GOVERNMENT.
Although the Indians have no code of laws for their government, their
chiefs find little or no difficulty in governing them. They are
supported by able experienced counsellors; men who study the welfare
of the nation, and are equally interested with themselves in its
prosperity. On them the people rely entirely, believing that what they
do, or determine upon, must be right and for the public good.
Proud of seeing such able men conduct the affairs of their nation, the
Indians are little troubled about what they are doing, knowing that
the result of their deliberations will be made public in due time,
and sure that it will receive their approbation. This result is made
known to them by the chief through the orator, for which purpose they
are called together and assemble at the council-house; and if it be
found necessary to require a contribution of _wampum_, for carrying the
decision of the chiefs into effect, it is cheerfully complied with by
the whole assembly.
The chiefs are very careful in preserving for their own information,
and that of future generations, all important deliberations and
treaties made at any time between them and other nations. Thus, between
the years 1770 and 1780, they could relate very minutely what had
passed between William Penn and their forefathers, at their first
meeting and afterwards, and also the transactions which took place with
the governors who succeeded him. For the purpose of refreshing their
own memories, and of instructing one or more of their most capable and
promising young men in these matters, they assemble once or twice
a year. On these occasions they always meet at a chosen spot in the
woods, at a small distance from the town, where a fire is kindled,
and at the proper time provisions are brought out to them; there, on
a large piece of bark or on a blanket, all the documents are laid
out in such order, that they can at once distinguish each particular
speech, the same as we know the principal contents of an instrument of
writing by the endorsement on it. If any paper or parchment writings
are connected with the belts, or strings of wampum, they apply to some
trusty white man (if such can be had,) to read the contents to them.
Their speaker then, who is always chosen from among those who are
endowed with superior talents, and has already been trained up to the
business, rises, and in an audible voice delivers, with the gravity
that the subject requires, the contents, sentence after sentence,
until he has finished the whole on one subject. On the manner in
which the belts or strings of wampum are handled by the speaker, much
depends; the _turning_[116] of the belt which takes place when he has
finished one half of his speech, is a material point, though this is
not common in _all_ speeches with belts; but when it is the case, and
is done properly, it may be as well known by it how far the speaker
has advanced in his speech, as with us on taking a glance at the pages
of a book or pamphlet while reading; and a good speaker will be able
to point out the exact place on a belt which is to answer to each
particular sentence, the same as we can point out a passage in a book.
Belts and strings, when done with by the speaker, are again handed to
the chief, who puts them up carefully in the speech-bag or pouch.
A message of importance is generally sent on to the place of its
destination, by an inferior chief, by a counsellor, or by the speaker,
especially when an immediate answer is expected. In other cases, where
for instance only an answer to a speech is to be sent, two capable
young men are selected for the purpose, the one to deliver the message
or answer, and the other to pay attention while his companion is
delivering it, that no part be forgotten or omitted. If the message
be of a private nature, they are charged to draw or take it _under
ground_, that is, not to make it known to any person whatsoever, except
to him to whom it is directed. If they are told to enter _into the
earth_ with the message or speech, and rise again at the place where
they are to deliver it, it is to desire them to be careful not to be
seen by the way by any person, and for that purpose to avoid all paths,
and travel through the woods.
No chief pays any attention to _reports_, though they may carry with
them the marks of truth. Until he is _officially_ and in due form
apprised of the matter, he will, if questioned on the subject, reply
that he had _not heard it_. It will, until then, be considered by
him as the _song of a bird which had flown by_; but as soon as he is
officially informed, through a string of wampum from some distant chief
or leading man of the nation, whose situation entitles him to receive
credit, he then will say: “I _have_ heard it;” and acts accordingly.
The Indians generally, but their chiefs more particularly, have
many figurative expressions in use, to understand which requires
instruction. When a nation, by message or otherwise, speaks to another
nation in this way, it is well understood; but when they speak to
white people after this manner, who have not been accustomed to such
language, explanations are necessary.
Their belts of wampum are of different dimensions, both as to the
length and breadth. White and black wampum are the kinds they use;
the former denoting that which is _good_, as peace, friendship, good
will, &c., the latter the reverse; yet occasionally the black also is
made use of on peace errands, when the white cannot be procured; but
previous to its being produced for such purpose, it must be daubed all
over with chalk, white clay, or any thing which changes the colour from
black to white. The pipe of peace, being either made of a black or red
stone, must also be whitened before it is produced and smoked out of on
such occasions.
