USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 4
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" I can't find that the French have any other Pretensions to that vast Country which they claim on the Back of the English Colonies VOL. VI .- 2.
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between Canada and Mississippi, extending westward as far as the Pacific Ocean, than that it hath been more traversed by their Cou- reurs des Bois and Hunters than it hath by the English. As to the immense Fur Trade which they would monopolize there, it is directly contrary to the Treaty of Utrecht as well as the Rights of Dominion they pretend to over the numerous Tribes of Indians inhabiting it; and if the Right to the Soil was to depend upon Indian Treaties, so far as I can Learn the Right of the English to that Tract is better founded upon that Foot than their's.
"But whatever Obscurity or Doubt there may be concerning his Majestie's Right of Dominion over these Territories, the Scheme of the French in circumscribing the English Colonies within the Apa- lachean Mountains, which they pretend to be the Western Boundary between Us and them, is evidently this, to monopolize the immense Fur Trade within that Tract to themselves, to subject all the Indians behind those Mountains to their Power, to establish a Communi- 'cation between Canada and their Possessions upon Mississippi by Chain of Forts upon the Lakes and Rivers, in which they have already made a most surprizing Progress, and by that means per- petually to harrass our Southern Colonies with Incursions of the Savages from behind the Mountains; all which must not only prove an effectual Bar to the Extension of his Majestie's Southern Colo- nies, in particular to the Westward, as your Honour justly observes in your Letters, but seems to threaten them with Destruction in the End; especially considering the infinite Advantage which the French, who, from the Nature of their Government, can play all their En- gines at once, and direct their whole Force where and when they please, have over the English Colonies in Time of War, which are very much governed by Assemblies independant of each other, fre- quently disunited in their Councils, some of them very remote from Others, and all of them looking upon themselves to be concerned in the Common Cause in proportion to their Nearness or Remoteness from the present Danger. And if the French should prevail in their attempts to seduce the Indians of the Six Nations from their Alli- ance with the English and gain them over to their Interest, which I am afraid they are in a fair Way of doing, there seems Reason to apprehend that such an Event may be nearer than is generally im- agined.
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"To obviate this Danger the Union of all his Majestie's Colonies upon this Continent, as recommended in the Earl of Holdernesse's Letter, seems absolutely necessary ; and as there is to be an Inter- view with the Indians of the Six Nations at Albany in June next, to which I suppose Commissioners will be sent from the Govern- ments of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the Mas- sachusets Bay, and New Hampshire, and perhaps from Connecticut, I would propose it for your Honour's Consideration whether this Meeting of the Commissioners from so many Governments to treat
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with these Indians in Concert with the Government of New York, may not yield the most favourable Opportunity for beginning such an Union in a most essential Article, by jointly agreeing upon such Measures as may most effectually preserve and strengthen our Alli- ance and Friendship with these Nations, for which Purpose the several Commissioners should have sufficient Powers given them by their respective Governments, as also to settle the Quota of each Government either in Men or Money for carrying what shall be agreed upon into Execution, whether that shall be by erecting and maintaining one or more Forts within such Parts of the Mohawk Country as the Indians themselves shall chose for the Protection of it, with their Squas and Papooses, against the Incursions of the French and Indians in their Alliance at such times as they shall be engaged in Hunting or War, or otherwise, as shall be most accept- able to the Indians and conducive to his Majestie's Service.
" This is what I shall recommend in a most pressing manner to the Assembly within this Government, which is to meet the twenty- seventh of this Month, to do on their Part, and I can't but think it would have a most happy Effect if his Majestie's several Governors could prevail upon their respective Assemblies to join in so salutary and necessary a Measure for the Common Cause.
"Should the French by Artifices or Threats induce the Six Na- tions only to give them and the Indians in their Alliance a free Pass- age thro' their Country for making Incursions upon Us, that would be attended with very mischievous Consequences to his Majestie's Colonies, but should they prevail upon them to take up the Hatchet against Us at this Conjuncture it must be fatal to them.
