USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VII > Part 68
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" As you are a great deal stronger than I, you must exert your power when differences arise between two brothers. When one comes and makes proposals of peace if the other does not accept them nothing can be done. Now as much blood is spilt I desire you will join with me to clear this way, and when that is done we will pro- ceed to other business."
Gave a Belt of eight Rows.
" Brother:
" According to the Promise I made you, that I would Invite as many of the Ten Nations as I could, I have now brought with me as many as I could, who are here present to witness what shall be transacted ; but, in order to make a lasting and durable Peace, we must all exert our Abilities. When any Persons are engaged to lift a great Weight out of the way, if all do not exert their Strength they cannot remove it, but if all join, they will easily remove it. We, on our Parts, gather up the Leaves that have been sprinkled with Blood ; we gather up the Blood, the Bodies, and Bones; but when we look round we see no place where to put them; but when we look up we see the Great Spirit above. It is our Duty, there- fore, to join in Prayer, that he would hide these things, that they may never be seen by our Posterity, and that the Great Spirit would bless our Children, that they may hereafter Live in Love together ; that it may never be in the Power of the evil spirit, or
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any evil-minded Persons, to cause any breach between or Pos- terity."
Gave a Belt of seventeen Rows.
" Brother :
" As you remember you invited me to bring down some of the Ten Nations, so now some from each of them are here present, par- ticularly, some from my Uncles, the five Nations. When we had endeavoured, as much as in our Power, to remove the Dead Bodies and the Mischief past, you also invited me to come and take hold of your Hand. We accordingly now come and take hold of one of your Hands, and the five Nations also come and take hold of the other Hand, that we may all stand together, as one Man, with one Heart. This now being done, when we look up and see the clear Light, we shall enjoy it; we shall also enjoy, in Peace and Quiet- ness, what the Land produces; and we shall enjoy the comforts of the day and the comforts of the night; we shall lie down in Peace and rise in Peace."
Gave a Belt of twelve Rows strung on Cords.
" Brother :
"The Reason of this great Cloud of Mischief that has been past is that our old Standers or Forefathers never took regular methods to have a lasting Peace ; they never looked Forward for their Child- ren. They only had a view of this that decays and what lies round about upon the Earth. When they came into Council they only talked about the Things on the Earth that are soon gone. They ought to have looked forward, and to have made such Agreements on both sides that their Children after might never disagree. And as we see their mismanagement let us do better ; that we as long as we live may be faithful, and that by this our Meeting together our Children hereafter may enjoy a lasting Peace."
Gave a Belt of eleven Rows.
" Brother :
" You remember, according to your Orders, that Messengers have been sent to carry Your Messages to distant Parts among us in order to promote this good, this important Work of Peace, on which our Lives depend. One of these Messengers is now in a dangerous Condition, being shot by one of your Young Men. Do not be too much grieved; but as I desire to be used with Justice according to your Laws, I insist if this Young Man die that the Man who shot him may be tried by your Laws and die also in the Presence of some of our People, who may Witness it to all the Nations that their Brethren, the English, have done them Justice. And if any thing of the like kind should happen on our Parts we will deliver up the Murderer to be tried by your Laws. And as the Relations of the Young Man must be grieved, I desire as you have it in your Power that you would remove the Grief and Sorrow from their Hearts.".
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The Governor then acquainted Teedyuscung that he would take into Consideration what he had now said, and when we were ready to give an answer we would let him know.
As we were rising the King by his Interpreter told me that what he had now said was of great Importance ; he desired, therefore, we would take time to consider it well; that he would wait with Patience till we were ready to give an Answer.
At a Council held at Easton, Wednesday the 27th July, 1757. PRESENT :
The Honourable the Governor.
James Hamilton,
William Logan,
Richard Peters,
Lynford Lardner,
Esquires.
Benjamin Chew,
John Mifflin,
Mr. Croghan,
Mr. Weiser .- 7
A draught of a Speech to the Indians being prepared, the same was read and approved in Council.
The Governor having last night received from four Commissioners an Answer to his Demand for a List of the Goods brought up for Indian Presents, it was read in these Words :
" Sir :
" EASTON, July 26th. 1757.
