Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. IV, Part 59

Author:
Publication date: 1838
Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State
Number of Pages: 814

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"The Governor is pleased next to enquire 'what Right we have to take our Wages out of the Public Money, in direct opposition to

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a known Law of the Province ordering the Payment in another manner?' The answer is easy : The Wages received by the late Assemblies were no more than Five shillings # Diem, which is the Sum directed by Law, and was paid by the Trustees of the general Loan Office in the usual manner. We know of no Law of the Province it opposes. It is certain we have a Law directing how Assembly Men's Wages are to be raised when it is necessary. And it is equally certain there is another Law in force which authorizes the Assembly to dispose of the Interest Money arising on the sev- eral Emissions of Paper Money to the Uses they shall think fit. And as that Money has been sufficient to defray the other Public Expence and Assembly Men's Wages too, we have had an undoubted Right to apply it in that manner to prevent a Tax from being laid on the People, many of whom were but too much burdened by the . Injustice done them in carrying away their Servants before. To which we may add, that it has been the usual Method of Paying Assembly Men's Wages, even in the time in which the Governor allows the 'Public Affairs were carried on with Reputation.'

" As the 'proceedings of Assembly for more than two Years past' have fallen to our share, it is easy for Us to follow the advice the Governor is pleased to give ' of a dispassionate Review of those pro- ceedings.' Many of us have longed served in the Station, and we know of no time in which there hath been less Debate, fewer Heats, or greater Unanimity than within the time the Governor mentions. "That 'no greater Advantages have been gained to the People we represent' ought not to be attributed as a fault in the Assemblies, unless it had been in their Power. We have, indeed, during that · Time been put to a far greater Expence than hath been agreeable to us, and if the Gov". had reflected how great a part of it was owing to his Conduct, he ought to have been the last who should have made the Complaint.

" We are told (and it is not the first time) what Benefits would have accrued from our having given a Bounty to encourage Free- men to inlist; but it does not suit the Governor to remember that such a Bounty would not have prevented the Inlisting & carrying away of Servants. By his Encouragement many of them were Inlisted before the Assembly were called or had Time to have given a Bounty, had they been so disposed; And even after the Assembly met, and a Bill was preparing to give &4,000 to the King's Use, the Governor refused to direct those Servants to be discharged, some few excepted, which occasioned the Dropping of that Bill. After this the Assembly came into a Resolution of giving Three Thousand Pounds to the King's Use, provided those Servants were discharged; But this was again denied, and this Resolve was represented as an Artifice to keep our Money. When the Servants so Inlisted were actually carried away, to the almost irreparable Loss of divers of their Masters, the Assembly, in Compassion to their distressed Circumstances, gave about £2,600 to make them

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some Compensation, And have since given upwards of £3,000 to the King's use besides. The Legality of this Gift to the Crown is now made a question, and instead of being too saving our Fault is now represented the being too liberal of the Publick Money. Hence, we find let us do what we will we are not to escape Censure.

" We are ask'd, ' Has the Honour of the Province been advanced, or the Favour of the Crown or our Mother Country engaged,' &c. Of this, perhaps, we are incompetent Judges. It is for the Honour of the Province that the Representatives of the Freemen shou'd contend for their Privileges, as occasion requires, & steadily adhere to them ; And as no Assembly would shew a greater Regard to the Commands of the Crown than we in Matters wherein our Religious Perswasions would permit us, so we have no Reason to doubt the same Indulgence from the Crown and our Mother Country we have hitherto enjoyed. The Charge of ' Odious Insinuation and bitter In- vectives,' is harsh and general, but, we think, mistaken. If, when we have apprehended the Rights and Privileges of our Constituants illegally attack'd, we have expressed our selves with some zeal, as it was necessary, the World cannot justly call our 'Meekness and Moderation' in Question ; nor is it any ' Disreputation to the Society of which we are Members.'

" The Governor is pleased to tell us, 'If he knows anything of himself he is as much a friend to Liberty as the most zealous Assertor of it in the Place.' We answer, Actions speak louder than Words; When the Governor shall desist from that Complaint by which he seeks to deprive us of ours, we shall have stronger Evi- dence of the Truth than any we are furnished with at present.

