The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada Part 12

We had not been long in the Use of this new Road before your People came, like Flocks of Birds, and sat down on both Sides of it, and yet we never made a Complaint to you, tho' you must be sensible those Things must have been done by your People in manifest Breach of your own Proposal made at _Albany_; and therefore, as we are now opening our Hearts to you, we cannot avoid complaining, and desire all these Affairs may be settled, and that you may be stronger induced to do us Justice for what is past, and to come to a thorough Settlement for the future, we, in the Presence of the Governor of _Maryland_, and Brother Onas, present you with this Belt of Wampum.

_Which was received with the usual Ceremony_.

_Then_ Tachanoontia _added_:

That he forgot to say, that the Affair of the Road must be looked upon as a Preliminary to be settled before the Grant of Lands; and, said he, either the _Virginia_ People must be obliged to remove more Easterly, or, if they are permitted to stay, our Warriors, marching that Way to the Southward, shall go Sharers with them in what they plant.

In the C o u r t-H o u s e at _Lancaster, June_ 28, 1744. _A. 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.

The Governor spoke as follows.

_Friends and Brethren of the_ Six Nations,

I am always sorry when any thing happens that may create the least Uneasiness between us; but as we are mutually engaged to keep the Road between us clear and open, and to remove every Obstruction that may lie in the Way, I must inform you, that three of the _Delaware Indians_ lately murdered _John Armstrong_, an _Indian_ Trader, and his two Men, in a most barbarous Manner, as he was travelling to _Allegheny_, and stole his Goods of a considerable Value. _Shickcalamy_, and the _Indians_ settled at _Shamokin_, did well; they seized two of the Murderers, and sent them down to our Settlements; but the _Indians_, who had the Charge of them, afterwards suffered one of them to escape, on a Pretence that he was not concerned in the b.l.o.o.d.y Deed; the other is now in _Philadelphia_ Goal. By our Law all the Accessaries to a Murder are to be tried, and put to Death, as well as the Person who gave the deadly Wound. If they consented to it, encouraged it, or any ways a.s.sisted in it, they are to be put to Death, and it is just it should be so. If, upon Trial, the Persons present at the Murder are found not to have done any of these Things, they are set at Liberty. Two of our People were, not many Years ago, publickly put to Death for killing two _Indians_; we therefore expect you will take the most effectual Measures to seize and deliver up to us the other two _Indians_ present at these Murders, to be tried with the Princ.i.p.al now in Custody. If it shall appear, upon their Trial, that they were not advising, or any way a.s.sisting in this horrid Fact, they will be acquitted, and sent home to their Towns. And that you may be satisfied no Injustice will be done to them, I do now invite you to depute three or four _Indians_ to be present at their Trials. I do likewise expect that you will order strict Search to be made for the Remainder of the stolen Goods, that they may be restored to the Wife and Children of the Deceased. That what I have said may have its due Weight with you, I give you this String of Wampum.

_Which was accepted with the_ Yo-hah.

The Governor afterwards ordered the Interpreter to tell them, he expected a very full Answer from them, and that they might take their own Time to give it; for he did not desire to interfere with the Business of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_.

They said they would take it into Consideration, and give a full Answer.

Then the Commissioners of _Virginia_ let them know, by the Interpreter, that they would speak to them in the Afternoon.

In the C o u r t-H o u s e Chamber at _Lancaster_, _June_ 28, 1744, _P. M._

P R E S E N T,

The Honourable the Commissioners of _Maryland_.

The Deputies of the _Six Nations_.

_Conrad Weiser_, Interpreter.

_The Commissioners desired the Interpreter to tell the_ Indians _they were going to speak to them_. _Mr._ Weiser _acquainted them herewith_.

_After which the said Commissioners spoke as follows_:

_Our good Friends and Brethren, the_ Six _united_ Nations,

We have considered what you said concerning your t.i.tle to some Lands now in our Province, and also of the Place where they lie. Altho' we cannot admit your Right, yet we are so resolved to live in Brotherly Love and Affection with the _Six Nations_, that upon your giving us a Release in Writing of all your Claim to any Lands in _Maryland_, we shall make you a Compensation to the Value of Three Hundred Pounds Currency, for the Payment of Part whereof we have brought some Goods, and shall make up the rest in what Manner you think fit.

As we intend to say something to you about our Chain of Friendship after this Affair of the Land is settled, we desire you will now examine the Goods, and make an End of this Matter.

We will not omit acquainting our good Friends the _Six Nations_, that notwithstanding we are likely to come to an Agreement about your Claim of Lands, yet your Brethren of _Maryland_ look on you to be as one Soul and one Body with themselves; and as a broad Road will be made between us, we shall always be desirous of keeping it clear, that we may, from Time to Time, take care that the Links of our Friendship be not rusted.

In Testimony that our Words and our Hearts agree, we give you this Belt of Wampum.

_On presenting of which the_ Indians _gave the usual Cry of Approbation_.

Mr. _Weiser_ acquainted the _Indians_, they might now look over the several Goods placed on a Table in the Chamber for that Purpose; and the honourable Commissioners bid him tell them, if they disliked any of the Goods, or, if they were damaged, the Commissioners would put a less Price on such as were either disliked or d.a.m.nified.

The _Indians_ having viewed and examined the Goods, and seeming dissatisfied at the Price and Worth of them, required Time to go down into the Court-House, in order for a Consultation to be had by the Chiefs of them concerning the said Goods, and likewise that the Interpreter might retire with them, which he did. Accordingly they went down into the Court-House, and soon after returned again into the Chamber.

Mr. _Weiser_ sat down among the _Indians_, and discoursed them about the Goods, and in some short Time after they chose the following from among the others, and the Price agreed to be given for them by the _Six Nations_ was, _viz_.

