tunity of taking the advantage of us and making what terms they Pleased with those who attended. BROTHERS; After taking every Precaution for the good of our Country & finding our advice unattended to, we saw that all our exertions were ineffectual, we therefore resigned the Concerns of the Union to the three tribes you have mentioned, we advised them to follow our Steps and act with prudence, we told them that nothing must be done rashly, and in case a war with the States they should not be the aggressors and that the necessity they were under in commencing a War should be clear to the World. 4 White Strings Wampum. BROTHERS; I again repeat that we request your attention only to such part of our Speech as may be for your welfare, and any thing that you look upon as contrary we wish you to point out. BROTHERS: It is well known that for these many years past, we have exerted ourselves for the Confederacy and no part of their situation has escaped our Notice, but after the most serious Attention to their Affairs and after Deliberating & Maturely Weighing in our Minds our Force, Resources, and every local advantage we Possess, we declare our sentiments from the bottom of our hearts that the Boundary of the Muskingum if adopted in General Council, is for the interest of us all and far preferable to an uncertain War, you must likewise consider my Brethren that you referred this line to Lord Dorchester two years ago. I therefore beg of you not to be rash and consider the Consequence of a War in which we are not unanimous. A Large Bunch of Wampum. The Chief of the 7 Nations then Spoke; BROTHERS; It is my time to Speak now, as I mentioned before that I was ready. Open your ears to what I have to say, in this Bunch of Wampum are my words and they will be between the Six Nations & the Shawanoes. BROTHERS; I have attended to what you and the Shawanoes have said respecting your former transactions, which I was not well acquainted with before for which reason my belts & words shall be to you to decide upon. My opinion when I left home was that we were to defend the Old Boundary which is the Ohio, and in this opinion I was confirmed by the English as I passed their Posts, you may think I speak very free, as I live at a Great Distance, but whatever you determine upon I will abide by, my words must be true as I have only one mouth. A Large Belt of Black Wampum, and a Number of Strings laid between the Six Nations & Shawanoes. I then replied, BROTHERS; We have only delivered our opinion as we have resigned the business of the Confederacy, those Nations are to Determine. The Chief of the Seven Nations said; BROTHERS; Our Nations have been neglected by the Union, therefore it cannot be expected that we could know what was going forward the only information we had was from the English, our ears were stopped by the Indians and except the Council last Fall and the Present one we have not been invited to attend, but we again repeat that we are ready to Defend the Boundary of the Ohio. I then Replied as follows; BROTHERS Of the 7 Nations, part of what you have said is not true, you must recollect that when we met at Sandusky, that if a Treaty was Necessary we were all to attend, we were invited to a Meeting at Fort Stanwix, and you were acquainted therewith and did attend, the Wyandots went as far as Niagara and Returned, only two or three Shawanoes were Present, we arrived at that Place before you did but had come to no Business, when you came there you passed our Camp and went to that of the Oneidas where you remained during that Council, when we found the Americans insisted upon having their own terms we came away but you remained, how then can you say you are neglected and when we found how you acted we did not think it proper to make you acquainted with our Business in this quarter. This day, the Chiefs of the Shawanoes and those of the Hurons, Delawares and the 7 Nations of Canada come to the Six Nations and spoke as follows; BROTHERS; We have since yesterday been thinking seriously of your opinion in the last Council, we know that your knowledge of the White People exceeds ours, and that you are from that enabled to form a better Judgement of our Affairs than we can for which reason we are now come to tell you that we mean to adopt your opinion respecting the Boundary line. A Bunch of Black & White Wampum, Remark) After this meeting, I was informed that Col. McKee had a private Meeting with the aforementioned Chiefs at twelve o'Clock at Night. We met in General Council when Captain Johnny (Chief of the Shawanoes) addressed himself to the Confederacy as follows; BROTHERS; We now are to explain our final Resolution with respect to this Business, our opinion is that the line made in 1768, and which is the Ohio from its Source, is our just Boundary, we will therefore transmit our Sentiments to the Commissioners, who, if they will not relinquish our Lands, may return. We with this Bunch of Wampum unite our Warriors and this Belt contains the Sentiments of the Chiefs to support them, we now pass it to the different tribes of the Union for their Ratification, and it is our opinion that it should be deposited with the Hurons, the