The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada Part 9

=T R E A T Y=

Held at the Town of

_Lancaster_, in Pensylvania,

By the Honourable the

Lieutenant-Governor of the PROVINCE,

And the Honourable the

Commissioners for the PROVINCES

OF

Virginia _and_ Maryland,

with the

_I N D I A N S_

O F T H E

S I X N A T I O N S,

In _J U N E_, 1744.

A Treaty with the _I N D I A N S_ of the Six Nations.

In the C o u r t-H o u s e in the Town of _Lancaster_, on _Friday_ the Twenty-second of _June_, 1744,

P R E S E N T,

The Honourable _G E O R G E T H O M A S_, Esq; Lieut. Governor of the Province of _Pensylvania_, and Counties of _Newcastle, Kent_ and _Suss.e.x_, on _Delaware_.

The Honourable _Thomas Lee_, Esq; } Commissioners Colonel _William Beverly_, } of _Virginia_.

The Honourable _Edm. Jennings_, Esq; } _Philip Thomas_, Esq; } Commissioners Colonel _Robert King_, } of _Maryland_.

Colonel _Thomas Colville_, }

The Deputies of the _Onandagoes, Senecas, Cayogoes, Oneidas_ and _Tuscaroraes_.

_Conrad Weiser_, Interpreter.

The Governor and the Commissioners took some of the _Indian_ Chiefs by the Hand, and, after they had seated themselves, the Governor bid them welcome into the Government; and there being Wine and Punch prepared for them, the Governor and the several Commissioners drank Health to the _Six Nations_; and _Cana.s.satego, Tachanoontia_, and some other Chiefs, returned the Compliments, drinking the Healths of _Onas_[1], _a.s.saragoa_[2], and the Governor of _Maryland_.

After they were all served with Wine, Punch, Pipes and Tobacco, the Governor told the _Indians_, that as it was customary, and indeed necessary, they should have some Time to rest after so long a Journey, and as he thought three Days would be no more than sufficient for that Purpose, he proposed to speak to them on _Monday_ next; after which, the honourable Commissioners would take their own Time to deliver what they had to say.

_C A N A S S A T E G O_ answered the Governor: We thank you for giving us Time to rest; we are come to you, and shall leave it intirely to you to appoint the Time when we shall meet you again. We likewise leave it to the Governor of _Maryland_, by whose Invitation we came here, to appoint a Time when he will please to mention the Reason of his inviting us. As to our Brother _a.s.saragoa_, we have at this present Time nothing to say to him; not but we have a great deal to say to _a.s.saragoa_, which must be said at one Time or another; but not being satisfied whether he or we should begin first, we shall leave it wholly to our Brother _Onas_ to adjust this between us, and to say which shall begin first.

[Footnote 1: _Onas_, the Governor of _Pensylvania_.]

[Footnote 2: _a.s.saragoa_, the Governor of _Virginia_.]

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

_Honourable Gentlemen, Commissioners for the Governments of_ Virginia _and_ Maryland, _and Brethren, Sachims, or Chiefs of the_ Indians _of the_ Six Nations.

At a Treaty, held by me two Years ago, in Behalf of the Government of _Pensylvania_, with a Number of the Chiefs of the _Indians_ of the _Six Nations_, I was desired by them to write to the Governor of _Maryland_ concerning some Lands in the back Parts of that Province, which they claim a Right to from their Conquests over the ancient Possessors, and which have been settled by some of the Inhabitants of that Government, without their Consent, or any Purchase made from them. It was at that time understood that the Claim was upon _Maryland_ only; but it has since appeared, by some Letters formerly wrote by Mr. President _Logan_ to the late Governor of _Maryland_, that it related likewise to some Lands in the back Parts of _Virginia_. The Governors of those Colonies soon manifested a truly equitable Disposition to come to any reasonable Terms with the _Six Nations_ on account of those Lands, and desired, that for that End a Time and Place might be fixed for a Treaty with them; but before this could be effected, an unfortunate Skirmish happened in the back Parts of _Virginia_, between some of the Militia there, and a Party of the _Indian_ Warriors of the _Six Nations_, with some Loss on both Sides. Who were the Aggressors is not at this time to be discussed, both Parties having agreed to bury that Affair in Oblivion, and the Government of _Virginia_ having, in Token of the Continuance of their Friendship, presented the _Six Nations_, through my Hands, with Goods to the Value of One Hundred Pounds Sterling. To prevent further Hostilities, and to heal this Breach, I had, before the Present was given, made a Tender of my good Office; which both Parties accepted, and consented, on my Instances, to lay down their Arms: Since which the Faith pledged to me has been mutually preserved, and a Time and Place has been agreed upon, through my Intervention, for accommodating all Differences, and for settling a firm Peace, Union and Friendship, as well between the Government of _Virginia_ as that of _Maryland_, and the _Indians_ of the _Six Nations_[3]. The honourable the Commissioners for these two Governments, and the Deputies of the _Six Nations_, are now met at the Place appointed for the Treaty. It only remains therefore for me to say, that if my further good Offices shall be thought useful for the Accomplishment of this Work, you may rely most a.s.suredly upon them.

