USA > Indiana > Fayette County > History of Fayette County, Indiana : her people, industries and institutions > Part 8
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2Ist. The Governor had determined not to assemble the Chiefs in a General Council until the arrival of the Five Medals, the Putawatimie Chief, but finding that his object had been very much misrepresented to them, he commenced on this day both to the Deliwares & Putawatimies the wishes of the Government in relation to a further cession of Lands.
In the evening the Putawatimie Chiefs sent a message to the Governor to inform him that they had determined that the other Tribes should agree to make the proposed cession.
22nd. In Council present, Governor Harrison as Commissioner Pleni- potentiary on the part of the United States and a full representation of the Deliware, Miami, Eel River & Putawatimie Tribes of Indians by their Chiefs & Head Men.
William Wells Joseph Barron John Conner and Abraham Ash were sworn Interpreters. The Governor addressed the Chiefs in a speech of con- siderable length showing the propriety of their agreeing to his proposition to sell a tract of Country binding on the Wabash the Vincennes tract and the boundary established by the Treaty of Gronseland and another bounded by
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the latter on the south & the old boundary line running from Mouth of Ken- tucky River on the East. He urged the vast benefit which they derived from their annuities without which they would not be able to cloathe their woman & children. The great advance in the price of Goods and the depression of the value of their peltries from the troubles in Europe to which their was no probability of a speedy termination. The little game which remained in their country particularly in that part of it which he proposed to purchase. The usurpation of it by a Banditti of Muscoes & other Tribes that the sale of it would not prevent them from hunting upon it as long as any game remained. But that it was absolutely necessary that they should adopt some other plan for their support. That the raising of Cattle & Hogs required little labor and would be the surest resourse as a substitute for the wild ani- mals which they had so. unfortunately destroyed for the sake of their skins. Their fondness for hunting might still be gratified if they would prevent their young men from hunting at improper seasons of the year. But to do this effectually it will be necessary that they should find a certain support in their Villages in the summer season. That the proposed addition to their annuities would enable them to procure the Domestic Animals necessary to commence raising them on a large scale. He observed also that they were too apt to impute their poverty and the scarsity of Game to the encroach- ments of the White Settlers. But this is not the true cause. It is owing to their own imiprovidence & the advice of the British Traders by whom they were stimulated to kill the wild animals for the skins alone when the flesh was not wanted. That this was the cause of their scarsity is evident from their being found in much greater quantity on the south than on the north side of the Wabash where no white man but traders were ever seen.
The remnant of the Weas who inhabit the Tract of Country which was wanted were from the vicinity to the Whites poor & miserable all the pro- ceeds of their hunts & the great part of their annuities expended in Whiskey. The Miami Nation would be much more respectable & formidable if its scat- tered members were all assembled in the center of their Country.
A rough sketch of the Country in which the two tracts which were wanted were particularly delineated was shewn to them, after which the Owl a Miami Chief addressed the Governor.
Father we are very happy to here your address. We shall take what you have said into consideration & will return you an answer.
23rd. The Chiefs met in Council at the Deliware Camp to consider the Governor's proposition it was understood that the Putawatimies declared unequivocally in favour of the sale and were seconded by the Deliwares.
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The miamies remained silent. The Governor had a private interview with the Turtle who expressed some solicitude to know whether the dismission of Mr. Wells from his employment as Agent would effect his standing with the Government. The Governor assured him that he should be treated in all respects as he had been heretofore so long as he conducted himself with pro- priety. He then assured the Governor unequivocally that he would exert himself to the utmost of his power to effect the proposed Treaty, but that many difficulties were to be encountered before it could be accomplished. That great complaints were made by the Indians on account of the compen- sation formerly allowed That those who were in favour of the Treaty were decidedly of opinion that they aught to be allowed for the larger tribes at least a further annuity of $1000 & for the smaller ones $500 besides a con- siderable sum in hand. In the evening the Miami Chiefs waited on the Governor at his lodgings and spent the evening with him. The requested to have a little liquor for their young man. Two Gallons were given to each Tribe. . \ Potawatomie Chief Winemack waited on the Governor late in the evening and told him that he came to make him sleep well by communi- cating the agreeable information that his proposition would he acceeded to by the Indians.
24th. The Indians met in Council to determine upon the answer to be given to the Governor. When the Miamies declared their determination not to sell a foot of Land. Observing that it was time to put a stop to the encroachments of the whites who were eternally purchasing their lands for less than the real value of them. That they had also heard that the Governor had no instructions from the President to make the purchase hut that he was making it upon his own authority to please the White people whoom he governed. The Putawatimies vehemently urged the sale & reproached the Miamies in the most bitter terms. "That the Putawatimies had taken the Miamies under their protection when they were in danger of being extermin- ated & saved them. That they had always agreed to the sale of lands for the benefit of the Miamies and they were now determined that the Miamies should sell for their benefit."
