ART. I.-A Chronological Summary of events and circumstances connected with the origin and progress of the doctrine and practices of the Quakers. A. D. Continued from p. 134. Governor Keith, attended by four of his Council and Secretary 1721. Logan, holds a Treaty with the Five nations, at Conestogoe. In 1719 some Indian hunters, in alliance with or subject to Pennsylvania, had been attacked near the head of Potowmack River, by the Southern Indians come out to war with the Five Nations and the Susquehannas. This outrage attended with loss of lives created some alarm; the Governor introduced the subject into his speech to the Assembly, who in their reply advised pacification; stating however that it was 'their full purpose to support the administration to the best of their power. In pursuance of this opinion, the Governor took a journey into Virginia to see the Southern tribes, and afterwards treated with his nearer neighbours the five nations; between which parties a dispute still continued. (a) 'The Indian village of Conestogoe (says the account of the Treaty in Proud) lies about seventy miles distant, almost directly West of the City and the land thereabout being exceedingly rich, it is now surrounded with divers fine plantations, or farms; where they raise quantities of wheat, barley, flax, and hemp, without the help of any dung. The company who attended the Governor consisted of between seventy and eighty horsemen, many of them well armed-and at his return he was met at the upper ferry of Schuylkil river, by the Mayor and Aldermen of the City with about two hundred horse.' The advice communicated by Governor Keith on this occasion is so manifestly in unison with the policy of Penn, and contains so large a measure of quaker-inspiration, that I should not do justice to my readers were I to omit much more than the preliminary compliments, which passed between the parties on the arrival of the Governor the day before the Treaty. "Conestogoe, July 6th, 1721. "Present, Sir William Keith, Bart. Governor, Richard Hill, Jonathan Dickenson, Caleb Pusey, and Col. John French, Esqrs. James Logan, Esq. Secretary. "The Governor spoke to the Conestogoe Indians, as follows, viz. My Brothers and Children, "So soon as you sent me word, that your near friends and relations, the Chiefs of the Five Nations, were come to visit you, I made haste, and am come to see both you and them, and to assure all the Indians of the continuance of my love to them. Your old acquaintance and true friend, the great William Penn, was a wise man; and, therefore, he did not approve of wars among the Indians, whom he loved; because it wasted and destroyed their people; but always recommended peace to the Indians, as the surest way to make them rich and strong, by increasing their numbers. "Some of you can very well remember since William Penn, and his friends, came first to settle among you, in this country: it is but a few years, and like as yesterday to an old man; nevertheless, by following that great man's peaceable counsels, this government is now become wealthy, and powerful in great numbers of people. And though many of our inhabitants are not accustomed to war, and dislike the practice of men killing one another; yet you cannot but know, I am able to bring several thousands into the field, well armed, to defend both your people and ours, from being hurt by any enemy, that durst attempt to invade us. However, we do not forget that William Penn often told us, that the experience of old age, which is true wisdom, advises peace; and I say to you, that the wisest man is also the bravest man: for he safely depends on his wisdom; and there is no true courage without it. "I have so great a love for you, my dear brothers, who live under the protection of this government, that I cannot suffer you to be hurt, no more than I would my own children. I am but just now returned from Virginia; where I wearied myself, in a long journey, both by land and water, only to make peace for you, my children, that you may safely hunt in the woods, without danger from Virginia, and the many Indian Nations that are at peace with that government. But the Governor of Virginia expects, that you will not hunt within the great mountains, on the other side of Potowmack river; being a small tract of land, which he keeps for the Virginia Indians, to hunt in: and he promises that his Indians shall not come any more on this side Potowmack, or behind the great mountains this way, to disturb your hunting. And this is the condition I have made for you; which I expect you will firmly keep, and not break it on any consideration whatsoever. "I desire that what I have now said to you may be interpreted to the Chiefs of the Five Nations present: for as you are a part of them, they are in like manner one with us, as you yourselves are; and, therefore, our counsels must agree, and be made known to one another: for our hearts should be open, that we may perfectly see into one another's breasts. And that your friends may speak to me freely, tell them I am willing to forget the mistakes, which some of their young men were guilty of, amongst our people. I hope they will grow wiser with age, and hearken to the grave counsels of their old men; whose valour we esteem, because they are wise; but the rashness of their young men is altogether folly." "At a Council held at Conestogoe, July 6th, 1721. Present, Sir William Keith, Bart. Governor, Richard Hill, Jonathan Dickenson, Caleb Pusey, and Col. John French, Esquires. James Logan, Secretary, with divers gentle men: Sinnekae's Nation Awennoot: Cayoogoe's Nation Onondagoe's Nation Tannawree Skeetowass: "Smith, the Ganawese Indian, Interpreter from the Mingoe language to the Delaware; John Cartlidge, Esquire, and Mr. James le Tort, Interpreters from the Delaware into English. 