Date: 1806-12-30
President: Thomas Jefferson

MY CHILDREN, THE WOLF AND PEOPLE OF THE MANDAN NATION:  I take you by the hand of friendship hearty welcome to the seat of the government   of the United States. The journey which you have taken to visit your fathers   on this side of our island is a long one, and your having undertaken it is a   proof that you desired to become acquainted with us. I thank the Great Spirit   that he has protected you through the journey and brought you safely to the   residence of your friends, and I hope He will have you constantly in his safe   keeping, and restore you in good health to your nations and families. My friends and children, we are descended from the old nations which live beyond   the great water, but we and our forefathers have been so long here that we seem   like you to have grown out of this land. We consider ourselves no longer of   the old nations beyond the great water, but as united in one family with our   red brethren here. The French, the English, the Spaniards, have now agreed with   us to retire from all the country which you and we hold between Canada and Mexico,   and never more to return to it. And remember the words I now speak to you, my   children, they are never to return again. We are now your fathers; and you shall   not lose by the change. As soon as Spain had agreed to withdraw from all the   waters of the Missouri and Mississippi, I felt the desire of becoming acquainted   with all my red children beyond the Mississippi, and of uniting them with us   as we have those on this side of that river, in the bonds of peace and friendship.   I wished to learn what we could do to benefit them by furnishing them the necessaries   they want in exchange for their furs and peltries. I therefore sent our beloved   man, Captain Lewis, one of my own family, to go up the Missouri river to get   acquainted with all the Indian nations in its neighborhood, to take them by   the hand, deliver my talks to them, and to inform us in what way we could be   useful to them. Your nation received him kindly, you have taken him by the hand   and been friendly to him. My children, I thank you for the services you rendered   him, and for your attention to his words. He will now tell us where we should   establish trading houses to be convenient to you all, and what we must send   to them. My friends and children, I have now an important advice to give you. I have   already told you that you and all the red men are my children, and I wish you   to live in peace and friendship with one another as brethren of the same family   ought to do. How much better is it for neighbors to help than to hurt one another;   how much happier must it make them. If you will cease to make war on one another,   if you will live in friendship with all mankind, you can employ all your time   in providing food and clothing for yourselves and your families. Your men will   not be destroyed in war, and your women and children will lie down to sleep   in their cabins without fear of being surprised by their enemies and killed   or carried away. Your numbers will be increased instead of diminishing, and   you will live in plenty and in quiet. My children, I have given this advice   to all your red brethren on this side of the Mississippi; they are following   it, they are increasing in their numbers, are learning to clothe and provide   for their families as we do. Remember then my advice, my children, carry it   home to your people, and tell them that from the day that they have become all   of the same family, from the day that we became father to them all, we wish,   as a true father should do, that we may all live together as one household,   and that before they strike one another, they should go to their father and   let him endeavor to make up the quarrel. My children, you are come from the other side of our great island, from where   the sun sets, to see your new friends at the sun rising. You have now arrived   where the waters are constantly rising and falling every day, but you are still   distant from the sea. I very much desire that you should not stop here, but   go and see your brethren as far as the edge of the great water. I am persuaded   you have so far seen that every man by the way has received you as his brothers,   and has been ready to do you all the kindness in his power. You will see the   same thing quite to the sea shore; and I wish you, therefore, to go and visit   our great cities in that quarter, and see how many friends and brothers you   have here. You will then have travelled a long line from west to east, and if   you had time to go from north to south, from Canada to Florida, you would find   it as long in that direction, and all the people as sincerely your friends.   I wish you, my children, to see all you can, and to tell your people all you   see; because I am sure the more they know of us, the more they will be our hearty   friends. I invite you, therefore, to pay a visit to Baltimore, Philadelphia,   New York, and the cities still beyond that, if you are willing to go further.   We will provide carriages to convey you and a person to go with you to see that   you want for nothing. By the time you come back the snows will be melted on   the mountains, the ice in the rivers broken up, and you will be wishing to set   out on your return home. My children, I have long desired to see you; I have now opened my heart to   you, let my words sink into your hearts and never be forgotten. If ever lying   people or bad spirits should raise up clouds between us, call to mind what I   have said, and what you have seen yourselves. Be sure there are some lying spirits   between us; let us come together as friends and explain to each other what is   misrepresented or misunderstood, the clouds will fly away like morning fog,   and the sun of friendship appear and shine forever bright and clear between   us. My children, it may happen that while you are here occasion may arise to talk   about many things which I do not now particularly mention. The Secretary at   War will always be ready to talk with you, and you are to consider whatever   he says as said by myself. He will also take care of you and see that you are   furnished with all comforts here. 