Elder Nation. The Belt and Bunch of Wampum was then passed to the Different Nations, the 7 Nations said they would defend that line, but the Six Nations again stated the Muskingum as the most reasonable Boundary. To which Buckongehalis, the Chief of the Delawares replied by Isaac the Interpreter & pointing to Col. McKee, said that is the Person who advises us to insist on the Ohio River for the line. Soon after the Result of this Council was sent to the Commissioners and the Six Nations moved about eight Miles from the Foot of the Rapids to a place called Swan Creek, where they received a Message to attend a Council at the Rapids. When we were met the Chief of the Hurons spoke as follows;BROTHERS; In our former meetings we informed you that we would deliver our sentiments at Sandusky, but as we cannot meet there we will now deliver what we have to say. Two large Belts. BROTHERS; These Belts and the Words belonging to them are yours, one of them is a belt of peace, and the other is a Road of Communication and these are the Pledges, of the Peace made between our Ancestors. I replied; BROTHERS; Altho we have no knowledge of these Belts of our Fore-fathers, we return you thanks for preserving them, it is very well to renew them, but we think they should have been Produced at our former meeting. I then addressed the Confederacy. BROTHERS; Since the Council is now over and you are come to a final resolution, we hope success will attend you, at this time it is not in our Power to assist you, we must first remove our People from amongst the Americans, and if any Choose to remain they must abide the consequence and it is owing to the English that they have not removed from there before. It affords us satisfaction to learn from all their Speeches that our Brethren the 7 Nations are prepared to assist you, their women & children can be no obstacle as they are in a safe Situation. A Belt of Wampum. In the Evening the Chiefs of the Lake Indians, came to our encampment and requested us to promote a peace upon the boundary of the Muskingum which we promised to do and Delivered them a map with the lines marked on it. When the Council was over a War feast was prepared, and the Chiefs of the Shawanoes singing the War Song encouraging the Warriors of all the Nations to be active in defending their Country, saying their Father the English would assist them and Pointed to Col. McKee. When we arrived at Detroit a Deputation of the Lake Indians overtook us and repeated what they had before said they gave us a Belt with a Number of Streaks across it and said the tribes which these Streaks represent have made Peace with the Americans, and that they would go to Post Vincent and make Peace also. Endorsed;-Miamis Rapids, 1793, Capt. Brant's Journal.) MESSAGE FROM THE WESTERN INDIANS TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE UNITED STATES. BROTHERS; August 13th, 1793. We have received your speech dated the 31st of last month, and it has been interpreted to all the different nations, we have been long in sending you an answer because of the great importance of the subject, but we now answer it fully having given it, all the consideration in our Power. BROTHERS; You tell us that after you had made peace with the King our Father, about ten years ago, "it remained to make peace between the U. States, and the Indian Nations who had taken part with the King, for this purpose Commissioners were appointed who sent messages to all those Indian Nations, inviting them to come and make peace,” and after reciting the periods at which you say "Treaties were "held at Fort Stanwix, Fort McIntosh, and Miami, all which Treaties according "to your own acknowledgement, were for the sole purpose of making peace; you then "say, "Brothers, the Commissioners who conducted these Treaties, in behalf of "the United States, sent the papers containing them to the general Council of the "States, who supposing them satisfactory to the Nations treated with proceeded "to dispose of the lands thereby ceded" Brothers, this is telling us plainly what we always understood to be the case, & it agrees with the declaration of those few, who attended these treaties. Vizt. that they went to meet your Commissioners to make peace, but through fear were obliged to sign any paper that was laid before them, and it has since appeared that deeds of cession were signed by them instead of Treaties of peace. BROTHERS: "After some time it appeared that a number of people in your Nations, were dissatisfied with the Treaties of Fort McIntosh, & Miami, therefore the Council of the U. States appointed Governor St. Clair, their Commissioner, with full power for the purpose of removing all causes of controversy relating to trade & settling boundaries, between the Indian Nations in the Northern Department of the United States. He accordingly sent messages inviting all the nations concerned to meet him at a council fire he kindled at the falls of Muskingum, while he was waiting for them some mischief happened at that place, and the fire was put out, so he kindled a Council Fire at Fort Harmar, where near six hundred indians of different nations attended. The Six Nations then