66 Ghesaont, in the name, and on the behalf of all the Five Nations, delivered himself, in speaking to the Governor, as follows:-They were glad to see the Governor and his Council at this place; for they had heard much of the Governor, in their towns, before they came from home; and now they find him to be what they had then heard of him, viz. their friend and brother, and the same as if William Penn were still amongst them. 66 They assure the Governor and Council, that they had not forgot William Penn's treaties with them; and that his advice to them was still fresh in their memories. "Though they cannot write, yet they retain every thing said in their councils, with all the nations they treat with; and preserve it as carefully in their memories, as if it was committed, in our method, to writing. "They complain, that our traders, carrying goods and liquors up Susquehanna river, sometimes meet with their young people, going out to war, and treat them unkindly, not only refusing to give them a dram of their liquor, but use them with ill language and call them dogs, &c. 66 'They take this unkindly; because dogs have no sense, or understanding: whereas they are men, and think that their brothers should not compare them to such creatures. That some of our traders calling their young men by these names, the young men answered; If they were dogs, they might act as such;' whereupon they seized a cag of liquor, and ran away with it. "Then laying down a belt of wampum upon the table, he proceeded and said, That all their disorders arose from the use of rum, and strong spirits; which took away their sense and memory; that they had no such liquors among themselves; but were hurt with what we furnished them; and therefore desired that no more of that sort might be sent among them. "He produced a bundle of dressed skins and said, That the Five Nations faithfully remember all their ancient treaties; and now desire that the chain of friendship, between them and us, may be made so strong, as that none of the links can ever be broken. "Presents another bundle of raw skins, and observes, That a chain may contract rust with lying, and become weaker; wherefore, he desires it may now be so well cleaned, as to remain brighter and stronger, than ever it was before. "Presents another parcel of skins and says, That, as, in the firmament, all clouds and darkness are removed from the face of the sun, so they desire that all the misunderstandings may be fully done away: so that when they, who are now here, shall be dead and gone, their whole people, with their children and posterity, may enjoy the clear sun-shine of friendship with us for ever; without any thing to interpose, or obscure it. "Presents another bundle of skins, and says, That, looking upon the Governor as if William Penn was present, they desire, that, in case any disorders should hereafter happen between their young people and ours, we would not be too hasty in resenting any such accident, until their council and ours can have some oppor tunity to treat amicably upon it; and so to adjust all matters, as that the friendship between us may still be inviolably preserved. "Presents a small parcel of dressed skins, and desires, That we may now be together as one people; treating one another's children kindly and affectionately, on all occasions. "He proceeds and says, That they consider themselves, in this treaty, as the full plenipotentiaries and representatives of the Five Nations; and they look upon the Governor, as the great King of England's representative: and, therefore, they expect that every thing now stipulated will be made absolutely firm and good, on both sides. “Presents a bundle of bear skins, and says, That having now made a firm league with us, as becomes our brothers, they complain that they get too little for their skins and furs, so as they cannot live by their hunting; they desire us, therefore, to take compassion on them, and contrive some way to help them, in that particular. "Presenting a few furs, he speaks only as from himself, to acquaint the Governor, That the Five Nations having heard that the Governor of Virginia wanted to speak with them, he himself, with some of his company, intended to proceed to Virginia, but do not know the way, how to get safe thither. "On the 8th of July, the Governor and his Council, at the House of John Cartlidge, Esq. near Conestogoe, having advised upon and prepared a proper present, in return for that of the Indians, and in confirmation of his speech, according to custom in such cases, which consisted of a quantity of strowd match-coats, gunpowder, lead, biscuit, pipes and tobacco, adjourned to Conestogoe the place of treaty.” "At a Council, held at Conestogoe, July 8th, 1721. P. M. "Present, the same as before; with divers gentlemen attending the Governor, and the Chiefs of the Five Nations; being all seated in council, and the presents laid down before the Indians, the Governor spoke to them, by an interpreter, in these words: My friends and brothers, it is a great satisfaction to me, that I have this opportunity of speaking to the valiant and wise Five Nations of Indians, whom you tell me you are fully empowered to represent. "I treat you, therefore, as if all these nations were here present; and you are to understand what I now say to be agreeable to the mind of our great Monarch George, the King of England, who bends his care to establish peace amongst