" We have indeed brought up to Easton a Parcell of Goods pur- chased for the use of the Province, which we shall be ready to join with your Honour in disposing of to the Indians whenever the present Treaty is brought to an Issue that will Justify as to our Constituents in such Disposition of them; and in due time we shall prepare a List of the Goods to be laid before your Honour, being heartily desirous to concur with you in every thing that will con- duce to the Public Utility. In the mean time we inform your Honour that Mr. Croghan has intimated that some private presents are expected by Teedyuscung, the other Indian Messengers, and French Margaret, in Recompence of the Services they have done the Province, and one of Condolance to be given to Moses Tatamy on account of his Son's Misfortune ; and that we are ready to give those Presents as recommended, provided the Governor approve of it.
"We are, Your most humble Servants,
" WILLIAM MASTERS, "JOSEPH FOX, "JOS. GALLOWAY, " JON. HUGHES."
Mr. Lardner and Mr. Mifflin, two of the Provincial Commis- sioners, were asked if they were present when this Letter was
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wrote, and they said they were not, nor had they received any no- tice of such Meeting of the Commissioners ; and added, that the other Commissioners held Meetings frequently without giving them Notice, at which a great deal of Business was done that they were never consulted about.
On this Information the Governor thought proper to write the following Letter to the Commissioners :
"EASTON, 27th July, 1757.
" Gentlemen :
" As you have not yet furnished me with a List of the Goods you have purchased and brought hither, to be disposed of in Pres- ents to the Indians, notwithstanding the reasonable Request I made of you to that purpose Yesterday, I find myself obliged once more to require it of you, that I may be able by considering it at Leisure to form a Judgment, as well of the Quality of the Goods, as. whether there may be a sufficiency of them for the present Occasion.
" On receiving your Letter I observed it was not subscribed, either by Mr. Lardner or Mr. Mifflin, who by the Act, are appointed joint Commissioners with you ; and upon enquiry into the reason of that Omission, I found they had not received any notice of your Meeting, or been consulted with on the Contents of my Letter to the Pro- vincial Commissioners, of which I think I have just reason to Com- plaint.
"I am, Gentlemen, " Your humble Servant,
"WILLIAM DENNY.
" To WILLIAM MASTERS, JOS. Fox, JOS. GALLOWAY and JNº. HUGHES, Esqrs."
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At a Meeting in Easton, Wednesday, July 27th, 1757, A. M. PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Governor, &ca. The Council.
The same Members of Asssembly.
The Provincial Commissioners.
A Number of Gentleman from the City of Philadelphia, and others of the Inhabitants of the Province.
The same Indians.
Captain Thomas McKee, Interpreter for the Crown.
Conrad Weiser, Esqr., Interpreter for tho Province.
Mr. John Pumpshire, Interpreter for Teedyuscung.
The Governor opened the Conference by asking Teedyuscung if he was ready, and letting him know that Mr. Croghan, the King's
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Agent, joined him in the Speeches he was going to make, and then spoke as follows :
" Brother:
" Your Memory serves you faithfully with Respect to what was promised by each of us in the last Conferences.
" Our warmest acknowledgments are due to you for your just Performance of your Engagements. You have made known our good dispositions far and wide. You have brought down your Uncles, and some of each of the other Nations with whom you are joined. We are pleased to observe they have hearkened to you, and are so well disposed to conclude and establish a firm and durable Peace. We return you very hearty Thanks in Behalf of His Ma- jesty King George, the People of the Province, and all his other Subjects."
Gave a Belt.
" Brother :
" We are sensible with you, that unless we both exert the utmost of our Strength, we shall not be able to accomplish the great Work we are mutually engaged in.
" Whilst we see the Dead Bodies of our People lying uncovered and exposed to ravenous Birds, it is against Nature and all the Principles of Religion and Humanity, to proceed to the Confirma- tion of Peace.
"We, therefore, in Conjunction with you, diligently search for and collect together, not only their Dead Bodies and Scattered Bones, but the very Leaves, Grass, and every thing else that their Blood has touched; and join with you in looking up to Heaven, from whence the God of Peace beholds, with Delight, our Advances to Reconciliation, Concord, and Unity. We pray he may cast a Veil over all that has happened in these unhappy Times, that it may be no longer remembered. We supplicate his Almighty Goodness to pardon all that is past. We pray him to Dispose all the people of this, and the succeeding Generations to the latest Posterity, to live in Love together. We entreat he will never permit the evil Spirit to enter so far into our Hearts, or evil minded men so far into our Councils, as to interrupt the Course of Friendship, or blast the smallest Leaf in the Tree of Peace."