" I design to mention this Proposal for securing the Indians of the Six Nations in our Friendship by a joint Concurrence of the several Governments who shall send Commissioners to Albany to Governors Dinwiddie, Sharpe, Belcher, De Lancey, and Wentworth, and shall be obliged to your Honour for your free Sentiments upon it, as also upon the most proper Measures for cementing an Union among the Governments in general upon this Continent in all other respects for their mutual Protection and Defence against the common Enemy suitable to the present Conjuncture, and shall with great Pleasure co-operate with You for promoting his Majestie's Service upon all Occasions.
" I shall be obliged to your Honour for an Account of the Suc- cess of the Messenger which You sent to discover the Situation of the French Fort and their Designs, with the Determination of your Assembly upon this Occasion, as also of what Advice You may have received further than what I have done from Virginia and Maryland, and would further beg the Favour of You, if it would not be too much Trouble, to send me a Collection of the Treaties made in your Honour's Government with the Indians.
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" Enclosed is the Declaration of one Patten (the Messenger which I believe You sent to Ohio) made sometime ago to some Merchants at Boston. I send it tho' it is most probable he hath been more particular already in his Information given yourself; An Extract likewise of one Smith's Letter to me, which he hath verified before me and the Council by his Oath ; And I shall send your Honour an Account by next Post of the several Encroachments made by the French in Nova Scotia and upon Saint John's River, and of the In- telligence I have very lately received of one making upon the River Kennebeck, but the Departure of this Post will not allow me more time than to assure You that I am with a most real esteem and Regard,
" Sir, Your most humble and most obedient Servant,
"W. SHIRLEY."
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Extract from Mr. Smith's Letter to Governor Shirley, dated De- cember 24th, 1753, from Cape Cod in the Massachusetts Bay.
"September the 29th, 1752, the Castor or Beaver Company of Quebec petitioned the Governor and Council of Canada to have a Fort erected on or near a River called by the French la Riviere blanche, for the Support and Strength of their Indian Commerce, which they alledged was encroached upon by the English Traders. This was forthwith granted by the Governor and Council, and an Army of Six Thousand Men to be forthwith and ready to March by the First of January, 1753, which Body was to consist of 5,000 Militia, 600 Indians, and 400 Regulars, and when raised were thus to be disposed of: they were to be divided into Three Parties, and to march as follows, viz": the first Party consisting of 2,000 Militia and 300 on the 1st January, 1753, under the Command of Capt. Murray; the second Party consisting of the same Number to be ready on the first of March, under the Command of Monsieur Pay- conage, and the third Party consisting of the Regulars and the Rest of the Militia to be ready to embark at Quebec on Board of Boats which were to be provided for them by the 1st of May, under the Command of Captain Lotbinere, Engineer; upon the De- claration of this Grant Measures were so expeditiously taken that Arms, Ammunition, and Provisions, with necessary Apparel were forthwith provided and disposed of in proper Magazines throughout the Country for that Purpose by the beginning of December, and according to the Time limited by the Grant; the first Party began their March on New Year's Day, 1753, the second Party in March, and the Remainder I saw embarked at Quebec on the 1st May, on board 100 flat-bottomed Boats built for the Expedition. We had every Day News before I left Canada of a great Sickness raging among them, so that the Hospitals at Montreal and Fort Frontenac
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were entirely crowded with their Sick, and several have deserted from them and privately returned home, being terrified with the Thoughts of a so long March; all which greatly impairs their Force. This Party is to remain on the Command for three Years. When I left Canada, which was on the 18th of August last, the Country People and Populace in general were greatly dissatisfied with their Government on Account of their being so arbitrarily be- reaved of their Children, so that Seditious Libels and satirical Son- nets were the continual Cry of their Streets, for the Suppressing of which an Act was made that if any person sung or spoke any dis- respectful Words against the Governor, the Lord Intendant, or Council, exciting to Mutiny or Sedition, should upon Conviction be forthwith imprisoned for a Year, unless proper Security for their future good Behaviour should be produced ; this at first the Popu- lace looked upon as only a Bugbear, till two or three were taken into Custody and proper Security obliged to be given, which Rigour pretty well silenced the Mob. Their common Cry was that their Governor, by his sending such a Body of Men so far from Home, had an Intention to deliver the Country into the hands of their Neighbours the New England Men, of whom the Canadians in general are mighty jealous. The Indian Traders with whom I have conversed inform me that la Riviere blanche is 500 Leagues from Quebec, and that it is in the British Territories; and further, that the English receiving Intelligence of their Schemes and Pro- cecdings they were afraid they would make Head against and drive them off."
