The Treaty Held with the Indians of the Six Nations at Philadelphia Part 4

The Hon'ble GEORGE THOMAS Esq; Lieut. Governor.

_James Logan_, _Samuel Preston_, } _Clement Plumsted_, _Thomas Lawrence_, } Esqrs; _Samuel Hasell_, _Ralph Asheton_, } _Abraham Taylor_, _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, or at least .300.

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 express'd by the _Indians_, at the Treaty Yesterday, against the Inhabitants of _Maryland_, settled on certain Lands on the West Side of _Susquehanna_, 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 COUNCIL held _July_ 9. 1742.

PRESENT,

The Hon'ble GEORGE THOMAS Esq; Lieut. Governor.

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

And 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.sateego_ repeating the Message delivered to the _Six Nations_ by _Shickalamy_, 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 reproved: 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 _Shickalamy_, in Token that they had fully Comply'd with their Request.'

I thank'd them for their Care; but reminded them, that tho' 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 rendred less able to get his Livelyhood, 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.sateego_ 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 to 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.sateego_ 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 belong'd 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.

At a COUNCIL held at the Proprietor's the 9th of _July_, _P.M._ 1742.

PRESENT,

The Hon'ble GEORGE THOMAS, Esq; Lieut. Governor.

_James Logan_, _Robert Strettell_, } _Samuel Preston_, _Abraham Taylor_, } Esqrs.

The CHIEFS of the _Six Nations_.

_Sa.s.sOONAN_, and _Delawares_.

_NUTIMUS_, and the _Fork-Indians_.

_CONRAD WEISER_, Interpreter.

The Governor spoke to the Chiefs of the _Six Nations_ as follows:

'_BRETHREN_, [Transcriber's Note: original has "BRRTHREN"]

The last Time the Chiefs of the _Six Nations_ were here, they were informed, that your Cousins, a Branch of the _Delawares_, gave this Province some Disturbance about the Lands the Proprietor purchased from them, and for which their Ancestors had received a valuable Consideration above _Fifty-five_ Years ago, as appears by a Deed now lying on the Table.--Sometime after this, _Conrad Weiser_ delivered to your Brother _Thomas Penn_ your Letter, wherein you request of him and _James Logan_ that they would not buy Land, _&c._--This has been shewn to them and interpreted; notwithstanding which they have continued their former Disturbances, and have had the Insolence to write Letters to some of the Magistrates of this Government, wherein they have abused your good Brethren our worthy Proprietaries, and treated them with the utmost Rudeness and Ill-Manners. Being loth, from our Regard to you, to punish them as they deserve, I sent two Messengers to inform them that you were expected here, and should be acquainted with their Behaviour.--As you, on all Occasions, apply to us to remove all white People that are settled on Lands before they are purchased from you, and we do our Endeavours to turn such People off; we now expect from you, that you will cause these _Indians_ to remove from the Lands in the Forks of _Delaware_, and not give any further Disturbance to the Persons who are now in Possession.'

_To inforce this we lay down a String of_ Wampum.

Then were read the several Conveyances, the Paragraph of the Letter wrote by the Chiefs of the _Six Nations_ relating to the _Delawares_, the Letters of the _Fork-Indians_ to the Governor and Mr. _Langhorne_, and a Draught of the Land; and then delivered to _Conrad Weiser_, who was desired to interpret them to the Chiefs when they should take this Affair into their Consideration.

At a COUNCIL held _July_ 10, 1742.

PRESENT,

The Hon'ble GEORGE THOMAS Esq; Lieut. Governor.

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

The Governor laid before the Board an Extract from the Treaty held here the 7th Instant with the _Indians_ of the _Six Nations_, so far as it related to the Inhabitants of _Maryland_; as also a Letter he had prepared for the Governor of _Maryland_ upon that Subject; both of which being approved, were ordered to be transcribed fair, in order to be dispatch'd to morrow Morning: The Letter is as follows:

_Philadelphia, July_ 10, 1742.

_SIR_,

_The inclosed Extract of the Speech made by the Chiefs of the_ Six Nations, _before a very numerous Audience, in this Place, with my Answer to it, is of so great Importance to all his Majesty's Colonies in this Part of his Dominions, and to your Government in particular, that I have imploy'd a special Messenger to deliver it you. I hope you will enable me to send them a satisfactory Answer. It would be impertinent in me to say more to one so well informed as you are of these Nations, and of their absolute Authority over all the_ Indians _bordering upon us, or of the Advantages of maintaining a strict Friendship with them at all Times, but more especially at this critical Juncture._

I am,

Yours, _&c._

An Account exhibited by _Conrad Weiser_ of his Expences upon the _Indians_ and _Indian_ Affairs, from _February_ last to _July_ 1. 1742, amounting to .36 18_s._ 3_d._ was laid before the Board, and examined, and allowed to be a just and very moderate Account.

And the Board taking into Consideration the many signal Services perform'd by the said _Conrad Weiser_ to this Government, his Diligence and Labour in the Service thereof, and his Skill in the _Indian_ Languages and Methods of Business, are of Opinion that the said _Conrad_ should be allowed, as a Reward from the Province at this Time, the Sum of _Thirty Pounds_, at least, besides Payment of his said Account.

At a COUNCIL held at the Great Meeting-House, _July_ 10, _P.M._ 1742.