renewed and confirmed the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, & the Wyandot's, and Delaware's renewed and confirmed the Treaty of Fort McIntosh, some Ottawa's, Chippawa's, Potowatomies, and Sac's, were also parties to the Treaty of Fort Harmar. Now Brothers, these are your words and it is necessary to make a short reply to them. BROTHERS; A general Council of all the Indian Confederacy was held, as you know, in the Fall of the year 1788, at this place, and that General Council was invited by your Commissioner, Governor St. Clair, to meet him at the falls of Muskingum for the purpose of holding a treaty with regard to the lands mentioned by you to have been ceded by the Treaties of Fort Stanwix, and Fort McIntosh, Brothers, we are in possession of the speeches and letters which passed on that occasion, between those deputed by us the confederate Indians, and Governor St. Clair, the Commissioner of the United States. These papers prove that your said Commissioner in the beginning of the year 1789, after having been informed, by the General Council of the preceeding fall, that no bargain or sale of any part of the Indian lands, would be considered as valid or binding unless agreed to by a general Council, nevertheless persisted in collecting together a few Chiefs of two or three nations only, and with them, held a treaty for the cession of an immense country in which they were no more interested, than as a small branch of the General Confederacy, and who were in no manner authorised, to make any grant or cession whatever. BROTHERS; How then was it possible for you to expect to enjoy peace, and quietly to hold these lands when your Commissioner was informed long before he held the treaty of Fort Harmar, that the consent of a general council was absolutely necessary to convey any part of these lands to the United States, the part of these lands which the United States now wish us to relinquish, and which you say are settled, have been sold by the U. States since that time. BROTHERS; Your say "the United States wish to have confirmed all the lands ceded to "them by the Treaty of Fort Harmar, and also a small tract at the Rapids of the "Ohio, claimed by General Clarke for the use of himself and his warriors, and "in consideration thereof, the United States would give such a large sum in money, "or goods as was never given at one time for any quantity of Indian lands since "the white people first set their feet on this Island. And because these lands did "every year furnish you with skins & furs, with which you bought cloathing, and "other necessaries, & therefore besides the great sum to be delivered at once, "they will every year deliver you a large quantity of such goods as are best fitted "to the wants of yourselves, your women and children." BROTHERS; Money, to us, is of no value, & to most of us unknown, and as no consideration whatever can induce us to sell the lands on which we get sustenance for our women and children; we hope we may be allowed to point out a mode by which your settlers may be easily removed, and peace thereby obtained. BROTHERS; We know that these settlers are poor, or they would never have ventured to live in a country which have been in continual trouble ever since they crossed the Ohio; divide therefore this large sum of money which you have offered to us, among these people, give to each also a portion of what you say you would give us annually over and above this very large sum of money, and we are persuaded they would most readily accept of it in lieu of the lands you sold to them, if you add also the great sums you must expend in raising and paying Armies, with a view to force us to yield you our Country, you will certainly have more than sufficient for the purposes of repaying these settlers for all their labour and improvements. BROTHERS; You have talked to us about concessions. It appears strange that you should expect any from us, who have only been defending our just Rights against your invasion; We want Peace; Restore to us our Country and we shall be Enemies no longer. BROTHERS; You make one concession to us, by offering us your money, and another by having agreed to do us justice, after having long and injuriously withheld it. We mean in the acknowledgement you have now made, that the King of England never did, nor never had a right, to give you our Country, by the Treaty of peace, and you want to make this act of Common Justice, a great part of your concessions, and seem to expect that because you have at last acknowledged our independence, we should for such a favor surrender to you our Country. BROTHERS; You have talked also a great deal about pre-emption and your exclusive right to purchase Indian lands, as ceded to you by the King at the Treaty of peace. BROTHERS; We never made any agreement with the King, nor with any other Nation that we would give to either the exclusive right of purchasing our lands. And we declare to you that we consider ourselves free to make any bargain or cession of lands, whenever & to whomsoever we please, if the white people as you say, made a treaty that none of them but the King should purchase of us, and that he has |