The Delawares would take no active part on either side.
25th. All the Tribes were assembled in Council and the Governor addressed them as follows
My Children
My Heart is oppressed. If I could have believed that I should have experienced half of the mortification and disappointment which I now feel, I would have entreated your Father the President to have chosen some other Representative to have made
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known his wishes to you. The proposition which I have made you, I fondly hoped would have been acceptable to all, because I knew it would be beneficial to all. Why then this disagreement amonghst you. Is there some evil spirit amonghst us? That has set Brothers against Brothers & the Children against the Father? The Wind I hear has blown from the North, no good has ever yet come from that quarter. If we who inhabit this great Isleand, who were born here, are not friends to each other, who will be our Friends.'
Believe me my Children, the people upon the other side of the big water would desire nothing better than to set. us once more, to cut each others throats. Glad enough would they be to see us contending against each other in battle provided they were secured behind the Walls of a strong fort. Miamies be not offended with your brothers the Putawatimies. If they have discovered too much eagerness to comply with the wishes of their Father, Look at their Woman & Children see them exposed to the winds & the rain as they will be in a short time to the snows of the Winter. Putawatimies do not suffer your love for your Father and your own distresses to make you angry with your brothers the Miamies. I know that they are attached to yon. I am sure that everything will yet be fixed to your satisfaction.
Chiefs & Warriors of the Deliware. 1 have put confidence in you and you have not deceived me, you have united with your grand Children the Puttawatimies to accomplish the wishes of your Father. he will rember you for it. The proceedings of this Council written by the Secretary will be sent to him, his eyes will see it & whenever you take him by the hand you will know that his heart is yours. Your brothers on the Mississippi shall also feel the good effects of your fathers affection for you.
I promise you that the Osages shall not molest you in your hunting grounds.
My Children the Miamies, what disconcerts you? Have you not always received justice from the hands of your father? What is it he asks of you? Nothing but what you . can spare. Will not your situation be made better by agreeing to his proposal? I know that you have long desired to have your brothers the Weas along- side of you. It will add to your strength -- at present they are of no use to you- bring your scattered members together & you will he strong, besides there is danger that this distant member may fall off it is already weakened by the excessive use of of liquor. My Children your father will never be the cause of breaking the chain of friendship that connects you with each other.
Puttawatimies & Miamies look upon each other as brothers and at the same time look upon your grand fathers the Delawares. I love to see you all untied. 1 wish a strong chain to bind yon all together in the bonds of friendship. I. wish to hear you speak with one voice the dictates of our Heart. All must go together. The con- sent of all is necessary.
Delawares and Putawatimies, I told you that 1 would do nothing with the Miamies without your consent. Miamies I now tell you that nothing can be done without your consent. The consent of the whole is necessary. . This is the first request your new Father ( President Madison) has ever made you it will be the last, he wants no more of your land agree to the proposition which I now make you & send on some of your wise men to take him by the hand. He will set your Hearts at ease. He will tell you that he will never make another proposition to you to sell your lands.
My Children the Miamies will you not listen to the voice of your father will you not open your ears to the recommendation of your grand fathers the Deliwares & your brothers the Puttawatimies. Consult together once more if any ill will remain
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in your breasts against each other banish it, throw it away, and return a favorable answer to this last request of your Father.
The Turtle A Miami Chief then spoke as follows
We have listened to what our Father has said. Putawatimies & Deliwares we have heard him say that you were united for the purpose of complying with his wishes I am sorry that he has met with so much difficulty. It is true that we the Miamies are not muited with the Deliwares and Putawatimies in opinion. Father it appears that the thing is now left with the Miamies, they will withdraw and consult together and after they have made up their minds you shall hear our answer.
In the evening the Miami Chiefs from two Villages met with the Eel River Chiefs under the auspices of the Turtle & agreed to meet the Gov- ernor's wishes.
26th. \ meeting of the several Tribes took place. The Putawatimies urged an immediate compliance to the proposal of the United States. The Miamies from Mississinway took the lead in the debate & declared that they would never consent to sell any more of their lands that they had been advised by the Father the British never to sell another foot. The Putawatimies poured upon them a torrent of abuse and declared that they would no longer consider them as Brothers but that they would loose the chain which had united them with the Tomahawk & setting up a shout of Defiance which was echoed by all the warriors proceeded immediately to the Council House to inform the Governor of what they had done, the Governor blamed them for their rashness & made them promise not to offer the Miamies any further insult to put their cause in his hands.
It appeared that such of the Miamies as had determined in favour of the Treaty were intimidated by the vehemence of the Chiefs of the Mississin- way Village & remained silent. During the whole of this day and the pre- ceeding one, parties of young men of the Miami Tribe were constantly ariv- ing loaded with goods from the British .Agents at Malden and charged also with strong remonstrances against the proposed Treaty.