But I hope, honourable Gentlemen Commissioners, it will not be taken amiss if I go a little further, and briefly represent to you, how especially necessary it is at this Juncture, for his Majesty's Service, and the Good of all his Colonies in this Part of his Dominions, that Peace and Friendship be established between your Governments and the _Indians_ of the _Six Nations_.

These _Indians_, by their Situation, are a Frontier to some of them; and, from thence, if Friends, are capable of defending their Settlements; if Enemies, of making cruel Ravages upon them; if Neuters, they may deny the _French_ a Pa.s.sage through their Country, and give us timely Notice of their Designs. These are but some of the Motives for cultivating a Good Understanding with them; but from hence the Disadvantages of a Rupture are abundantly evident. Every Advantage you gain over them in War will be a weakening of the Barrier of those Colonies, and consequently be, in effect, Victories over yourselves and your Fellow Subjects. Some Allowances for their Prejudices and Pa.s.sions, and a Present now and then for the Relief of their Necessities, which have, in some Measure, been brought upon them by their Intercourse with us, and by our yearly extending our Settlements, will probably tie them more closely to the _British_ Interest. This has been the Method of _New-York_ and _Pensylvania_, and will not put you to so much Expence in twenty Years, as the carrying on a War against them will do in one. The _French_ very well know the Importance of these Nations to us, and will not fail by Presents, and their other usual Arts, to take Advantage of any Misunderstanding we may have with them[4]. But I will detain you, Gentlemen, no longer. Your own superior Knowledge will suggest to you more than I can say on this Subject.

_Friends and Brethren, Sachems, or Chiefs of the_ Indians _of the_ Six Nations:

These, your Brethren of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_, are come to enlarge the Fire, which was almost gone out, and to make it burn clearer; to brighten the Chain which had contracted some Rust, and to renew their Friendship with you; which it is their Desire may last so long as the Sun, the Moon and the Stars, shall give Light. Their Powers are derived from the _Great King_ of England, your Father; and whatever Conclusions they shall come to with you, will be as firm and binding as if the Governors of these Provinces were themselves here. I am your Brother, and, which is more, I am your true Friend. As you know, from Experience, that I am so, I will now give you a few Words of Advice. Receive these your Brethren with open Arms; unite yourselves to them in the Covenant Chain, and be you with them as one Body, and one Soul. I make no doubt but the Governor of _Canada_ has been taking Pains to widen the Breach between these your Brethren of _Virginia_ and you; but as you cannot have forgot the Hatred the _French_ have always borne to your Nations, and how kindly, on the contrary, you have been treated, how faithfully you have been protected by the _Great King_ of England and his Subjects, you will not be at a Loss to see into the Designs of that Governor. He wants to divide you from us, in order the more easily to destroy you, which he will most certainly do, if you suffer yourselves to be deluded by him.

As to what relates to the Friendship established between the Government of _Pensylvania_ and your Nations, I will take another Day to speak to you upon it.

_To enforce what had been said, the_ Governor _laid down a Belt of Wampum_; _upon which the_ Indians _gave the_ Yo-hah[5].

After a short Pause, the Governor ordered the Interpreter to tell the _Indians_, that as they had greatly exceeded their appointed Time for meeting the Commissioners, he recommended to them to use all the Expedition possible in giving their Answer to what had been said, that they might forthwith proceed to treat with the respective Commissioners on the Business they came about.

Then _Cana.s.satego_ repeated to the Interpreter the Substance of what the Governor had spoke, in order to know if he had understood him right (a Method generally made use of by the _Indians_) and when the Interpreter told him he had taken the true Sense, _Cana.s.satego_ proceeded to return the Thanks of the _Six Nations_ for the Governor's kind Advice, promising to follow it as far as lay in their Power; but as it was their Custom when a Belt was given to return another, they would take Time till the Afternoon to provide one, and would then give their Answer.

[Footnote 3: This was allowed, at a Conference had by the Governor with the Commissioners, to be a just State of the Transactions preceding the Treaty.]

[Footnote 4: The two preceding Paragraphs were allowed by the Commissioners of _Virginia_, whilst they were at _Philadelphia_, to be very proper to be spoken by the Governor of _Pensylvania_ at the Opening of the Treaty; but taking up an Opinion, from what pa.s.sed at the first friendly Interview with the _Indians_, that they would not make any Claim upon Lands within the Government of _Virginia_, the Governor consented to decline speaking them in the Presence of the _Indians_.]

[Footnote 5: The _Yo-hah_ denotes Approbation, being a loud Shout or Cry, consisting of a few Notes p.r.o.nounced by all the _Indians_ in a very musical Manner, in the Nature of our Huzza's.]