are not written codes, but are the laws of nature, and such as, for the time being, are suggested by the impulse of the moment, and the circumstances which surround them. Their treaties (when they have any) are such as were dictated by the whites. They are a mean, low, filthy, lazy, treacherous, poor, weak, despised set of barbarous, worthless vagabonds. Now then, when such a great and good people as we are, are dealing with such obnoxious vermin as the Indians are, who can suppose that we could have the least regard for their principles of religious morality, or law or justice, unless it would be for our own personal, individual interest to do so ? But if the Indians, when seeking to be revenged for some unprovoked injury from the whites, should burn a squatter's cabin, or drive away his cow, or take his scalp, or even insist upon holding possession of their land, which they had never sold, then our just and sanctified indignation rises to the boiling point and our whole nation is convulsed from its center to its. utmost limits.
THE TERRITORY OF 1804.
I am unable to state what rank or position was held by the two Sauk and one Fox chiefs who assumed the power and responsibility to sell that land. Among the Pottawattomies in Michigan, there were different grades of official functionaries, ranging from the head or principal chief, down through lower or subordinate officers, all of whom we (for want of other names or titles), called chiefs. It is probable that the same or similar rules and customs, appertaining to their governmental affairs, existed with the Sauk tribe. It appears
evident from what followed, that it must have been inferior or subordinate chiefs who arrogated to themselves the power to enter into that treaty, and that too, without the knowledge of their other chiefs, or even the common people.
Michigan
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