In the evening the Governor had the greater part of the Miami Chiefs at his lodgings and in a conversation of some hours exposed profidious con- duct of the British towards them from the commencement of the Revolu- tionary War untill the present moment. "To them all their misfortunes were to be attributed & their present kindness to them proceeded from no other canse but a wish to embroil them with the United States. In case of a War with the latter, the English know that they are unable to defend Can- ada with their own force, they are therefore desirous of interposing the (7)
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Indians between them and danger." A complimentary answer was returned by the Head Chief Paccon & they returned about ten o'clock a little melowed with Wine.
27th. The Miami Chiefs were this day debating on the proposed Treaty, the Chief Silver heels particularly distinguished himself in favour of the Treaty. They came however to no decision. In the evening the Governor recommended to the Putawatimies to accommodate their difference with the Miamies they immediately assented & a proper quantity of Wampon was pre- pared for the purpose.
28th. The Putawatimies & Miamies met & the bad words spoken by the former on the 26th being recalled they shook hands and became again friends. The proposed Treaty was again taken under consideration and various objections were started by the Miamies. amonghst other things it was insisted that they ought to sell their lands by the acre & that they should receive two Dollars for it. In the evening the Governor was informed that they had agreed to sell the small tract near Fort Recovery only, and none on the Wabash.
29th. In Council present the Governor and the Deliware, Putawatimies, Miamies & Eel River Miamies.
The Owl a Miami Chief said "That it had pleased the great Spirit to unite again all who were present in the bands of friendship.
Yesterday the friendship was all afloat to-day it is made firm. You the people of the United States have assembled us all here, our Chiefs, &c. You rember the time when we first took each other by the hand at Greenville. You there told us where the line would be between us. You told us to love our woman & children and take care of our lands. you told us that the Spanish had a great deal of money the English & some of your people likewise, but that we should not sell our lands to any of them. In consequence of which last fall we all put our hands upon our lands & determined not to sell our lands. We all love our lands. After this determination you seut for ns at the end of one year but we did not expect to hear from you what we have heard. but we yesterday determined to give you an answer. You have told us not to let any person have our lands but consider well before we sell them. This was good advice, you know when things are seasce they are dear, you know the price of lands. We are willing to sell some for the price that it sells for amonghst yourselves. The land you want on the Wabash we have nothing to say to at present as the Weas are not here. If people have anything that they do not want they will part from it easily. We yet find game on this land when there is none. We will let you know it. Father you know the Miamies, you know that when they do business with any other Indians no respect is paid to what they say. Father at this Council you have told the Miamies to speak. We therefore expect that you will be governed by what they say. When you spoke to us you wished that we should .comply. We now wish that you would comply with what we wish. The land we propose selling to you will be measured and when it is we wish to be present. Father the land you
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mentioned to us on the Wabash we have nothing to say about. We do not wish you to go home unsuccessful. We will let you have some land near Fort Recovery, the land on the Wabash our younger Brothers occupy. Don't be dissatisfied. This is our determination. We have disputed about your proposal but our disputes were for- Innately settled yesterday. Father you know everything, you will immediately under- stand what I now say-we wish to keep as far as possible from the White people, we know that when your Horses are lost you blame the Indians, we wish to keep our people and yours as separate as possible. This is the sentiments of your Children here present. We have nothing more to say. Our Chiefs, Warriors. Women & Children salute you, the former annuity due to us by the United States we have come to receive and wish them delivered as soon as possible.
The Governor then addressed them in a speech of two hours in which he gave a History of the Conduct of the United States towards the red people contrasted with that of Great Britain. "The loss of the country from Pitts- burgh to the Miami was entirely to be attributed to the latter who urged the Indians to commence all those Wars, which had terminated so fatally to them. If all the lands which had been taken from them in those Wars which they had engaged in by the advice of the British had been sold on the same terms as those ceded since the Treaty of Greenville their Annuity would now have been equal to all their wants nor would they have to lament the numerous warriors who had fallen in fighting the battles of the English. How differ- ent was the conduct of the United States? Consious of their ability to punish their enemies they had never asked the assistance of their red children but have always advised them to remain at peace in their Cabbins & suffer the white people to fight their own battles." The Governor explained to them the nature of a Treaty "No other power but the United States had ever Treated with them. Other Civilized Nations considered the lands of the Indians as their own and appropriated them to their own use whenever they pleased. \ Treaty was considered by white people as a most solemn thing and those which were made by the United States with the Indian Tribes were considered as binding as those which were made with the most power- ful Kings on the other side of the Big Water. They were all concluded with the same forms and printed in the same Book so that all the world might see them and brand with infamy the party which violated them. The United States would always adhere to their engagements. To do otherwise would be offensive to the great spirit and all the world would look upon them as a faithless people. With respect to your selling the land by the acre it is entirely out of the question. But if the United States were to agree to it. you have no one that could survey it for you or who could tell whether it was accurately done or not. If it was sold by the acre we would only take what was good and leave the rest upon your hands. When it is bought in the
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large quantity you are paid for good and bad together and you all know that in every tract that is purchased that there is a great portion of bad land not fit for our purpose. This idea must have been suggested to you by some person who is as much your enemy as the enemy of the United States." The Governor then told them that he was tired of waiting and that on the next day he would submit to them the form of a Treaty which he wished them to signe and if they would not agree to it he would extinguish the coun- cil fire.
