The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada Part 6

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

_James Logan_, } _Thomas Lawrence_, } _Abraham Taylor_, } Esqrs; _Samuel Preston_, } _Samuel Hasell_, } _Robert Strettell_, }

_C A N A S S A T E E G O_'s Speech on Behalf of the _Six Nations_.

'_B R E T H R E N, the Governor and Council, and all present_,

'According to our Promise we now propose to return you an Answer to the several Things mentioned to us Yesterday, and shall beg Leave to speak to publick Affairs first, tho' they were what you spoke to last. On this Head you Yesterday put us in Mind, first, "Of _William Penn_'s early and constant Care to cultivate Friendship with all the _Indians_; of the Treaty we held with one of his Sons, about ten Years ago; and of the Necessity there is at this Time of keeping the Roads between us clear and free from all Obstructions." We are all very sensible of the kind Regard that good Man _William Penn_ had for all the _Indians_, and cannot but be pleased to find that his Children have the same. We well remember the Treaty you mention held with his Son on his Arrival here, by which we confirmed our League of Friendship, that is to last as long as the Sun and Moon endure: In Consequence of this, we, on our Part, shall preserve the Road free from all Inc.u.mbrances; in Confirmation whereof we lay down this String of Wampum.

'You in the next Place said you would enlarge the Fire and make it burn brighter, which we are pleased to hear you mention; and a.s.sure you, we shall do the same, by adding to it more Fewel, that it may still flame out more strongly than ever: In the last Place, you were pleased to say that we are bound by the strictest Leagues, to watch for each others Preservation; that we should hear with our Ears for you, and you hear with your Ears for us: This is equally agreeable to us; and we shall not fail to give you early Intelligence, whenever any Thing of Consequence comes to our Knowledge: And to encourage you to do the same, and to nourish in your Hearts what you have spoke to us with your Tongues, about the Renewal of our Amity and the Brightening of the Chain of Friendship; we confirm what we have said with another Belt of Wampum.'

'_B R E T H R E N_,

'We received from the Proprietors Yesterday, some Goods in Consideration of our Release of the Lands on the West-side of _Sasquehannah_. It is true, we have the full Quant.i.ty according to Agreement; but if the Proprietor had been here himself, we think, in Regard of our Numbers and Poverty, he would have made an Addition to them.--If the Goods were only to be divided amongst the _Indians_ present, a single Person would have but a small Portion; but if you consider what Numbers are left behind, equally ent.i.tled with us to a Share, there will be extremely little. We therefore desire, if you have the Keys of the Proprietor's Chest, you will open it, and take out a little more for us.

'We know our Lands are now become more valuable: The white People think we do not know their Value; but we are sensible that the Land is everlasting, and the few Goods we receive for it are soon worn out and gone. For the future, we will sell no Lands but when Brother _Onas_ is in the Country; and we will know beforehand, the Quant.i.ty of the Goods we are to receive.

Besides, we are not well used with respect to the Lands still unsold by us. Your People daily settle on these Lands, and spoil our Hunting.--We must insist on your removing them, as you know they have no Right to settle to the Northward of _Kittochtinny-Hills_.--In particular, we renew our Complaints against some People who are settled at _Juniata_, a Branch of _Sasquahannah_, and all along the Banks of that River, as far as _Mahaniay_; and desire they may be forthwith made to go off the Land, for they do great Damage to our Cousins the _Delawares_.

'We have further to observe, with respect to the Lands lying on the West-side of _Sasquahannah_, that though Brother _Onas_ (meaning the Proprietor) has paid us for what his People possess, yet some Parts of that Country have been taken up by Persons, whose Place of Residence is to the South of this Province, from whom we have never received any Consideration.

This Affair was recommended to you by our Chiefs at our last Treaty; and you then, at our earnest Desire, promised to write a Letter to that Person who has the Authority over those People, and to procure us his Answer: As we have never heard from you on this Head, we want to know what you have done in it. If you have not done any Thing, we now renew our Request, and desire you will inform the Person whose People are seated on our Lands, that that Country belongs to us, in Right of Conquest; we having bought it with our Blood, and taken it from our Enemies in fair War; and we expect, as Owners of that Land, to receive such a Consideration for it as the Land is worth. We desire you will press him to send a positive Answer: Let him say _Yes_ or _No_: If he says Yes, we will treat with him; if No, we are able to do ourselves Justice; and we will do it, by going to take Payment ourselves.

'It is customary with us to make a Present of Skins, whenever we renew our Treaties. We are ashamed to offer our Brethren so few, but your Horses and Cows have eat the Gra.s.s our Deer used to feed on. This has made them scarce, and will, we hope, plead in Excuse for our not bringing a larger Quant.i.ty. If we could have spared more, we would have given more; but we are really poor; and desire you'll not consider the Quant.i.ty, but few as they are, accept them in Testimony of our Regard.'

