--
Irving's Life of Washington.] Red Jacket was not alone in this opinion.
One of Cornplanter's sons, Henry O'Bail, had been educated in
Philadelphia; but on returning to his people, became a drunkard, and was
discarded by his father. He had other sons, but resolved that no more of
them should be educated among the whites, for said he, "it entirely spoils
Indian."
"What have we here?" exclaimed Red Jacket on one occasion addressing one
of them. "What have we here? _You are neither a white man, or an Indian;
for heaven's sake tell us, what are you?_"
But further than this, Red Jacket had witnessed among the whites so many
evidences of deceit and fraud; he had so often seen the Indians
circumvented by their avarice and craft, that he looked with suspicion
even on their attempts to do the Indians good. The language of the Trojan
patriot concerning the Greeks--represents very nearly the feelings he
entertained toward the whites.
"Timeo Danaos et dona ferrentes.
"The Greeks I fear, e'en in the gifts they bear."
Hence Red Jacket began to look unfavorably on the attempts that had been
made to civilize the Indian. He scorned to use the white man's axe, or
hoe, or any implement of husbandry. He would not even use his language.
Understanding well what was said to him in English, he spurned the idea of
holding any communication with a white man, save through an interpreter.
The Indian he looked upon as the rightful lord of this part of creation,
the white man, as an intruder.
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