The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada Part 10

In the C o u r t-H o u s e at _Lancaster, June_ 25, 1744. _P. M._

P R E S E N T,

The Honourable _G E O R G E T H O M A S_, Esq; Governor, &c.

The Honourable the Commissioners of _Virginia_.

The Honourable the Commissioners of _Maryland_.

The Deputies of the _Six Nations_.

_Conrad Weiser_, Interpreter.

Cana.s.satego's _Answer to the Governor's Speech delivered in the Morning_.

_Brother_ Onas,

You spoke in the Presence of _a.s.saragoa_ and the Governor of _Maryland_ to us, advising us to receive them as our Brethren, and to unite with them in the Covenant Chain as one Body, and one Soul. We have always considered them as our Brethren, and, as such, shall be willing to brighten the Chain of Friendship with them; but since there are some Disputes between us respecting the Lands possessed by them, which formerly belonged to us, we, according to our Custom, propose to have those Differences first adjusted, and then we shall proceed to confirm the Friendship subsisting between us, which will meet with no Obstruction after these Matters are settled.

_Here they presented the_ Governor _with a Belt of Wampum, in return for the Belt given them in the Morning by the_ Governor; _and the Interpreter was ordered to return the_ Yo-hah.

_Then the_ Governor, _in Reply, spoke as follows_:

I receive your Belt with great Kindness and Affection; and as to what relates to the Governments of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_, the honourable Commissioners, now present, are ready to treat with you. I shall only add, that the Goods for the Hundred Pounds Sterling, put into my Hands by the Governor of _Virginia_, as a Token of his good Dispositions to preserve Friendship with you, are now in Town, and ready to be delivered, in consequence of what was told you by _Conrad Weiser_ when he was last at Onandago.

Then the Governor, turning to the Commissioners of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_, said, Gentlemen, I have now finished what was inc.u.mbent upon me to say by way of Introduction to the _Indians_; and as you have a full Authority from your respective Governments to treat with them, I shall leave the rest intirely to you, and either stay or withdraw, as you shall think most for your Service.

The Commissioners said, They were all of Opinion, it would be for their Advantage that the Governor should stay with them; and therefore they unanimously desired he would favour them with the Continuance of his Presence whilst they should be in Treaty with the _Indians_: Which his Honour said he would at their Instance very readily do, believing it might expedite their Business, and prevent any Jealousy the _Indians_ might conceive at his withdrawing.

_The Commissioners of_ Maryland _ordered the Interpreter to acquaint the_ Indians _that the Government of_ Maryland _was going to speak to them, and then spoke as follows_:

_Friends and Brethren of the united_ Six Nations,

We, who are deputed from the Government of _Maryland_ by a Commission under the Great Seal of that Province, now in our Hands (and which will be interpreted to you) bid you welcome; and in Token that we are very glad to see you here as Brethren, we give you this String of Wampum.

_Upon which the_ Indians _gave the_ Yo-hah.

When the Governor of _Maryland_ received the first Notice, about seven Years ago, of your Claim to some Lands in that Province, he thought our good Friends and Brethren of the _Six Nations_ had little Reason to complain of any Injury from _Maryland_, and that they would be so well convinced thereof, on farther Deliberation, as he should hear no more of it; but you spoke of that Matter again to the Governor of _Pensylvania_, about two Years since, as if you designed to terrify us.

It was very inconsiderately said by you, that you would do yourselves Justice, by going to take Payment yourselves: Such an Attempt would have intirely dissolved the Chain of Friendship subsisting, not only between us, but perhaps the other _English_ and you.

We a.s.sure you, our People, who are numerous, courageous, and have Arms ready in their Hands, will not suffer themselves to be hurt in their Lives and Estates.

But, however, the old and wise People of _Maryland_ immediately met in Council, and upon considering very cooly your rash Expressions, agreed to invite their Brethren, the _Six Nations_, to this Place, that they might learn of them what Right they have to the Land in _Maryland_, and, if they had any, to make them some reasonable Compensation for it; therefore the Governor of _Maryland_ has sent us to meet and treat with you about this Affair, and the brightening and strengthening the Chain which hath long subsisted between us. And as an Earnest of our Sincerity and Good-will towards you, we present you with this Belt of Wampum.

_On which the_ Indians _gave the_ Yo-hah.

Our _Great King of_ England, and his Subjects, have always possessed the Province of _Maryland_ free and undisturbed from any Claim of the _Six Nations_ for above one hundred Years past, and your not saying any thing to us before, convinces us you thought you had no Pretence to any Lands in _Maryland_; nor can we yet find out to what Lands, or under what t.i.tle you make your Claim: For the _Sasquahannah Indians_, by a Treaty above ninety Years since (which is on the Table, and will be interpreted to you) give, and yield to the _English_ Nation, their Heirs and a.s.signs for ever, the greatest Part (if not all) of the Lands we possess, from _Patuxent_ River, on the Western, as well as from _Choptank_ River, on the Eastern Side of the Great Bay of _Chessapeak_. And, near Sixty Years ago, you acknowledged to the Governor of _New-York_ at _Albany_, "That you had given your Lands, and submitted yourselves to the King of _England_."