_Here they gave the Governor a Bundle of Skins_.

The Governor immediately replied.

'_B R E T H R E N_,

'We thank you for the many Declarations of Respect you have given us, in this solemn Renewal of our Treaties: We receive, and shall keep your String and Belts of Wampum, as Pledges of your Sincerity, and desire those we gave you may be carefully preserved, as Testimonies of ours.

'In Answer to what you say about the Proprietaries.--They are all absent, and have taken the Keys of their Chest with them; so that we cannot, on their Behalf, enlarge the Quant.i.ty of Goods: Were they here, they might perhaps, be more generous; but we cannot be liberal for them.--The Government will, however, take your Request into Consideration; and in Regard to your Poverty, may perhaps make you a Present. I but just mention this now, intending to refer this Part of your Speech to be answered at our next Meeting.

'The Number of Guns, as well as every Thing else, answers exactly with the Particulars specified in your Deed of Conveyance, which is more than was agreed to be given you. It was your own Sentiments, that the Lands on the West-side of _Sasquahannah_, were not so valuable as those on the East; and an Abatement was to be made, proportionable to the Difference in Value: But the Proprietor overlooked this, and ordered the full Quant.i.ty to be delivered, which you will look on as a Favour.

'It is very true, that Lands are of late become more valuable; but what raises their Value? Is it not entirely owing to the Industry and Labour used by the white People, in their Cultivation and Improvement? Had not they come amongst you, these Lands would have been of no Use to you, any further than to maintain you. And is there not, now you have sold so much, enough left for all the Purposes of Living?--What you say of the Goods, that they are soon worn out, is applicable to every Thing; but you know very well, that they cost a great deal of Money; and the Value of Land is no more, than it is worth in Money.

'On your former Complaints against People's settling the Lands on _Juniata_, and from thence all along on the River _Sasquahannah_ as far as _Mahaniahy_, some Magistrates were sent expresly to remove them, and we thought no Persons would presume to stay after that.'

Here they interrupted the Governor, and said:--

"These Persons who were sent did not do their Duty: So far from removing the People, they made Surveys for themselves, and they are in League with the Trespa.s.sers. We desire more effectual Methods may be used, and honester Persons employed."

Which the Governor promised, and then proceeded:

'_B R E T H R E N_,

'According to the Promise made at our last Treaty with you, Mr.

_Logan_, who was at that Time President, did write to the Governor of _Maryland_, that he might make you Satisfaction for such of your Lands as his People had taken up, but did not receive one Word from him upon that Head. I will write to him again, and endeavour to procure you a satisfactory Answer. We do not doubt but he will do you Justice: But we exhort you to be careful not to exercise any Acts of Violence towards his People, as they likewise are our Brethren, and Subjects of the same great King; and therefore Violence towards them, must be productive of very evil Consequences.

'I shall conclude what I have to say at this Time, with Acknowledgments for your Present; which is very agreeable to us, from the Expressions of Regard used by you in presenting it: Gifts of this Nature receiving their Value from the Affection of the Giver, and not from the Quant.i.ty or Price of the Thing given.'

At a C O U N C I L held at _Philadelphia, July_ 8, 1742.

P R E S E N T,

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

_James Logan_, } _Clement Plumsted_, } _Samuel Hasell_, } _Abraham Taylor_, } _Samuel Preston_, } Esqrs; _Thomas Lawrence_, } _Ralph Asheton_, } _Robert Strettell_, }

The Board taking into Consideration, whether it be proper or not at this Time, to make a Present to the _Indians_ of the Six Nations now in Town, in Return for their Present to this Government at Yesterday's Treaty;

_Resolved_,

That it is highly fit and proper that a Present be made to the said _Indians_ at this Time.

And it is the Opinion of this Board, that the said Present should be of the Value of 500 _l._ or at least 300 _l._

And it is recommended to Mr. _Logan_, Mr. _Preston_, and Mr. _Lawrence_, to acquaint Mr. _Kinsey_, the Speaker of the a.s.sembly, with the Opinion of this Board; and that they request him to confer with such other Members of a.s.sembly as are in Town, and report their Sentiments thereupon.

The Board taking into Consideration the Threats expressed by the _Indians_, at the Treaty Yesterday, against the Inhabitants of _Maryland_, settled on certain Lands on the West-side of _Sasquahannah_, which the _Indians_ claim, and for which they require Satisfaction; and considering, that should those Threats, in any Sort be put in Execution, not only the Inhabitants of _Maryland_, but of this Government, and all his Majesty's Subjects on the Northern Continent of _America_, may thereby be involved in much Trouble: It is the Opinion of this Board, that the Governor write to the Governor of _Maryland_ without Delay, to inform him of the _Indians_ Complaints and Threats, and to request a satisfactory Answer; and that his Letter be sent by a special Messenger, at the publick Expence.