" People may, 'tis true, grow wanton with Liberty, and the Gov- ernors may play the wanton with the Liberties of the People. The Memory of what has pass'd in our Time, as well as History, afford us Examples of both ; and perhaps the Latter are the most numer- our.

" As to the Interrogatories near the Close of the Message, if they are proposed to us, we cannot Answer them in the manner which may be agreeable to the Governor, and therefore desire to be ex- cused from any.

""'That some Men have been vain enough to prepare Leading Strings for the Governor' we must take it for granted, since he is pleased to tell us so. But if we may be allowed to speak freely, it is not, in our opinion, his refusing to be led, but because he was misled, which gave the greatest occasion of Complaint.

"Removing of Officers in an Arbitrary manner, may be justly ranked among the principal Grievances in any Government. The Governor has thought fit to remove divers in this Province; And as this has happened since the unhappy differences subsisted among

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us, it could not (as the Governor seems to make it) be the cause, but must be the effect of those Differences. No Complaint was ever made of those Officers that we have learn't, and therefore there is great Reason to think it was not because 'their Behaviour had ren- der'd them unworthy of the Trust reposed in them,' but because they had more Honour than to Sacrifice their Judgments to the Will of a Governor; or, in other words (if he will allow us to borrow the Metaphor), their 'refusing to put on the Leading Strings which some Men were vain enough to have prepared for them.'

"Signed by Order of the House,

"JOHN KINSEY, Speaker. "3d Month, 27th, 1742."

A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.

" Gentlemen :

" Whilst You continue to misrepresent me to the World in your Messages, and to pursue me with Accusations injurious to my Hon- , our, you ought to excuse me if I take a reasonable Time for my own Vindication, preferable to any Business You have laid before me, lest Silence should be construed into a Confession of the Matters You have charged me with. For the present give me leave to say, that whatever harsh Constructions you put upon my Actions, the Honble Proprietors to whom you have appealed, have, after the most impartial review of your & my Conduct, been pleased to do me ample Justice. I can truly say that I have done all in my Power for the Security and Welfare of His Majestic's Subjects under my Care, nor do I now think the Treatment I have met with (how much Reason soever I may have to complain of it) can in any Degree dis- charge me from the Obligations I am under to promote their ease and Happiness. The Bills you have laid before me I suppose You judge necessary for these Ends, and as such they will not fail of having their due Weight and Influence with me; Wherefore, I shall keep these and any others You shall think to present to me under Advisement, until I see what Resolutions You shall come to for restoring the Publick Peace, Honour, and Justice. If You fully do your Duty, nothing shall be wanting on my part to render them effectual here and agreeable to our Superiours in England.

" GEO. THOMAS.

" May 28th, 1742."

A Message from the Assembly to the Governor.

" May it please the Governor :

"To defend the Rights and to remonstrate the Grievances of the Freemen of this Province, as occasion requires, is the indispensable Duty of their Representatives ; and if in the Discharge of this part of our Duty, we are said ' to misrepresent the Governor to the World,'

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( and to pursue him with Accusations injurious to his Honour,' as we have Truth and Justice on our side, we are the better able to bear it. .

" The Bills we have presented to the Governor are really such as we 'judge necessary'-' to promote the ease and Happiness' of our Constituents ; and yet, it must be owned, it is in his Power to pre- fer 'his own Vindication'-' to any Business we have laid before him.' If such be the Governor's Pleasure, we must acquiesce with his taking any time he shall think reasonable to this End.

" It would be very agreeable to us if, without Violence to our Judgments, we could entertain like Sentiments of the ' Impartiali- ty' and 'ample Justice' of the Proprietors which the Governor is pleased to express. Men of the greatest Abilities and Integrity must be allowed not the most competent Judges in their own Case; & it affords no great Matter of Wonder to find the Proprietors be- stow their Approbation on those Actions (it seems) their own In- structions first gave rise to.

" If the Governor really thinks no Treatment he has met with ' can in any Degree discharge him from the Obligations he is under to promote the Ease and Happiness of His Majestie's Subjects' here, and the Bills we have presented be admitted 'necessary for these Ends,' Why then should their Success on any 'Resolutions we shall come to ?'