Gave a Belt.
"Brother :
" Having now collected the Dead Bodies, we agree with you to stand together, English and Indians, as one Man with one Heart ; we lay hold with you, your Uncles and the Ten Nations, of the Belt of Friendship; we hold it fast with all our Strength. We bring with us all the Sincerity and Warmth of honest and upright Hearts. We rejoice to behold again the Light of the Sun shining in a Clear VOL. VII .~ 43.
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Sky. We promise ourselves that, with the blessing of the good Spirit, your endeavours, united with ours, will be able to secure to us and to our children, and Children's Children, durable Peace and Happiness, so that we may quietly enjoy the various comforts of Life with which this fruitful Country abounds, and may sleep in Peace."
Gave a Belt.
" Brother :
" Though our Forefathers and yours might make some mistakes, and might not see far enough into the Consequences of some of their Measures, yet in general we can truly say, they were very kindly disposed to one another ; they were open and upright in their In- tentions ; they lived together in Perfect Peace, and the mutual Ex- change of good Offices.
"It is very commendable in you to remind us that they have not been altogether regular, but confined their Views to the then present Times, and to the Interest of their own generation, not so much con- sulting as they should have done the good of Future Generations. We shall be glad to join with you in promoting one general Interest that may extend to the latest Posterity. We will lay aside all narrow partial Regards, and put Matters on a lasting Foundation, and endeavor to exceed our Ancestors, not only in the goodness of our Measures, but in a more careful and exact manner of doing Business.
Gave a Belt.
" Brother :
" We have observed what you say with respect to one of your · Messengers ; The Accident grieves us. In such Times Indians should not go single into Inhabited Parts, without proper Passports and Escorts. We have careless and unthinking Men among us ; we have bad Men too, who have mischievous Hearts. The man who is supposed to have committed this Act is in Goal, and (in case the Messengers dies) shall be tried by our Laws, which require Blood for Blood, in the presence of such Indians as you shall ap- point to attend the Trial, of which you shall have due Notice. It is a matter firmly settled by repeated Treaties between us and the Indians, that whenever an Englishmen kills an Indian or an In- dian an Englishman, the Murderer, or Person offending, shall be tried by our Laws in the presence of both Nations.
Gave a String.
·" Brother Moses Tatamy :
" You are the Father of the Young man who has been unfortu- nately wounded. It gives us great Concern that anything of this kind should happen ; we have employed the most skilful Doctor we have amongst us to take care of him, and we pray that the Almighty
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would bless the Medicines that are administered for his Cure. We by this String of Wampum remove the Grief from your Heart, and desire no uneasiness may remain there. We have assured our Brother Teedyuscung, that strict Justice shall be done on the Trial, and we choose that you, yourself should be a Witness of it."
Gave a String.
At a Meeting in Easton, Thursday, July 28th, 1757, P. M. PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Governor &ca. The Council.
The same Members of Assembly.
The Provincial Commissioners.
A Number of Gentlemen from the City of Philadelphia, and others of the Inhabitants of the Province.
Captain Thomas McKee, Interpreter for the Crown.
Conrad Weiser, Esquire, Interpreter for the Province.
Mr. John Pumpshire, Interpreter for Teedyuscung.
Teedyuscung, King of the Delawares, attended by several Chiefs and Deputies of the Nations he represents.
Teedyuscung addressing himself to the Governor, spoke as fol- lows :
" Brother :
" I desire in a few words to recollect what you told me the other Day, that the Great King beyond the Water had appointed a Man to oversee the Affairs of the Indians, viz : Sir William Johnson, who has nominated Mr. Croghan his Deputy. I am glad to hear this News, and to see the Man that is appointed. I hope, Brother, that it will be accepted by both of us ; It is our Duty to respect the Person that the King has appointed, and with sincerity of Heart to join together, that as the present Business is well begun, it may end so. I hope he will execute this Commission with Justice. Ac- cording to your desire, what you mentioned in the last Treaty, and what you have said now, I will answer in a few Words; And we hope Mr. Croghan will be faithful to see Justice done on both sides, in the Name of the King.
Gave a String.
