His influence in this direction
was salutary, and had he confined his efforts to the recovery of his
people from drunkenness, his mission would truly have been one of mercy,
and his career might have terminated with the highest usefulness and
honor.
But sympathizing with Cornplanter, his brother, he conceived the idea of
instituting against their enemies, the charge of _witchcraft_. In this
the Indians generally believed, and a charge of this nature, coming from
such a source, was a very grave matter. Through the instrumentality of
Congress selected by himself, the sentence of death was procured against
certain "familiars of Satan," and this sentence would have been executed,
had there been no interference, from the knowledge of it coming to the
whites, living in the vicinity.
In no way discouraged, but rather emboldened by their success, they
proceeded so far as to bring such a charge against Red Jacket himself, who
was thus publicly denounced, at a great council held at Buffalo Creek, and
put upon trial.
A degree of rivalry had hitherto existed between Cornplanter and Red
Jacket, and as the former descended in the estimation of his people, for
the part he had taken in the sale of their lands, the latter rose for the
same reason, so that the highest aim of Cornplanter was reached, when he
could, by this means, affect materially the character, and influence of
his distinguished rival.
The orator was thus placed in circumstances the most critical and trying,
of any that had hitherto met him in life.
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