" We have reason to know there are at this time very pernicious Attempts on Foot to deprive the Freemen of this Province of some of the most valuable Privileges they now enjoy. These Attempts we are firmly resolved vigorously to oppose to the utmost of our Power; and if the Governor shall think to join his Assistance against these mischevious Enterprizes, no Method, in our opinion, can possibly be taken which will more contribute to restore 'the Publick Peace, Honour, & Justice.'

"The Prospect of an honourable End to our unhappy Disputes would afford us great Pleasure ; the Expedient we have mention'd we judge best adapted to answer this End, and to engage us to con- tinue with the greatest Chearfulness 'fully to do our Duty.'

"Sign'd by Order of the House.

" JOHN KINSEY, Speaker. "3d Mon., 29th, 1742."

July ye 2d.

The Deputies of the six Nations having at their last Visit agreed to release their Claim to all the Land on both sides of the River Sasquehannah as far South as this Province extends, and to the Northward to those called the Endless Mountains or Kittochtenny

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Hills, in Consideration whereof they then received a large Quantity of valuable Indian Goods for the Lands situate on the Eastern side of the said River, but declined at that Time to receive any for those on the Western side of the said River, choosing to defer the same till another Visit.

A large Number arrived from these Nations at Philadelphia, on Wednesday, the 30th of June, with Deputies duly impowered to receive the said Goods, and acquainted the Governor that being weary from the fatigue of their long Journey they should crave three or four Days to rest themselves before they proceed to their Business. In the mean Time they would wait on the Governor to discourse according to their usual Method about News and other Occurrences, which the Governor readily agreed to, and asked them when they would choose to pay their first Visit, which they desiring might be on friday, the 2d July, in the afternoon, the Council was accordingly summoned, and being met at Mr. Logan's House,

PRESENT :

The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.

James Logan,

Samuel Hasell,

Samuel Preston,

Ralph Assheton,

Clement Plumsted,

Abraham Taylor,

Esqrs.

Thomas Laurence,

Robert Strettell,

The Chiefs of the Six Nations with the Chiefs of the Shawonese.

Canassatego, the Onondaga Chief, Speaker,

Conrad Weiser, Interpreter.

The Governor open'd the Conference as follows :

"Brethren ::

"The proprietor having purchased certain Lands from your Na- tions about Six Years ago, A Moiety of what was agreed to be given in Consideration of that Purchase was at that Time delivered to them, and the other being at their own desire left in the Pro- prietor's Hands, he press'd you by Shick Calamy to send last Year for it, and would have been glad to have seen You and taken You by the Hand before his Departure; But as the Design of this Meet- ing is to hear Your News and converse together in a free & friendly Manner, I shall say no more about the Goods than that they lye ready at the Proprietor's House, and will be delivered when you shall have sufficiently rested from the fatigue of your Journey."

The Chief of the Onondago's Spoke.

" Brethren :

" We propose to rest four days and then come to the Main Busi- ness. At present we are at a Private Conference about News, and have something of this Sort to mention to our Brother Onas. And

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on the Governor's signifying they would be glad to know what it was, the Chief proceeded-

" Brethren :

" It is our Way when we come to our Brethren or any other Per- sons whom we live in strict ffriendship with, to remove all Obstruc- tions to a good Understanding; with this View we are to inform You of a Piece of disagreeable News that happen'd in our Journey. Some white People living at a place called Conegocheege, whose Names we cannot tell, nor whether they belong to this or the neigh- bouring Government, but one of them, as we heard, had his House burnt over his Head some Years ago, and he was brought down a Prisoner and committed to the Jayle of this City. These People lighting of our Young Warriors as they were hunting, made some Proposals about the Purchasing of Land from them, and Our Young Men being indiscreet and unacquainted with Publick Business, were foolish enough to hearken to them and to receive five Duffield Strowds for two Plantations on the River Cohongoronta. A Co- nestogo Indian and a ffrench Indian, and some others that were in Company, had three Duffield Strowds and went away with them, and our Young Men carryed off the other two. As soon as this came to Our Knowledge we sent for our Warriours, and after Ex- amining and rebuking them severely we took away their two Duf- field Strouds and Publickly censured them for Exposing Us to our Brethren of Pennsylvania in doing a thing so inconsistent to our Engagements to them. You are, said We aloud that all our People might hear and take Notice, to know & remember that the Six Na- tions have obliged themselves to sell none of the Land that falls within the Province of Pennsylvania to any but our brother Onas, and that to sell Lands to any other is an high Breach of the League of ffriendship. Brethren, this rash Proceeding of our Young Men makes us Ashamed. We always mean well, and shall perform faithfully what we have Promised. And we Assure You this Af- fair was transacted in the manner we have related without our Pri- vity or Consent ; And that you may be fully convinced of this, and of the sincerity of Our Intentions, we have brought you these two Duffield Strowds [here he presented two red Strouds to the Gov- ernour]; they are the very Strouds Our Young foolish Men received. We took them from them, and we give them to You to return to those white people who made the Bargain, and desire when the Strouds are returned to them they may be told what we now say, and that we shall not confirm such Bargains nor any other that may interfere with our Engagements to our Brother Onas."