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A Letter to Governor Hamilton from Mr. George Croghan. " March 23d, 1754.
" May it please your Honour :
"I here enclose a Speech made by a Frenchman at Log's Town to the Six Nations, Delawares, and Shawonese, after Mr. Montour and myself left the Town, which Speech the Indians sent after me and ordered me to send it immediately to your Honour that You might see how they were treated by the French and desired You might send a Copy of it to the Governor of Virginia. Mr. Trent had received a Commission from the Governor of Virginia, and had enlisted about Seventy Men before I left Ohio. I left him and his Men at the Mouth of Mohongialo building a Fort, which seemed to give the Indians great Pleasure and put them in high Spirits. I have heard nothing more particular since Mr. Montour's Departure from Ohio worth mentioning to your Honour.
" I am Your Honour's most obedient and most humble Servant, "GEO. CROGHAN."
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A Speech made by Monsieur La Force, the French Gentleman that was at Log's Town when Mr. Montour and I left it, to the Six Nations there.
" Children :
"I came here to know your Minds whether You intend to side with the English or not, and without asking You I am convinced that You have thrown away your Fathers and taken to your Brothers the English. I tell You now that You have but a short Time to see the Sun, for in Twenty Days You and your Brothers the English shall all die."
The Speaker of the Six Nations made him this Reply :
"Fathers :
" You tell Us in Twenty Days We and our Brethren the English must all dye. I believe You speak true, that is You intend to kill Us if You can ; but I tell You to be strong and bring down your Soldiers for We are ready to receive You in battle but not in Peace. We are not afraid of You, and after an Engagement You will Know who are the best Men, You or We."
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A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
"I am not insensible that an Absence from your Homes at this busy Season of the Year must be very inconvenient to your private Affairs, for which Reason I should not have called You together be- fore the Time to which you stood adjourned but that I thought the Service of his Majesty and the Interest of your Country required it.
"In my several Messages during your late Session, to which I desire to refer You, I fully represented the dangerous Consequences that were to be apprehended from the Invasion made by the French on Part of his Majestie's Dominions, and in Obedience to his Royal Orders I pressed You in the warmest Manner to grant such Supplies of Men and Money as might enable me to resist the hostile Attempts of these Invaders and to repel Force by Force. But for the Rea- sons set forth in your Answers, and particularly that You were 'un- acquainted with the Result of the Government of Virginia with Re- gard to this Invasion,' You declined granting the Supplies at that Time, and 'judged it most prudent to wait until the Assembly of that Colony had enabled their Governor to Act in Obedience to the Royal Commands.'
" I am now to acquaint you, Gentlemen, that since your Adjourn- ment I have received from Governor Dinwiddie the several Papers herewith laid before You, by which it will appear that he is taking
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all imaginable Pains for the Security of his Majestie's Dominions so far as the Provision made by his Assembly will permit him to Act, and that he is very impatient to know the Issue of your Delibera- tions on this Subject. I cannot, therefore, Doubt but agreable to the Professions in your Message of the Twenty-Seventh of Feb- ruary, ' of being ready and willing to demonstrate your Duty and Loyalty by giving such Sums of Money to the King's Use upon all suitable Occasions as may consist with your Circumstances or can reasonably be expected from this Province,' I say I cannot doubt but you will with the greatest Allacrity lay hold on the present Op- portunity of evincing the Sincerity of those Professions by granting such aid to his Majesty as may comport with the Circumstances of the Province and be suitable to the Exigence of the Service ; And in the doing of this I hope you will be guided rather by the Im- portance of the Concern than by the Example of other Colonies, it being found by Experience to be a very ill-judged piece of Oeconomy to cramp an Enterprize of this Nature in the Article of Supplies, and that whatever is given on such Occasions short of being suffi- cient to accomplish the Ends proposed becomes for the most Part a Waste of so much Treasure without answering any of the Purposes for which it was intended.