Winemack a Putawatimie Chief then addressed the Governor as follows Father
All the Putawatimies address you, listen to what they say, which come from them all. Father the Putawatimies are of the same opinion that they have ever been, that your proposition is right and just. We all know that our Father never deceived us. we therefore agree to his proposal. All the Chiefs & Warriors have heard you say that they may go and see their great Father the President and that he would tell them as you have done.
You have now heard the sentiments of all the Putawatimies. Father after we conclude the Treaty some of our young men would be glad to go and see their Father. Father your Children have listened to you with attention all that you have said is good. you have asked for land, we will give it to you. We have heard you say that the piece of land at the Wea Towns which we had formerly given, you were willing to retore this has made ns happy we have always heard from you and our Father Jefferson nothing but good. We wish to concor with all the nations who are present. We your children consider the land as belonging to us all not to one mation alone, we know that everything you have said to us is true. You have also recommended to us to be moderate & friendly to each other.
A Deliware Chief then arose and observed that the Deliwares had always kept fast hold of the chain of friendship which united them to the seventeen fires at the Treaty of Greenville. That they had always listened to the voice of their Father and were now willing to agree to his proposals.
As soon as the Putawatimie Chief began to speak all the Mississinway Miamies left the Council House.
30th. It was now the opinion of all the Gentlemen about the Fort that the Missisinway Miamies could never be brought to sign the Treaty and all the attempts which the Governor had made through the Interpreters and some confidential Chiefs to find out the real cause of their obstinacy had hitherto failed. He therefore determined to make them a visit to their camp in person for the purpose of ascertaining whether their opposition proceded from a fixed determination (as they had asserted) not to sell any more lands unless they could get two Dollars pr. Acre, or some other cause which he might be enabled to remove. He accordingly went to their camp about sun rise attended only by his Interpreter Mr. Barron in whose integrity he had
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the utmost confidence. He was received by all the Chiefs with the utmost cmplacency and having collected them all in the Tent of the principal he told them "that he had paid them that visit not as the representative of the Presi- dent but as an old friend with whom they had been many years acquainted and who always endeavored to promote their happiness by every means in his power. That he plainly saw that there was something in their hearts which was not consistent with the attachment which they ought to bear to their great Father and he was afraid that they had listened to bad birds. That he had come there for the purpose of hearing every cause of complaint against the United States and he would not leave them untill they laid open every- thing that oppressed their Hearts. He knew that they could have no solid objection to the proposed Treaty for they were all men of sense and reflection and well knew that they would be mush benefited by it." The Governor requested that all the Chiefs present would speak in their turn, and calling upon the principal Chief of the Eel River Tribe who was an old friend of his that had served with him in General Waynes Army he demanded what his objections were to the Treaty. He drew out the Treaty of Grouseland. "Father-Here are your own words, in this paper you promised that you would consider the Miamies as the owners of the land on the Wabash why then are you about to purchase it from others? The Governor assured them that it never was his intention to purchase the land from the other Tribes that he had always said and was ready now to confess that the land belonged to the Miamies and to no other Tribe that if the other Tribes had been invited to the Treaty it was at their particular request ( The Miamies). The Puta- watimies had indeed taken higher ground than either the Governor or the Miamies expected they claimed an equal right to the lands in question with the Miamies, but what of this their claiming it gave them no right and it was not the intention of the Governor to put anything in the Treaty which would in the least alter their claim to their lands on the Wabash as established by the Treaty of Grouseland unless they chose to satisfy the Deliwares with respect to their claim to the Country Watered by the White River. That even the whole compensation proposed to be given for the lands would be given to the Miamies if they insisted upon it but that they knew the offence which this would give to the other Tribes and that it was always the Gov- ernor's intention so to draw up the Treaty that the Putawatimies & Deliwares would be considered as participating in the advantages of the Treaty as allies of the Miamies, not as having any right to the land." Every countenance brightened at this declaration, the other Chiefs spoke in their turn, each had some grievance to complain of. They had been told that justice should be
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