We are that Great King's Subjects, and we possess and enjoy the Province of _Maryland_ by Virtue of his Right and Sovereignty thereto; why, then, will you stir up any Quarrel between you and ourselves, who are as one Man, under the Protection of that Great King?

We need not put you in mind of the Treaty (which we suppose you have had from your Fathers) made with the Province of _Maryland_ near Seventy Years ago, and renewed and confirmed twice since that time.

By these Treaties we became Brethren; we have always lived as such, and hope always to continue so.

We have this further to say, that altho' we are not satisfied of the Justice of your Claim to any Lands in _Maryland_, yet we are desirous of shewing our Brotherly Kindness and Affection, and to prevent (by any reasonable Way) every Misunderstanding between the Province of _Maryland_ and you our Brethren of the _Six Nations_.

For this Purpose we have brought hither a Quant.i.ty of Goods for our Brethren the _Six Nations_, and which will be delivered you as soon as we shall have received your Answer, and made so bright and large a Fire as may burn pure and clear whilst the Sun and Moon shall shine.

We have now freely and openly laid our Bosoms bare to you; and that you may be the better confirmed of the Truth of our Hearts, we give you this Belt of Wampum.

_Which was received with the_ Yo-hah.

_After a little Time_ Cana.s.satego _spoke as follows:_

_Brother, the Governor_ of Maryland,

We have heard what you have said to us; and, as you have gone back to old Times, we cannot give you an Answer now, but shall take what you have said into Consideration, and, return you our Answer some Time to Morrow. He then sat down, and after some Time he spoke again.

_Brother, the Governor of_ Maryland,

If you have made any Enquiry into _Indian_ Affairs, you will know, that we have always had our Guns, Hatchets and Kettles mended when we came to see our Brethren. Brother _Onas_, and the Governor of _York_ always do this for us; and we give you this early Notice, that we may not thereby be delayed, being desirous, as well as you, to give all possible Dispatch to the Business to be transacted between us.

The Commissioners of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_ said, since it was customary, they would give Orders to have every Thing belonging to them mended that should want it.

In the C o u r t-H o u s e at _Lancaster, June_ 26, 1744, _P. M._

P R E S E N T,

The Honourable _G E O R G E T H O M A S_, Esq; Governor, _&c._ The Honourable the Commissioners of _Virginia_.

The Honourable the Commissioners of _Maryland_.

The Deputies of the _Six Nations._ _Conrad Weiser_, Interpreter.

_C A N A S S A T E G O spoke as follows:_

_Brother, the Governor of_ Maryland,

When you invited us to kindle a Council Fire with you, _Conedogwainet_ was the Place agreed upon; but afterwards you, by Brother _Onas_, upon second Thoughts, considering that it would be difficult to get Provisions and other Accommodations where there were but few Houses or Inhabitants, desired we would meet our Brethren at _Lancaster_, and at his Instances we very readily agreed to meet you here, and are glad of the Change; for we have found Plenty of every thing; and as Yesterday you bid us welcome, and told us you were glad to see us, we likewise a.s.sure you we are as glad to see you; and, in Token of our Satisfaction, we present you with this String of Wampum.

_Which was received with the usual Ceremony._

_Brother, the Governor of_ Maryland,

You tell us, that when about Seven Years ago you heard, by our Brother _Onas_, of our Claim to some Lands in your Province, you took no Notice of it, believing, as you say, that when we should come to reconsider that Matter, we should find that we had no Right to make any Complaint of the Governor of _Maryland_, and would drop our Demand. And that when about two Years ago we mentioned it again to our Brother _Onas_, you say we did it in such Terms as looked like a Design to terrify you; and you tell us further, that we must be beside ourselves, in using such a rash Expression as to tell you, We know how to do ourselves Justice if you still refuse. It is true we did say so, but without any ill Design; for we must inform you, that when we first desired our Brother _Onas_ to use his Influence with you to procure us Satisfaction for our Lands, We, at the same time, desired him, in case you should disregard our Demand, to write to the Great King beyond the Seas, who would own us for his Children as well as you, to compel you to do us Justice: And, two years ago, when we found that you had paid no Regard to our just Demand, nor that Brother _Onas_ had convey'd our Complaint to the Great King over the Seas, we were resolved to use such Expressions as would make the greatest Impressions on your Minds, and we find it had its Effect; for you tell us, "That your wise Men held a Council together, and agreed to invite us, and to enquire of our Right to any of your Lands, and if it should be found that we had a Right, we were to have a Compensation made for them: And likewise you tell us, that our Brother, the Governor of _Maryland_, by the advice of these wise Men, has sent you to brighten the Chain, and to a.s.sure us of his Willingness to remove whatever impedes a good Understanding between us." This shews that your wise Men understood our Expressions in their true Sense. We had no Design to terrify you, but to put you on doing us the Justice you had so long delayed. Your wise Men have done well; and as there is no Obstacle to a good Understanding between us, except this Affair of our Land, we, on our Parts, do give you the strongest a.s.surances of our good Disposition towards you, and that we are as desirous as you to brighten the Chain, and to put away all Hindrances to a perfect good Understanding; and, in Token of our Sincerity, we give you this Belt of Wampum.

_Which was received, and the Interpreter ordered to give the_ Yo-hah.

_Brother, the Governor of_ Maryland,