At a C O U N C I L held _July_ 9, 1742.

P R E S E N T,

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

_James Logan_, Esq; _Clement Plumsted_, Esq; _Samuel Hasell_, Esq; _Robert Strettell_, Esq; _Samuel Preston_, Esq; _Ralph Asheton_, Esq; _Thomas Lawrence_, Esq; Mr. _Peters_.

The Governor informed the Board, that the _Indian_ Chiefs dining with him Yesterday, after Dinner delivered their Answer to two Affairs of Consequence:

The first related to the violent Battery committed on _William Webb_, in the Forks of _Delaware_, whereby his Jaw-bone was broke, and his Life greatly endangered, by an unknown _Indian_. _Cana.s.satego_ repeating the Message delivered to the _Six Nations_ by _Shickcalamy_, in the Year 1740, with a String of Wampum, said in Answer: 'The _Six Nations_ had made diligent Enquiry into the Affair, and had found out the _Indian_ who had committed the Fact; he lived near _Asopus_, and had been examined and severely reprov'd: And they hoped, as _William Webb_ was recovered, the Governor would not expect any further Punishment; and therefore they returned the String of Wampum received from their Brethren, by the Hand of _Shickcalamy_, in Token that they had fully complied with their Request.'

I thank'd them, said he, for their Care; but reminded them, that though the Man did not die, yet he lay a long Time in extreme Misery, and would never recover the free Use of his Speech, and was rendered less able to get his Livelihood; and in such Cases the _English_ Laws obliged the a.s.sailant to make good all Damages, besides paying for the Pain endured.--But as the _Indian_ was, in all Probability, poor and unable to make Satisfaction, I told them, that for their Sake I would forgive him; adding, had _Webb_ died, I make no Doubt but you would have put the _Indian_ to Death, just as we did two of our People who had killed an _Indian_; we caused them to be hung on a Gallows, in the Presence of many Hundreds of our People, to deter all others from doing the like.

_Cana.s.satego_ made me this Reply: 'The _Indians_ know no Punishment but Death; they have no such Thing as pecuniary Mulcts; if a Man be guilty of a Crime, he is either put to Death, or the Fault is overlook'd. We have often heard of your Hanging-up those two Persons; but as none of our _Indians_ saw the Men die, many believe they were not hanged, but transported to some other Colony: And it would be satisfactory to the _Indians_, if, for the future, some of them be sent for, to be Witnesses of such Executions.' I a.s.sured them, that whoever gave them that Information, abused them; for the Persons certainly suffered Death, and in the Presence of all the People.

_Cana.s.satego_ then proceeded to give an Answer to what was said to them the 2d Instant, relating to _Le Tort_'s Letter: 'That they had, in Council, considered in what Manner the Matter recommended to them ought to be conducted; and they were of Opinion, that as the _Shawanese_, not the _Twightwys_ (for they knew so much of it, that the People were of the _Twightwy_ Nation in whose Bags the Scalps were found) had sent me a Present of Skins, I should in return, send them a Blanket or a Kettle, and with it a very sharp Message, that tho' they had done well in sweeping the Road from Blood, yet that was but a small Part of their Duty; they ought not to have suffered the _Twightwys_, after their Lye and the Discovery of the Scalps, to have left them, 'till they had given a full and true Account how they came by them, whose Scalps they were, and in what Place, and for what Reason the Men were kill'd; and when they had been fully satisfied of all these Particulars, then it was their Duty to have given Information to the Government where the white People lived, that the Murderers might be complained against, and punished by the Nation they belonged to: And as the _Shawanese_ had omitted to perform the Part of Brethren, that I should reprove them for it, and charge them to make Amends for their Neglect, by using all possible Expedition to come at the Knowledge of these Things, and to aid their Brethren the white People in obtaining Justice.'

The Minutes of the preceding Council being read, Mr. _Logan_, in pursuance of the Board's Direction of Yesterday, reported, on behalf of himself, and the other Gentlemen to whom it was recommended, that they had confer'd with Mr. _Kinsey_, and requested him to consult the other Members of the a.s.sembly concerning the making a Present to the _Indians_; and that Mr. _Kinsey_ having collected the Sentiments of several Members of the a.s.sembly in Town, whom he had confer'd with on that Subject, found them generally of Opinion, that a Present should at this Time be made; but that they had declined nominating any Sum: However, that Mr. _Kinsey_ had given it as his own Opinion, that the Governor and Council might go as far as _three hundred Pounds_.

And accordingly it is refer'd to Mr. _Logan_, Mr. _Preston_, and Mr.

_Lawrence_, to consider of, and prepare a proper List of the Goods whereof the Present should be composed, to the Value of _three hundred Pounds_, as aforesaid; advising with the Interpreter as to the Quant.i.ty and Quality.