" Brother :
" After I have opened the Passage from your Heart and Mind that you may see and understand, by this Belt I desire you may fully understand what I now say. It is plain the Proceedings of our Ancestors were shorter than they ought to have been, in Re-
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spect and Behalf of their Children, and also their own everlasting Peace in the World to come. You may easily see the Reason of the gloomy and dark days; they have proceeded from the Earth. Our misunderstanding or mismanagement has proceeded from the Earth, as well as our Differences and Grievances that have passed and repassed. Though it was not the principal cause that made us Strike our Brethren, the English, yet it has caused the stroke to come harder than it otherwise would have come. Now it lies much in your Power to look strictly into your Hearts, as we always prefer and acknowledge you above us in Abilities, Strength, and Know- ledge ; And as it lies a great deal in your Power to know whether what I have said to be true or not, it depends much on you, Brother, that it may be openly and publickly declared and published to the Province or Provinces under the Government of the Great King, both to his Satisfaction and to the Satisfaction of those appointed to manage this affair. Brother, now as we have met together, Face to Face, to speak with great Sincerity, I will endeavour to lay every thing plain before you, not to cover one part, but to lay every thing before you, that you may see plainly, in order that we may have true Satisfaction from one another, and that what may be proved to be our Right and Due, may be established forever in a durable and lasting Peace."
Gave a Belt.
" Brother :
"I would desire also that you look with all Diligence, and see from whence our Differences have Sprung. You may easily see they have Sprung from the Land or Earth, which was mentioned before, though it was not the principal thing. If regular methods had been formerly taken for a Habitation or Residence for the poor Indians in this Land, this would not have come to pass. Now, as it lies much in your Power to search particularly into what was mentioned before with respect to the Land which was the Cause of our Differences, if I now can prevail with you, as I hope I shall, honestly to do what may be consistent with Justice, then I will, with a loud voice, speak, and the Nations shall hear me. Then it depends on you, Brother, as I shall speak with a loud Voice, and as you are of greater Abilities than I, to assist me, that what I speak to the Nations may be true, and that when I have made Proclama- tion with a loud Voice, by your Assistance, the Nations may hear and receive it with great Joy."
Gave a Belt.
Mr. John Pumpshire being asked to explain what was meant by the first part of this Speech, he said the meaning was this : "The Land is the Cause of our Differences ; that is, our being unhappily turned out of the Land is the cause, And though the first Settlers might purchase the Land fairly, yet they did not act well nor do the Indians Justice, for they ought to have reserved some place for the
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Indians ; had that been done these Differences would not have hap- pened.
" Brother :
" I have now in a few Words to let you know what my Inclina- tion and Desire is, agreable to what I have said. I now put it into your Power to make a lasting Peace, and that I may have my rea- sonable Enjoyment from this Land; as we are sensible that this Land was made by that Almighty Power that has made all things, and has given this Land to us, I was the first to whom he gave it, and as it pleased him to convey you to us and unite us in Friendship in the manner already mentioned, which was well known by our Ancestors, it is now in your Power, and depends entirely on your Care and faithful Diligence, that it may not be broken as it has been, and if it be broken it will be owing to you. I think it is my Duty to mention to you in Publick that I will comply with all Sub- mission. This I ask that I may have some place for a Settlement, and for other good Purposes, in which we may both agree, but as I am a free Agent as well as you, I must not be bound up, but have Liberty to settle where I Please."
Gave a Belt of nine Rows.
Tecdyuscung informed the Governor that he had done for this Time, and left it to the Governor's Pleasure to appoint a Time to Answer him.
As the Governor had by Letter informed me that Teedyuscung's Speech appeared to him dark and confused, and desired me to call a Meeting in private with the Indians, and know what they meant, I accordingly on the 30th of July, at five a'Clock in the morning, sent for the King and some of his Councellors, and desired them to call a Council, and consider well the Speeches the King had made, and afterwards to explain them to me. At Half after nine o'Clock, King Teedyuscung, with Jepiscauhuns, Epoweyowallund, Penawaghwottind, Lepaghpetund, Kuhtanamaku, Jangepapawey, Weneywalika, his Councellors, and John Pumpshire, Interpreter, met at my House, and explained his Speeches as follows :
" The Complaints I made last fall I yet continue ; I think some Lands have been bought by the Proprietary, or his Agents, from Indians who had not a Right to sell, and to whom the Lands did not belong. I think also when some Lands have been sold to the Proprietary by Indians who had a right to sell to a certain place, whether that purchase was to be measured by miles or Hours' Walk, that the Proprietaries have, contrary to agreement or bar- gain, taken in more Lands than they ought to have done, and Lands that belonged to others. I therefore now desire that you will produce the Writings and Deeds by which you hold the Land, and let them be read in publick and examined, that it may be fully known from what Indians you have bought the Lands you hold,
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and how far your Purchases extend ; that Copies of the Whole may be laid before King George and published to all the Provinces under his Government. What is fairly bought and paid for, I make no further Demands about; But if any Lands have been bought of Indians to whom these Lands did not belong, and who had no right to sell them, I expect a Satisfaction for these Lands. And if the Proprietaries have taken in more Lands than they bought of true owners, I expect likewise to be paid for that. But as the Persons to whom the Proprietaries may have sold these Lands, which of Right belonged to me, have made some Settle- ments, I do not want to disturb them, or to force them to leave them, but I expect a full Satisfaction shall be made to the True Owners for these Lands, though the Proprietaries, as I said before, might have bought them from Persons that had no right to sell them.
