July 7, 1882, at a sitting this day the following came:
“The main struggle of my life was to secure the liberation of the enslaved in the dominions under the authority and jurisdiction of the British government. I lived to witness the glorious success of my labors and to rejoice thereat and therein. I fought human slavery; I mean that slavery which is recognized by law—the right of one man to own another as a chattel, and to either transfer that ownership to another for a pecuniary or other consideration, or to transmit it as an inheritance. In doing so I had to combat wealth, prejudice, and biblical religion, for the bible recognizes this right. The struggle was long, eventful, and bitter, but victory finally crowned the effort. The civilized world concedes now the justness of my cause and the value to mankind of its success. And yet you are now fastening upon yourselves a slavery more appalling and degrading than African slavery ever was, or the slavery of the heathen and strangers of the olden time. (See Leviticus, 25th chapter, 44, 45 and 46th verses.)
“The slavery to which I refer now is the slavery of labor to capital. If I were back again in the body, with my present light on the subject, I would fight this accursed slavery more bitterly than I did that other species of slavery, which was bad enough, but infinitely less reprehensible than that which I am now discussing.
“No oppression is so utterly merciless and unconscionable as that of capital upon labor, and no other form of oppression can be so serious and hurtful in its consequences. Here we behold a mighty conflict between capital and labor. Capital making cruel and unreasonable exactions, seeking to obtain labor for an almost starvation pittance, while labor, unequal in the struggle, seeks to wrest from its adversary a decent and honorable requitement for its sweat. Capital triumphs and labor suffers. Let me tell you to-day, sir, and I would have the capitalists hear me, this contest will not always continue thus. Unless a spirit of justice and fair dealing shall speedily characterize the treatment of the poor toilers by their wealthy employers a mighty crash will come, an outburst of indignation in revolution that will render the bloody scenes of the past of trivial moment in comparison. The elements are generating, the storm clouds are surely gathering, and at a moment when least expected they will burst upon the country and the world in proportions only equaled by the fierceness of the conflict and its bloody issues. Let those whom it concerns beware. I beseech them, beware in time.
“Wilberforce.”
TECUMSEH.
On the 4th day of August, 1882, between the hours of 9 and 11 A. M., came the following, which can not fail to be of interest to all who feel that our Indian policy has been either wrong or ineffective, and that the Indians have not been rightly treated. The eloquent simplicity of the communication can not fail to be observed:
“A large delegation of Indians are here and wish to be heard. We have concluded to let them speak. I will write what their leader says in as nearly his own words as possible.
“Nettie, the Control.”
“We come to speak to palefaces at Washington. Me talk for my people—the redfaces in the hunting-grounds in the Far West where the sun goes down. Poor redfaces, nearly all gone. Paleface kill many and drive them from their old and much loved hunting grounds. You tell them to go on reservation, and the big father at Washington take good care of them. They go. Big chief at big city send paleface agents to give them blankets, ponies, guns, and bread to eat. Paleface agent start big store in wigwam and cheat redface, and give him fire-water to make him mad and crazy. When my people see how they are cheated they get mad, and put on war paint and kill much. Big paleface chief say to blue-coat warriors, go and kill redface and make them come back, and let paleface agent swindle much more. Now this is all wrong, and if wrong, why not make wrong right. Redface only handful, paleface mighty—like the leaves on trees. If redface mighty and paleface weak, how then you like it? You then like redface be honest and not cheat, and do as big preach say about golden rule. Me no like you give my people fire-water or guns. Me much like better if you give red braves horses and plows, and build school-houses for little papooses. Teach them how to read and make big scratch (writings) and let them learn other papooses. Don’t cheat. Put paleface clothes on redface, especially redface papooses, and learn them how to build big houses and how to raise big much to eat and sell. Then soon redface no more like hunting ground, but will love paleface and paleface ways. This much better than kill. Great Spirit no like paleface to kill redface or redface kill paleface. All die soon enough anyhow. Upper hunting grounds are full of redfaced spirits, and they all feel bad and sorry for redface in your land. Me no talk much more. Me sorry—me could cry. Poor redface few—soon all be gone. Be good to few left, and Great Spirit and redfaced spirits love you much. Spirit chiefs Ouray and Black Hawk and many more are here, and all plead for their people in lower hunting grounds. They all feel much bad. Good bye, chief and squaw. Me thank much for this big scratch.