oreover, the United States agents, when the
treaty was actually made, behaved better than their superiors had
promised, for they persuaded the Creeks to declare peace with the
Chickasaws as well as with the whites. [Footnote: Robertson MSS.,
Robertson to Blount, Jan. 13, 1795; Blount to Robertson, Jan. 20, 1795,
and April 26, 1795; Robertson to Blount, April 20, 1795; _Knoxville
Gazette_, Aug. 25, 1792, Oct. 12, 1793, June 19, 1794, July 17, Aug. 4
and Aug. 15, 1794; American State Papers, pp. 284, 285, etc., etc.] Many
of the peaceful Creeks had become so alarmed at the outlook that they
began to exert pressure on their warlike brethren; and at last the
hostile element yielded, though not until bitter feeling had arisen
between the factions. The fact was, that the Creeks were divided much as
they were twenty years later, when the Red Sticks went to war under the
inspiration of the Prophet; and it would have been well if Wayne had
been sent South, to invade their country and anticipate by twenty years
Jackson's feats. But the nation was not yet ready for such strong
measures. The Creeks were met half way in their desire for peace; and
the entire tribe concluded a treaty the provisions of which were
substantially those of the treaty of New York. They ceased all
hostilities, together with the Cherokees.

Fatuity of Timothy Pickering.

The concluding stage of the negotiations was marked by an incident which
plainly betrayed the faulty attitude of the National Government towards
Southwestern frontiersmen. With incredible folly, Timothy Pickering, at
this time Secretary of War, blindly refused to see the necessity of what
had been done by Blount and the Tennessee frontiersmen. In behalf of the
administration he wrote a letter to Blount which was as offensive as it
was fatuous. In it he actually blamed Blount for getting the Cherokees
and Chickasaws to help protect the frontier against the hostile Indians.
He forbade him to give any assistance to the Chickasaws. He announced
that he disapproved of The Stallion's deeds, and that the Cherokees must
not destroy Creeks passing through their country on the way to the
frontier. He even intimated that the surrender of The Stallion to the
Creeks would be a good thing. As for protecting the frontier from the
ravages of the Creeks, he merely vouchsafed the statement that he would
instruct Seagrove to make "some pointed declarations" to the Creeks on
the subject! He explained that