" With respect to our Settlement, We intend to settle at Wyo- ming, and we want to have certain Boundaries fixed between you and us, and a Certain Tract of Land fixed, which it shall not be lawful for us or our Children ever to sell, nor for you or any of your Children ever to buy. We would have the Boundaries fixed all round, agreeable to the Draught we give you, that we may not be pressed on any side, but have a Certain Country fixed for our own use & the use of our Children for ever.
" And as we intend to make a Settlement at Wyoming, and to build different Houses from what we have done heretofore, such as may last not only for a little Time, but for our Children after us ; we desire you will Assist us in making our Settlements, and send us Persons to instruct us in building Houses and in making such necessaries as shall be needfull, and that persons be sent to instruct us in the Christian Religion, which may be for our future Welfare, and to instruct our Children in Reading and Writing, and that a fair Trade be established between us, and such persons appointed to conduct and manage these Affairs as shall be agreeable to us."
I then asked him, as Fort Augusta was within the Lands he desired to be assigned to them, whether he would acknowledge that Fortress to belong to the King of Great Britain for the use of his Subjects in Pennsylvania and all his other Subjects, and whether he would not be willing it should continue as a Trading House, not only for the good of us, the English, and the nations he represents, but of all the nations that now are, or may be hereafter in Alliance with us; and whether he will not engage in Conjunction with the English to defend it against any of his Majesty's Enemies that may come against it.
To which the King, in behalf of the Nations he represents, replied, That he agreed that that Fort shall belong to the English,
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that it shall continue as a Trading House, And he and his People, in Conjunction with their Brethren, the English, engage to defend it against any of his Brittannick Majesty's Enemies that shall come to attack it.
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At a Council held at Easton, Friday, 29th July, 1757. PRESENT :
The Honourable the Governor.
James Hamilton,
William Logan,
Richard Peters,
Lynford Lardner, Esquires.
Benjamin Chew,
John Mifflin,
Teedyuscung's Speech to the Governor of Yesterday was carefully read, and appearing to be very obscure, it was thought proper to desire Mr. Croghan to call Teedyuscung and his Council, with the Interpreters, to a private Meeting, and desire them to explain it, which was done in the following Letter :
" EASTON, 29th July, 1757.
" Mr. GEORGE CROGHAN,
" Sir :
" The speech made to me Yesterday by Teedyuscung being in several Parts of it obscure and uncertain, I find myself very much at a Loss how to return an Answer to it without a further Expla- nation of it; At the Treaty held with Teedyuscung at this place in November last, I enquired of him how the League of Friend- ship that had so long subsisted between us and the Indians came to be broken, whether the Governor or People of Pennsylvania had done them any Injury, & earnestly requested that if they thought we had, they would be honest, open their Hearts to us and inform us of the Cause of their Complaint; In answer to which he said, that the false hearted French King had persuaded them to strike their Brethren, the English, and their foolish Young Men believed the Things that were told them by our Enemies, and listened to them; that this was the Principal Cause, but that one Reason why the Blow came harder than it otherwise would have done was, that some Things had passed in former Times, both in this and other Governments, which were not pleasing to the Indians, and particu- larly said, that all the Land lying between Tohickon Creek and Wyoming, in this Province, was his Inheritance, and was taken from him by Fraud; and likewise, charged the Proprietary Family with Forgery after they had purchased Lands of the Indians and took a Deed for it, in forging a new Deed like the true one with the same Indian Names to it, and thereby taking from them Lands which they never Sold. The truth of those heavy charges
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