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which you delivered us; and these words have been interpreted to you. We presume the interpretation agrees with your ideas of the contents of the paper. It is expressed to be given by the Wyandots, &c. (here we repeated the whole) in behalf of themselves and the whole confederacy, and agreed to in full council.

Brothers, we are a little surprised at the suggestion that in the conference at Niagara we did not come to a right understanding, and that your deputies did not fully explain your meaning. These deputies appeared to be men of good understanding, and when we saw them, they were perfectly sober. In short, we never saw men in public council more attentive, or behave with more propriety. We could not therefore suppose they could mistake your meaning or ours. Certainly, we were sufficiently explicit, for in plain terms we declared, that "in order to establish a just and permanent peace, some concessions would be necessary on your part as well as ours."

These words, brothers, are a part of our speech to your deputies, and that speech they assured us they fully understood. What those concessions should be on both sides, and where the boundary line should be fixed, were proper subjects of discussion at the treaty, where we should speak face to face. This we are certain would be the best way to remove all difficulties. But your nations have adopted another mode, which, by speaking at a distance, prevents our knowing each other, and keeps alive those jealousies which are the great obstacles to peace. We are desirous of meeting your nations in full council, without more delay. We have already waited in this province sixty days beyond the time appointed for opening the treaty.

Brothers,

We have now expressed our opinion of a proper mode of settling the differences between you and the United States. But as your nations have desired answers to certain questions previous to our meeting, and we are disposed to act with frankness and sincerity, we will give you an explicit answer to the great question you have now proposed to us. But before we do this, we think it best to look back to some former transactions, and we desire you patiently to hear us. Brothers,

We do know very well that at the treaty of Fort Stanwix,

twenty-five years ago, years ago, the river Ohio was agreed on as the boundary line between you and the white people of the British colonies; and we all know that about seven years after that boundary was fixed, a quarrel broke out between your Father, the king of Great Britain, and the people of these colonies, which are now the United States. This quarrel was ended by the treaty of peace made with the king about ten years ago, by which the great lakes and the waters which unite them were by him declared to be the boundaries of the United States.

Brothers,

Peace having been made between the king of Great Britain and the United States, it remained to make peace between them and the Indian nations who had taken part with the king. For this purpose Commissioners were appointed, who sent messages to all the Indian nations, inviting them to come and make peace. The first treaty was held about nine years ago with the Six Nations at Fort Stanwix, which has stood firm and unviolated to this day. The next treaty was made about ninety days after, at Fort McIntosh, with the Half-King of the Wyandots, Captain Pipe, and other chiefs, in behalf of the Wyandots, Delawares, Ottawas and Chippeway nations. Afterwards treaties were made with divers Indian nations south of the Ohio river; and the next treaty was made with Kakaipilashy here present, and other Shawanese chiefs, in behalf of the Shawanese nation, at the mouth of the Great Miami, which runs into the Ohio.

Brothers,

The Commissioners who conducted these treaties in behalf of the United States, sent the papers containing them to the great council of the States, who, supposing them satisfactory to the nations treated with, proceeded to dispose of large tracts of the lands thereby ceded; and a great number of people removed from other parts of the United States and settled upon them. Also, many families of your ancient fathers, the French, came over the great waters, and settled on parts of the same lands.

Brothers,

After some time it appeared that a number of people in your nations were dissatisfied with the treaty of Fort Mclutosh and Miami. Therefore the great council of the United States appointed Governor St. Clair their Commissioner, with

full powers, for the purposes of removing all causes of controversy, regulating trade, and 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 which he kindled at the falls of Muskingum. While he was waiting for them, some mischief happened at that place, and the file was put out; so he kindled a council-fire at Fort Harmar, where near six hundred Indians of different tribes attended. The Six Nations then renewed and confirmed the treaty of Fort Stanwix, and the Wyandots and Delawares renewed and confirmed the treaty of Fort McIntosh. Some Ottawas, Chippeways, Potawatamies and Sacs were also parties to this treaty of Fort Harmar.