_l. s. d._ Four Pieces of Strowds, at 7 _l._ 28 00 00 Two Pieces Ditto, 5 _l._ 10 00 00 Two Hundred Shirts, 63 12 00 Three Pieces Half-Thicks, 11 00 00 Three Pieces Duffle Blankets, at 7 _l._ 21 00 00 One Piece Ditto, 6 10 00 Forty Seven Guns, at 1 _l._ 6 _s._ 61 02 00 One Pound of Vermillion, 00 18 00 One Thousand Flints, 00 18 00 Four Dozen Jews Harps, 00 14 00 One Dozen Boxes, 00 1 00 One Hundred Two Quarters Bar-Lead, 3 00 00 Two Quarters Shot, 1 00 00 Two Half-Barrels of Gun-Powder, 13 00 00 _________ 220 15 00 _Pensylvannia Currency_.

When the _Indians_ had agreed to take these Goods at the Rates above specified, they informed the Interpreter, that they would give an Answer to the Speech made to them this Morning by the honourable the Commissioners of _Maryland_, but did not express the Time when such Answer should be made. At 12 o'Clock the Commissioners departed the Chamber.

In the C o u r t-H o u s e at _Lancaster, June_ 28, 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.

_The Commissioners of_ Virginia _desired the Interpreter to let the_ Indians _know, that their Brother_ a.s.saragoa _was now going to give his Reply to their Answer to his first Speech, delivered them the Day before in the Forenoon_.

_Sachems and Warriors of the united_ Six Nations,

We are now come to answer what you said to us Yesterday, since what we said to you before on the Part of the Great King, our Father, has not been satisfactory. You have gone into old Times, and so must we. It is true that the Great King holds _Virginia_ by Right of Conquest, and the Bounds of that Conquest to the Westward is the Great Sea.

If the _Six Nations_ have made any Conquest over _Indians_ that may at any Time have lived on the West-side of the Great Mountains of _Virginia_, yet they never possessed any Lands there that we have ever heard of. That Part was altogether deserted, and free for any People to enter upon, as the People of _Virginia_ have done, by Order of the Great King, very justly, as well by ancient Right, as by its being freed from the Possession of any other, and from any Claim even of you the _Six Nations_, our Brethren, until within these eight Years. The first Treaty between the Great King, in Behalf of his Subjects of _Virginia_, and you, that we can find, was made at _Albany_, by Colonel _Henry Coursey_, Seventy Years since; this was a Treaty of Friendship, when the first Covenant Chain was made, when we and you became Brethren.

The next Treaty was also at _Albany_, above Fifty-eight Years ago, by the Lord _Howard_, Governor of _Virginia_; then you declared yourselves Subjects to the Great King, our Father, and gave up to him all your Lands for his Protection. This you own in a Treaty made by the Governor of _New-York_ with you at the same Place in the Year 1687, and you express yourself in these Words, "Brethren, you tell us the King of _England_ is a very great King, and why should not you join with us in a very just Cause, when the _French_ join with our Enemies in an unjust Cause? O Brethren, we see the Reason of this; for the _French_ would fain kill us all, and when that is done, they would carry all the Beaver Trade to _Canada_, and the _Great King of_ England would lose the Land likewise; and therefore, O Great Sachem, beyond the Great Lakes, awake, and suffer not those poor _Indians_, that have given themselves and their Lands under your Protection, to be destroyed by the _French_ without a Cause."

The last Treaty we shall speak to you about is that made at _Albany_ by Governor _Spotswood_, which you have not recited as it is: For the white People, your Brethren of _Virginia_, are, in no Article of that Treaty, prohibited to pa.s.s, and settle to the Westward of the Great Mountains.

It is the _Indians_, tributary to _Virginia_, that are restrained, as you and your tributary _Indians_ are from pa.s.sing to the Eastward of the same Mountains, or to the Southward of _Cohongorooton_, and you agree to this Article in these Words; "That the Great River of _Potowmack_, and the high Ridge of Mountains, which extend all along the Frontiers of _Virginia_ to the Westward of the present Settlements of that Colony, shall be for ever the established Boundaries between the _Indians_ subject to the Dominions of _Virginia_, and the _Indians_ belonging to and depending on the _Five Nations_; so that neither our _Indians_ shall on any Pretence whatsoever, pa.s.s to Northward or Westward of the said Boundaries, without having to produce a Pa.s.sport under the Hand and Seal of the Governor or Commander in Chief of _Virginia_; nor your _Indians_ to pa.s.s to the Southward or Eastward of the said Boundaries, without a Pa.s.sport in like Manner from the Governor or Commander in Chief of _New-York_."

And what Right can you have to Lands that you have no Right to walk upon, but upon certain Conditions? It is true, you have not observed this Part of the Treaty, and your Brethren of _Virginia_ have not insisted upon it with a due Strictness, which has occasioned some Mischief.

This Treaty has been sent to the Governor of _Virginia_ by Order of the Great King, and is what we must rely on, and, being in Writing, is more certain than your Memory. That is the Way the white People have of preserving Transactions of every Kind, and transmitting them down to their Childrens Children for ever, and all Disputes among them are settled by this faithful kind of Evidence, and must be the Rule between the Great King and you. This Treaty your Sachems and Warriors signed some Years after the same Governor _Spotswood_, in the Right of the Great King, had been, with some People of _Virginia_, in Possession of these very Lands, which you have set up your late Claim to.

The Commissioners for _Indian_ Affairs at _Albany_ gave the Account we mentioned to you Yesterday to the Governor of _New-York_, and he sent it to the Governor of _Virginia_; their Names will be given you by the Interpreter.

_Brethren_,