The Governor then Spoke :

" Brethren-

" I thank you for this piece of News. You have taken this mat- ter perfectly right. All bargaining for Land within this Province VOL. IV .- 36.

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is to be sure a manifest breach of your Contract with the Proprie- tors, and what we know you will not countenance. We have hith- erto found the six Nations faithful to their Engagements and this is a fresh Instance of their Punctuality. You could not help these mistakes of your Young Men-they were not done in your presence ; but as several Inconveniences may arise from these kind of Clan- destine Sales, or from any such loose Sales of Land by your People, we desire you will on your Return home give public notice to all your Warriours not to bargain for any Land, or if they do that you will not confirm such Bargains. And that this very Affair, with what you have done therein, may be particularly reported to all your Nation assembled in Council."

The Onondago Chief promised to give such Publick Notice; and desiring liberty to mend his former Speech, he proceeded :

" Brethren-

" I forgot one Circumstance. Our people who pretended to sell the Land demanded a Belt of Wampum of the Buyers to carry to their Chiefs, and on their declaring they had no Wampum, Our Warriours said they would not Answer that their Chiefs would con- firm this Bargain, since they never did any thing of this Nature without Wampum."

The Governor after a short pause spoke :

" Brethren of the Six Nations :

"I shall take this Opportunity to relate to you a piece of dis- agreeable News I received some Days ago in a Letter from Le Tort, the Indian Trader at Alligheny, who says that in May last some In- dians of the Taway Nation, supposed by Us to be ye Twightways, in their Return from War called and stay'd some Time with the Shawonese, who being asked and denying they had brought either Scalps or Prisoners, the Shawonese suspecting them had the Curi- osity to search their Bags, and finding two Scalps in them that, by the Softness of the Hair, did not feel like Indian Scalps, they wash'd them clean and found them to be the Scalps of some Chris- tians. On this Discovery the Twightwys were so much ashamed that they stole away in the Night Time, and coming, as they after- wards understood, to a little Village belonging to the Shawonese, they told our People that their Hearts were full of Grief, for as they came along the Road they found it all Bloody, and having good Cause to believe it was made Bloody with the Blood of some of the white Brethren, they had very sorrowfully swept the Road, and desired them to inform the Governor of Pennsylva of their (the Twightwys) Grief, and how they had swept the Road clean. Le Tort adds on behalf of the Shawonese, that they were much troubled and grieved at this unfortunate Accident, and Pray'd, as they had no concern in it more than by being Instruments to dis- cover it, their Brethren would not blame them, nor suffer a Misun-

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derstanding to arise between them on this Account; they would sweep the Road clean and wipe all the Blood away, and desired their Brethren would be satisfied with this, and not weep too Much for a Misfortune that might not happen again as long at the Sun & Moon shone.

"The Person who delivered me Le Tort's Letter; brought this bundle of Skins As a present to me, but I told the Messenger I would not meddle with it, he might leave it if he pleased, the Af- fair appear'd to me in a bad Light, and I would represent it to the six Nations, who were expected in Town every Day. This is the ffact as I have it from Le Tort. I desire to be informed if you know any thing of the Matter, and if You do not, that you will make diligent Enquiry who committed the Murder, and who are the un- happy Sufferers, and Assist Us to obtain Satisfaction, if it shall ap- pear to be any of our fellow Subjects that have been treated in this Manner.

" To inforce this request I present you with this String of Wampum."