Roads from one friendly nation to another, are generally marked on the
belt, by one or two rows of white wampum interwoven in the black, and
running through the middle, and from end to end. It means that they are
on good terms, and keep up a friendly intercourse with each other.
A black belt with the mark of a hatchet made on it with red paint,
is a war belt, which, when sent to a nation together with a twist or
roll of tobacco, is an invitation to join in a war. If the nation so
invited smoke of this tobacco, and say it smokes well, they have given
their consent, and are from that moment allies. If however they decline
smoking, all further persuasion would be of no effect; yet it once[117]
happened, that war messengers endeavoured to persuade and compel a
nation to accept the belt, by laying it on the shoulders or thigh of
the chief, who, however, after shaking it off without touching it with
his hands, afterwards, with a stick, threw it after them, as if he
threw a snake or toad out of his way.
Although at their councils they do not seat themselves after the
manner of the white people, yet the attitude they place themselves in
is not chargeable to them as a want of respect. Faithful to the trust
committed to them, they are careless of ceremonies, from which the
nation cannot derive any benefit. They seat themselves promiscuously
around a council fire, some leaning one way, some another, so that
a stranger on viewing them, might be led to conclude they were
inattentive to what was said, or had become tired of attending. Not
so! even sitting in this posture gives them the opportunity of being
intent on what is said, and attentive to the subject under their
consideration. They have no object to look at, which might draw off
their attention. They are all ears, though they do not stare at the
speaker! The fact is, that nothing can draw their attention from the
subject they are deliberating on, unless the house they are sitting in
should take fire or be attacked by an enemy.
To prove the correctness of the above assertion, I shall relate the
following fact, which happened at Detroit in the winter of 1785 and
1786.
When two most audacious murderers of the Chippeway nation, who, for
many months, had put the town and whole country in fear, by the threats
and the daring murders they had committed in the settlement, were
taken, and brought before the commandant (their chiefs having been
previously sent for, and being now assembled in the council house),
heard him pronounce the words: “that according to the laws of their
Father (the English) they should[118] be punished with death,” the
younger of the two, who was the son of the other, sprang from his seat,
and having forced his way to[119] the door, endeavoured with a knife
or dagger he had hidden under his blanket, to work his way through
the strong guard placed outside of the door and[120] in the street to
prevent their escape; in this attempt, however, he was stabbed and
fell; all which occasioned much noise and commotion without, and not a
little fear and uneasiness within, among the spectators and officers of
government; yet, not one of the chiefs, who were many in number, either
moved from his seat, nor looked around, or even at one another; but
they all remained sitting in the same posture as before, smoking their
pipes as if nothing had happened.
Though there are sometimes individuals in a nation, who disregard the
counsel and good advice given by the chiefs, yet they do not meet
with support so as to be able to oppose the measures of government.
They are generally looked upon as depraved beings, who not daring to
associate with the others, lurk about by themselves, generally bent on
mischief of a minor kind, such as pilfering small articles of goods
and provisions. As soon, however, as they go a step further, and
become known thieves and murderers, they are considered a disgrace to
the nation, and being in a manner disowned by it, they are no longer
entitled to their protection.
In the year 1785, an Indian of this description, murdered a Mr. Evans
at Pittsburg; when, after a confinement of several months, his trial
was to be brought on, the chiefs of his (the Delaware nation,) were
invited to come to be present at the proceedings and see how the trial
would be conducted, and, also, if they chose, to speak in behalf of
the accused. These chiefs, however, instead of coming, as wished for,
sent to the civil officers of that place the following laconic answer:
“Brethren! You inform us that N. N. who murdered one of your men at
Pittsburg, is shortly to be tried by the laws of your country, at which
trial you request that some of us may be present! Brethren! knowing N.
N. to have been always a very bad man, we do not wish to see him! We,
therefore, advise you to try him by your laws, and to hang him, so that
he may never return to us again.”
I shall conclude this subject with another anecdote. When in the winter
of 1788 and 1789, the Indian nations were assembling at Fort Harmer, at
the mouth of the Muskingum, where a treaty was to be held, an Indian of
the Seneca nation was one morning found dead on the bank of the river.
The Cornplanter, chief of this nation, observing some uneasiness among
the officers and people of the place, and fearing the murder at this
time and place, might perhaps create much disturbance, waited in the
morning on the Governor, whom he desired “not to be uneasy about what
had happened the preceding night, for the man who had been killed was
of no consequence.” This meant in other words, that he was disowned for
his bad conduct by his countrymen, and that his death would not be a
loss to his nation.