[June —, 1824.]
I call you brothers because the chiefs of your nation who came to
the Colorado about 3 Moons ago told the Americans who live there
that the Wecos and Tawakanes were friends and wished to be at
peace with them—
The Americans and Wecos have always been friends and met and
parted like brothers and so they ought always to be—and so the
Americans always wish to be—but some bad men of the Wecos or
some of their friends last year spilt blood in the path which had
before then been always clean, J. T. one of our people was murdered on
the Guadalupe by Indians who said they were Wecos—he was much
beloved by the Americans and they all cried out for revenge—and I
intended to have made a campain against your towns to revenge the
murder for the Americans will never suffer any of their people to be
killed or robbed without punishing the murderers or the robbers but
I heard of the words of your chiefs on the Colorado, that they wished
to be at peace with the Americans and would punish the murderers
of Tumlinson—I informed the Americans of these words and they
all said that the Wecos had always been their friends and that they
did not wish for war with them, but that the murderers of Tumlinson
must be punished and then they would be satisfied. I have therefore
sent up some young men to talk with you and to deliver you these
words from the Americans—
The Americans will be at peace with the Wecos and Tawakanes
and trade with them as friends and brothers provided the chiefs of
that nation will agree to punish the murderers of Tumlinson. The
path between us shall then be clean and both parties can travel in
safety. The Wecos and Tawakanes must not disturb the settlers on
the Brazos or Colorado and if any of those settlers misuse any of your
nation I will punish them for it if the chief will inform me and if
any of your nation steal from or misuse any of the Americans the
chief must deliver them to the Americans to be killed or whipped
according to the crime they have committed—in this way we may
keep a peace between us as long as the sun shall shine, All bad men
will then be punished and all the good ones can live in their houses
and villages with their women and children and plant their corn in
peace and safety. My friends the Americans are a great people they
are like the leaves on the trees—they are all good warriors—and well
armed—they are true friends and dangerous enemies they never
beg peace of any nation, they are always ready for war or peace,
but they prefer peace for they wish to be friends and brothers
with all the Indians of this province, the Wecos and Tawakanes can
therefore chose and send me word by the young men what they
intend, and whether they are willing to punish the murders of
Tumlinson and be at peace with the Americans or whether they wish for
war—
[Endorsed:] Talk sent to the Weco Indians by Duke and Selkirk