Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak, or, Black Hawk, and scenes in the West : a national poem : in six cantos ...

Front matter

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Preface

Dear Reader — The author, in presenting to you a new work, hastily got up, is aware that it may have many imperfections, and hopes the indulgence of an enlightened and generous puhlie.

Whether he has done justice to the renowned savage, the hero of the work — to our noble governor, the great partisan warrior of his day, and to that gallant band of pioneers who have contributed so much to the glory and prosperity of the West, the reader must determine.

The account given of the genealogy of Black Hawk, a description of the war in which he acted so conspicuous a part, together with his whole history, will be found interesting : also, the various scenes in the West, herein described, more or less familiar to the first pioneers, cannot but be perused with pleasure by all who recollect them ; whilst then relation will be more especially novel, interesting and delightful to all those who never heard of them before.

This comprehensive treatise portrays things as they were in the early settlement of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, when civilization first dawned upon the beautiful forests and prairies, and the cultivation of the luxurious soil commenced ; and shows

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this country's natural and abundant resources ; its fruitful mines of silver, lead, and copper, where men dig for hidden treasures in the bowels of the earth, and become rich, together with those of the Lake Superior country, where now is the rush of those who wish to make their fortunes ; the cheapness of the soil, which produces so bountifully both the necessaries and luxuries of life ; the prospect of entering into profitable business with a small capital, and the chances for speculation afforded by early and choice locations ; the almost certain prospect of bettering one's condition and circumstances by a change of place, and of living hi the enjoyment of health, peace and competence in another clime, are just inducements, and are all things worthy to be inquired into.

The author might easily have swelled this volume to five times its present size — but this would, in a considerable degree, have defeated his object; which was, to make a useful work, comprehending much in. little, whose low price would bring it within the reach of everybody ; to cast all minor circumstances which would burden the pages of future history out of the way ; consigning them at once to that oblivion of after-time, in which they must of necessity be lost, and dwell only ujwn such important things as are calculated to survive the present generation, and five through the dilapidations of time. Such are, indeed, the only legitimate subjects of history.

To the lovers of literature, and especially to the admirers of the art of poesy, it is presumed this work will afford great

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pleasure and delight ; while to those who are not in the same degree capahle of perceiving and relishing its heauties, it cannot fail to be a source of information that will abundantly repay the cost.

The massacre of Chicago is a theme deeply interesting. The author has taken great pains to inform himself thoroughly on this subject, and has obtained his information from living witnesses and periodicals of that day. All the statements concerning this most interesting narrative, may, therefore, be relied on with implicit confidence. They form important items in the history of the country long to be remembered.

The question may very naturally arise, why the author did not compose the whole in rhyme, as he could easily have done. To which he answers, that he is partial to blank verse, and originally intended to compose the whole in this style ; but the constant tendency to rhyme continually furnished him, as he went along, with beautiful couplets ; some of which he has retained among the blank verse, considering blank verse as the base.

At other times he has reduced whole portions of the work entirely to rhyme — portions which were at first intended for blank verse — so that he has now, in such a variety of styles, something that will suit all tastes and classes of readers. The author might multiply reasons for the course he has taken in these respects, if it were deemed necessary. He might say that Shakespeare did so — that this is a day of innovations on the-

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learning of the past ; and as it was with the Israelites in early times, so has it become with us now — for in those days there was no king in the land, and every man did according to that which seemed right in his own eyes.