"I have at present only to add my Request that whatever you think proper to do on this Occasion may receive all the Dispatch the Nature of the Thing will admit of, the Season of the Year for action advancing so fast that unless our Measures be speedily taken they will I fear be rendered altogether unserviceable.
" April 3d, 1754."
" JAMES HAMILTON.
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A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" As you have signified to me your Willingness to provide for the Expense of sending Commissioners to Albany at the ensuing Treaty to be held there, and also of making a present to the In- dians of the Six Nations on Behalf of this Province, I thought it incumbent on me to obtain the best Intelligence I was able of what was proposed to be transacted at that Treaty for the general Benefit and advantage of these Colonies, and of every other Thing relating thereto which I conceived necessary for your Information when you should take this Subject more particularly into Consideration.
" With this view I wrote to Governor Delancey, whom the King has been pleased to set at the Head of this Convention, whose well known Abilities and Experience in Indian Affairs render him in every respect equal to the important Trust. And as he has been pleased by his Letter of the First Instant to communicate his Sen-
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timents fully and freely upon the several Points I imagine You will be desirous of being acquainted with, I have chosen to lay the same before You in his own Words, from whence and from what Governor Shirley has so well said upon the same Subject, added to your own Knowledge of the present Circumstances of Affairs, You will be able to offer me your Advice upon this Occasion, to which You may be assured I shall pay the greatest Regard. And I must the rather insist on this as without a perfect Knowledge of your Sentiments from whom all future Supplies upon any Agreement to be made between the several Colonies must come, it will be very difficult if not impossible for me to give such Instructions to the Gentlemen Commissioners on the Part of this Province as may be suitable and adequate to the Purpose.
"JAMES HAMILTON.
"April 4th, 1754."
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MEMORANDUM.
On the sixth of April the Governor thought it necessary to send Mr. Weiser to Shamokin & to the Sasquehannah Indians to apprize them of the Intentions of the Connecticut People, and to enquire if any Correspondence and what was carried on between them and the Ohio Indians, and what Part they intended to act in the present Situation of Affairs, and to give him a kind Reception with those Indians, the following Message was sent by him :
"Brethren the Delawares and Shawonese at Wyomink on Sas- quehanna :
" As Conrad Weiser, Esquire, the Indian Interpreter of this Province, is sent by me on Business with the Six Nations at Sha- mokin, I have ordered him to call on You to enquire of your health and Affairs, having heard nothing from You for these many Years, tho' as Brethren I should have been well pleased with your News and Accounts of your Welfare.
"Something has been intimated to me as if you had cause of Complaint against some of our Inhabitants; if this should have any Foundation, and You have been in any respect ill used or injured, I desire You will impart your Grievance to Mr. Weiser that he may lay it before me, and You may be assured I will see Justice done to You to your Satisfaction.
" If You are or shall be informed of any News that may affect this Province or Yourselves, I desire you would send me your Informations by some careful Person that You shall think pro- per to entrust with it, and I will give him a Satisfaction for his Trouble.
" I have no more at present than to assure you of the Continu-
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C
ance of my Regards for You and all the Indians in your Neighbor- hood.
"JAMES HAMILTON.
" Philadelphia, 6th April, 1754.
On the same Day Two Members waited upon the Governor to acquaint him that " the House desired He would be pleased to in- form them what Gentlemen he proposed to appoint as Commis- sioners for the intended Treaty at Albany." To which his Honour was pleased to say that " He intended to appoint Mr. Penn and Mr. Peters of the Council, and Mr. Norris and Mr. Franklin of the Assembly, to be Commissioners for this Province at the Treaty pro- posed to be held at Albany in June next."
On the Twelfth of April Two Members delivered the following Message to the Governor and acquainted him that the House pro- posed to make the Adjournment mentioned in their Message some time to-morrow, and the Governor was pleased to say he would take it into his Consideration and return an Answer to the House to- morrow morning if He found it necessary :
" May it please the Governor ---
" Whenever the Service of the King or the Interest of the Country may appear to require their Attendance in Assembly, We hope the Representatives of the People will always, as they have now done, pay a ready and chearful Obedience to the Governor's Call, however inconvenient the Season may be with respect to their private Affairs. We are nevertheless thankful to the Governor for his considerate Regard to our Circumstances on the present Occa- sion, expressed in his Message of the third Instant.
