It has been my good fortune to hear him a few times, but only of late
years, and when his powers were enfeebled by age, and still more, by
intemperance. But I shall never forget the impression made on me, the
first time I saw him in council:
"Deep on his front engraven,
"Deliberation sate, and public care,
"And princely counsel in his face yet shone,
"Majestic, though in ruin.
"I can give no idea of the strong impression it made on my mind, though
conveyed to it through the medium of an illiterate interpreter, Even in
this mangled form, I saw the _disjecta membra_ of a regular and
splendid oration." [Footnote: Col. Stone's Life and Times of Red Jacket.]
The Ogden Company though defeated time and again by the watchfulness, and
powerful influence of Red Jacket, continued to ply their endeavors, until
by degrees, the remaining portion of their once proud inheritance, was
wrested from them, and the orator was left in the decline of life to
survey, as he often did in a spirit of dejection, the haunts of his youth,
which had nearly all passed into other hands, through the craft and
avarice of the white man.
CHAPTER XIX.
Witchcraft--Lease of Tom-Jemmy--Testimony of Red Jacket--Red Jacket's
Philippic--Finding of the court--Remarkable interview of Dr. Breckenridge
with Red Jacket--Further expression of views.
In the spring of 1821, a man belonging to Red Jacket's tribe, fell into a
languishing condition, and after lingering for some time, unable to obtain
relief, died.
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