Page 308 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

304 WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS.
White River, in the State of Indiana. Having discovered that
the lands anticipated at White River had been sold, they re-
moved North-west, and joined their brethren at Statesburgh,
near Green Bay, in this State.
Previous to the arrival of the ltev. Mr. MINER as mission-
ary, Mr. METOXEN was in the habit, as his wife relates, of
officiating as a religious teacher among the tribe, when they
had good meetings, and were much engaged in religion. After
the arrival of Mr. MINER, and during your own labors as a
missionary, Mr. METOXEN was the only reliable man that could
be resorted to as a correct and fluent interpreter. During the
lest few years he has been of great service in giving testimony
to events connected with olden time.
Mr. METOXEN has taken an active part in the civil and
political affairs of his tribe. Especially during our unfortu-
nate disputes from 1843 to 1848, between the citizen and
Indian parties, he occupied a distinguished position by lend-
ing his whole influence to the Indian party.
When young, Mr. METOXEN was a man of great bodily
strength, and owing to many hard-fought personal conflicts, in
which he had been engaged, he was commonly styled the
"Stockbridge bully."
As an interpreter, the style of Mr. METOXEN was that of
classic harmony and beauty. I a,m delighted with the Oneida
language, as spoken by DANIEL BREAD, although to me unin-
telligible; and I am pleased with the style of WASHINGTON
IRVING your own tongue; but I havo also been frequently
of
entertained in listening to the classic beauty and force, as ut-
tered by JOHN METOXEN, of the language of the Muh-he-con-
news, whether delivered around the council-fires of the Nation,
or within tho sacred walls of tho sanctuary. In council, his
speeches were generally listened to with deep attention and in-
terest, and his opinions were regtrded as important.
But ''the old man eloquent" is now silent. By the influence
of rickness, infirmity and old age, he seems to take but little