Brothers,

All these treaties we have here with us. We have also the speeches of many chiefs who attended them, and who voluntarily declared their satisfaction with the terms of those treaties.

Brothers,

After making all these treaties, and after having the chiefs freely express their satisfaction with them, the United States expected to enjoy peace, and quietly to hold the lands ceded by them. Accordingly large tracts have been sold, and settled, as before mentioned.

And now, brothers, we answer explicitly that, for the reasons here stated to you, it is impossible to make the river Ohio the boundary between your people and the people of the United States.

Brothers,

You are men of understanding, and if you consider the custom of white people, the great expense which attends their settlements in a new country, the nature of their improvements in building houses and barns and clearing and fencing their land, how valuable the lands are thus rendered, and thence how dear they are to them, you will see that it is now impracticable to remove our people from the north side of the Ohio. Your brothers, the English, know the nature of white people, and they know that under the circumstances which we have mentioned, the United States cannot make the Ohio the boundary between you and us.

Brothers,

You seem to consider all the lands in dispute on your side of the Ohio as claimed by the United States. But suffer us to remind you that a large tract was sold by the Wyandots and Delaware nations to the state of Pennsylvania. This tract lies east of a line drawn from the mouth of Beaver Creek, at the Ohio, due north to Lake Erie. This line is the western bounds of Pennsylvania, as claimed under the charter given by the king of England to your ancient friend, William Penn. Of this sale made by the Wyandots and Delaware nations to the state of Pennsylvania we have never heard any complaint.

Brothers,

We are on this occasion obliged to make a long speech. We again desire you to hear us patiently. The business is of the highest importance; and a great many words are necessary fully to explain it ; for we desire you may perfectly understand us; and there is no danger of your forgetting what we say, because we will give you our speech in writing.

Brothers,

We have explicitly declared to you that we cannot now make the Ohio the boundary line between us. This agrees with our speech to your deputies at Niagara, "that in order to establish a just and permanent peace, some concessions would be necessary on your part as well as ours."

Brothers,

The concessions which we think necessary on your part are, that you yield up and finally relinquish to the United States some of the lands on your side of the Ohio. The United States wish to have confirmed all the lands ceded to them by the treaty of Fort Harmar; and also a small tract of land at the rapids of the Ohio, claimed by General Clark 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 foot on this island. And because those lands did every year furnish you with skins and furs, with which you bought clothing and other necessaries, the United States will furnish the like constant supplies; and 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 suited to the wants of yourselves, your women and children.

Brothers,

If all the lands before mentioned cannot be yielded up to the United States, we shall desire to treat and agree with you on a new boundary line; and for the quantity of land you relinquish to us within that new boundary line, we shall stipulate a generous compensation; not only for a large sum to be paid at once, but for a yearly rent, for the benefit of selves and your children forever.

Brothers,

your

Here you see our concession, which we are willing to make on the part of the United States. Now listen to another of a claim which probably has more disturbed your minds than any other whatever.

Brothers,

The Commissioners of the United States formerly set up a claim to your whole country southward of the great lakes, as the property of the United States, grounding their claim on the treaty of peace with your Father, the king of Great Britain, who declared, as we have before mentioned, the middle of those lakes and the waters which unite them to be the boundaries of the United States.

Brothers,

We are determined that our whole conduct shall be marked with openness and sincerity. We therefore frankly tell you that we think that those Commissioners put an erroneous construction on that part of our treaty with the king. As he had not purchased the country of you, of course he could not give it away; he only relinquished to the United States his claim to it. That claim was founded on a right acquired by treaty with other white nations, to exclude them from purchasing or settling in any part of your country; and it is the right which the king granted to the United States. Before that grant, the king alone had a right to purchase of the Indian nations any of their lands between the great lakes, the Ohio, and the Mississippi, excepting the part within the charter boundaries of Pennsylvania; and the king, by the treaty of peace, having granted this right to the United States, they alone have now the right of purchasing. that now neither the king nor any of his people have any right to interfere in any respect with any part of those lands. All your brothers, the English, know this to be true; and it agrees with the declaration of Lord Dorchester at Quebec two years ago.

So

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