" And we now beg leave to inform the Governor that we have had that Message under our serious Consideration ever since it came down to the House, but after all our Debates thereupon we find that near one-half of the Members are, for various Reasons, against granting any Money for the King's Use at this Time, and those who are for granting differ so widely in their Sentiments concerning the Sum that there seems at present no Possibility of their agreeing, cx- cept in such a Sum as in the Judgment of many of them is quite dis- proportionate to the Occasion, therefore and that the Members may have an Opportunity of consulting their Constituents on this impor- tant Affair, We are now inclined to adjourn to the Thirteenth of the next Month.
" We thank the Governor for his very obliging Message of the Fourth Instant, and shall take the same and the Papers therewith communicated to us under Consideration, and offer our Sentiments to the Governor on the weighty Matters they contain at our next Meeting. At the same time We shall provide for the Expences of the Commissioners the Governor has been pleased to nominate for
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the Treaty at Albany, of whom we approve, and have now voted a Present of Five Hundred Pounds to be by them delivered to the Indians on that Occasion in behalf of this Province.
" Sign'd by Order of the House,
" ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker. "In Assembly, 12th April, 1754."
On the thirteenth of April the Governor, by the Secretary, sent down to the House the following Message :
" Gentlemen-
" I called You to meet me in Assembly before the Time to which You stood adjourned to give You an Opportunity of demonstrating your Duty to the King by granting such an Aid to his Majesty as might be sufficient, in Conjunction with the other Colonies, to secure his Dominions against any further Invasion by the French, and, if need should be, to repel the Invaders, and to that Purpose I sent You a Message on the Third Instant. It could not, therefore, but surprize me to find that after so long Deliberation the first Occasion of my hearing from You on that Subject should be to signify to me your Inclination to adjourn to the Thirteenth of May next, without having in any Shape provided for the Service recom- mended to You.
"I am very unwilling to have any Difference with You on this or any other Occasion where it can possibly be avoided, and therefore, after declaring to You my Opinion that so long an Adjournment will render, any Thing You can then propose to do for his Majestie's Service ineffectual to the Ends he has been pleased to recommend, I shall leave You to act therein as to yourselves shall seem most expedient.
"I am pleased, nevertheless, with your Determination to provide for the Expences of the Gentlemen to be appointed on the Part of this Province for conducting the Treaty at Albany, and with the Sum voted as a Present to the Indians on that Occasion. It is likewise a Satisfaction to me to find that the Nomination I have made of Commissioners for that Service is agreeable to You.
" JAMES HAMILTON. " April 13th, 1754."
And on the same Day two Members waited on the Governor and acquainted him that the House having considered his Message, had thought it proper to shorten the Adjournment mentioned in their Message of Yesternight, and to adjourn to the Sixth of the Month called May next!
And then the House adjourned to the Sixth Day of May next.
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At a Council held at Philadelphia, Tuesday the Seventh of May, 1754.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
John Penn,
William Till,
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker, & Esquires.
Joseph Turner,
Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The House last Night acquainted the Governor by Two Members that they were met according to their adjournment, and were ready to receive any Thing He might have to lay before them.
The several Letters and Papers following were read :
A Letter from Governor Hamilton to Governor Dinwiddie. " PHILADELPHIA, 18th April, 1754. " Sir :
" I send this by Express to acquaint You that Our Assembly has once more broke up without enabling me to afford You any assist- ance either in Men or Money on the present Expedition to Ohio. They had once agreed to vote Money for the King's Use and to leave the application of it to me, but afterwards differed about the Quan- tum, whether it should be Ten Thousand or Five Thousand Pounds. I should at the same time let you know that there was only a Ma- jority of Two that were for granting any Supplies at all ; and they being unable to agree among themselves with respect to the Sum, proposed to adjourn for the present and to meet again on the Sixth of May.
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