all the mighty nations of Europe; unto whom all the people, in these parts, are, as it were but like one drop out of a bucket, so that what is now transacted between us must be laid up, as the words of the whole body of your people and our people, to be kept in perpetual remembrance. "I am also glad to find that you remember what William Penn formerly said to you. He was a great and a good man: his own people loved him; he loved the Indians, and they also loved him, He was as their father; he would never suffer them to be wronged; neither would he let his people enter upon any lands, until he had first purchased them of the Indians. He was just, and therefore the Indians loved him. 66 Though he is now removed from us, yet his children and people, following his example, will always take the same measures; so that his and our posterity will be as a long chain, of which he was the first link; and when one link ends, another succeeds, and then another; being all firmly bound together in one strong chain, to endure for ever. "He formerly knit the chain of friendship with you, as the chief of all the Indians, in these parts; and lest this chain should grow rusty, you now desire it may be scoured, and made strong, to bind us as one people together. We do assure you it is, and has always been, bright on our side; and so we will ever keep it. i 4 .1 "As to your complaint of our traders, that they have treated some of your young men unkindly, I take that to be said only by way of excuse for the follies of your people, thereby endeavouring to persuade me, that they were provoked to do what you very well know they did; but, as I told our own Indians, two days ago, I am willing to pass by all these things; you may therefore be assured, that our people shall not offer any injury to yours; or, if I know that they do, they shall be severely punished for it. So you must, in like manner, strictly command your young men, that they do not offer any injury to ours. For when they pass through the utmost skirts of our inhabitants, where there are no people yet settled, but a few traders, they should be more careful of them, as having separated themselves from the body of their friends, purely to serve the Indians more commodiously with what they want. "Nevertheless, if any little disorders should at any time hereafter arise, we will endeavour that it shall not break, or weaken, the chain of friendship between us: to which end, if any of your people take offence you must, in that case, apply to me, or to our chiefs. And when we have any cause to complain, we shall, as you desire, apply to your chiefs, by our friends the Conestogoe Indians: but, on both sides, we must labour to prevent every thing of this kind, as much as we can. "You complain that our traders come into the path of your young men, going out to war, and thereby occasion disorders among them; I will, therefore, my friends and brothers, speak very plainly to you, on this head. Your young men come down Susquehanna river, and take their road through our Indian towns and settlements, and make a path between us and the people against whom they go out to war. Now you must know that the path, this way, leads them only to the Indians who are in alliance with the English; and first to those, who are in a strict league of friendship with the Governor of Virginia; just as these, our friends and children, who are settled among us, are in league with me and our people. You cannot therefore make war upon the Indians, in league with Virginia, without weakening the chain with the English: for, as we would not suffer these, our friends and brothers of Conestogoe, and upon the river, to be hurt by any persons, without considering it as done to ourselves; so the Governor of Virginia looks upon the injuries, done to his Indian brothers and friends, as if they were done to himself. And you very well know, that, though you are five different nations, yet you are but one people; so as that any wrong, done to one nation, is received as an injury done you all. In the same manner, and much more so, it is with the English, who are all united under one great King, who has more people in that one town where he lives, than all the Indians in North America, put together. "You are in league with New York, as your ancient friends, and nearest neighbours; and you are in league with us, by treaties often repeated, and by a chain which you have now brightened. As, therefore, all the English are but one people, you are actually in league with all the English governments, and must equally preserve the peace with all, as with one government. "You pleased me very much when you told me, that you were going to treat with the Governor of Virginia. Your nations formerly entered into a very firm league with that government; and, if you have suffered that chain to grow rusty, it is time to scour it; and the Five Nations have done very wisely, to send you there for that purpose. I do assure you, the Governor of Virginia is a great and a good man; he loves the Indians as his children, and so protects and defends them; for he is very strong, having many thousand Christian warriors under his command; whereby he is able to assist all those who are in any league of friendship with him. Hasten, therefore, my friends, to brighten and strengthen the chain with that great man; for he desires it, and will receive you kindly. He is my great and good friend; I have been lately with him; and since you say you are strangers, I will give you a letter to him, to inform him of what we have done, and of the good design of your visit to him, and this country. |