ntegrity than any other of the chiefs who attained to much
distinction." He now repeated again that he would forward to the
government all the propositions of the chief, but that there was little
probability that they would be accepted. "Well," said Tecumseh, "as the
great chief is to determine the matter, I hope the Great Spirit will put
sense enough into his head, to induce him to direct you to give up this
land. It is true, he is so far off, he will not be injured by the war;
he may still sit in his town and drink his wine, whilst you and I will
have to fight it out." The conference ended with an appeal by Harrison,
that in the event of war, no outrages should be committed on women and
children and those who were unable to resist. This, the chief manfully
acceded to, and said he would adhere to his promise.

Thus ended this remarkable conference participated in by the two
greatest figures then in the western world. The one representing the
advancing tide of immigration that was to build the cities and plow the
fields of a new empire; the other representing the forlorn hope of a
fast decaying race that was soon to be removed from the pathways of
civilization.

Those who have vainly sought to make it appear that Harrison afterwards
wrongfully passed over the northern boundary line of the New Purchase to
provoke a fight and bring on a conflict, have certainly scanned the
records of this council at Vincennes with but little care. The truth is,
that the two principal figures in that affair parted each other's
company fully realizing that hostilities were at hand. To say that
Harrison was bound to sit helplessly in his capital while his enemies
gathered a force sufficient to overwhelm him, and all without a move on
his part to avert a calamity, but illustrates the foolishness of the
whole contention. Immediately on the breaking up of the council,
Tecumseh departed with a portion of his braves to organize and cement a
federation of the tribes; Harrison, in the meantime, ordering an
additional body of troops under Captain Cross at Newport, Kentucky, to
come to the relief of the settlements, and redoubling his vigilance to
avoid the surprise of a sudden attack. Without hesitation however, he
wrote the surveyor-general to make a survey; the lines to be run under
the protection of the militia.

The Governor was informed by the Weas, that during the progress of the
proceedings, they had been urged by four persons at Vincennes,