The Onandago Chief, in reply, said :

" Brethren-

" We take this Information kindly at your hands; we will take this String of Wampum home with Us to our Lodgings, and there consult about the most regular & proper Steps to be taken by Us to Answer your Expectations, and when we have duly condsidered the matter we will return You an Answer."

Upon this the Governor put an End to the Conference, and call- ing for Wine & other Liquors, according to the Indian Custon, af- ter a decent and Cheerful Entertainment the Indians withdrew.

5th July, 1742.

At a Council held at the Proprietor's House.

PRESENT :

The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.

James Logan,

Clement Plumsted, Esqrs.

With several other Gentlemen of the Town.

The Chiefs of the Six Nations.

It being judg'd proper at this critical Time, when we are in Daily Expectation of a ffrench War, to sound the Indians & discover what dependence we might have on them in Case their aid should be wanted, An handsome Dinner was provided for their Chiefs, and after they had made an hearty Meal and Drank his Majesty's.

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Health, the Proprietors, and the Health of the Six Nations, the Chiefs gave the solemn Cry in Testimony of their Thanks for the Honour done them, and soon after the Governor in a free Way began to Enquire for what reason the Senecas were not come down, since they had an Equal Right to a Share of the Goods with the other Nations. Canassatego, their Speaker, said the Senecas were in great Distress on Account of a ffamine that raged in their Coun- try, which had reduced them to such Want that a ffather had been obliged to kill two of his Children to preserve his own & the rest of his ffamily's Lives, and they could not now come down but had given Directions about their Share of the Goods.

The Governor Expressed his Concern for the unhappy Circum- stances of their Brethren of the Seneca Nation, and after a short respite enquired if any of their Deputies were then at Canada, and whether the ffrench Governor was making any warlike Preperations. And on their Answering Yes, the Governor said with a smiling, Pleasant Countenance, I suppose if the ffrench should go to Warr with Us you'l join them. The Indians conferred together for some Time, and then Canassatego, in a chearful lively manner, made Answer, We assure you the Governor of Canada Pays our Nation great Court at this Time, well knowing of what Consequence we are to the ffrench Interest. He has already told Us he was uncov- ering the Hatchet and Sharpening it, and hoped if he should be obliged to lift it Up against the English, their Nations would remain Neuter, And Assist neither side. But we will now speak plainly to our Brethren. Why should We, who are one fflesh with You, refuse to help You whenever You want our Assistance. We have con- tinued a Long Time in the strictest League of Amity and ffriend- ship with You, And we shall always be faithful and True to you, our Old and good Allies. The Governor of Canada talks a great deal, but ten of his Words do not go so far as one of yours. We do not look towards them, We look towards you, and you may depend on our Assistance. Whilst the Onondago Chief made this open & hearty Declaration, all the other Indians made frequently that particular kind of Noise which is known to be a Mark of approba- tion. The Governor bid the Interpreter tell Canassatego he did not set on foot this Enquiry from any Suspicion he had of the Six Na- tions wanting a due regard for the English-Our Experience of their Honor & ffaith would not permit Us to think any other of them than that they would esteem our ffriends their ffriends, and our Enemies their Enemies, agreeable to the strict Union which had ever subsisted between us ; As to the Governor of Canada they need not mind what he said. The English on Equal Terms had beat the ffrench, and could beat them again, and were they but to consider the advantages which the English have by possessing so many large and populous Coun- tries and so many good ports on the Continent of America, they would soon see who had most reason to fear a War, the ffrench or the English.

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Here the Conversation dropt, and after another Glass of the Wine the Indians resum'd the Discourse by asking whether their Brethren had not been for some time engaged in a War with the King of Spain, and what Successes they had met with.

The Governor told them the King of Great Britain liv'd in an Island, and being surrounded with the Sea his Chief Strength lay in his Ships, in which he was so much Superior to his Enemies that they were seldom to be met with on the Broad Ocean, but skulk'd & hid themselves, only venturing out now & then, and when ever they did they were almost sure to be taken. And that the King of Great Britain with his Ships had beat down or taken several of the Spaniards, Great fforts in America. The Indians said they were pleas'd to hear their Brethren were an Overmatch for their Enemies, and wished them good Success.

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Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. IV, Part 59

Author: Publication date: 1838 Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State Number of Pages: 814

Author:
Publication date: 1838
Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State
Number of Pages: 814