general council with the Indians at Cold Spring, where they were
encouraged to perseverance in the path they had for many years been
pointing out to the Indians, and in which good way they had made
considerable progress. But it was observed, that they were deficient in
several respects, and had not made so much improvement as was desirable
for the opportunity they had had. In their replies, they acknowledged
the very great benefit they had received in time past, from the advice
and instruction of Friends, but said they had made less improvement
since the war commenced; that they were frequently called upon by the
officers to go to war, and this kept them uneasy, so that they could
not attend to their business. Some of their people had, also, during
the war, got into habits of intemperance--and this tended to retard
their advancement in the modes of civilized life.
The old chief, Cornplanter, not having attended this council, several
of the company paid him a visit at his own house, about eleven miles
distant from Tunesassa. About five or six families remained with the
old chief, at his settlement, mostly his connexions. The old town of
Jenuchshadaga, where all the first councils between Friends and the
Indians were held, was entirely deserted, and so overgrown with young
timber, as almost to conceal the place where it stood. This strange
mutation of things at this place, was principally owing to the land
being Cornplanter’s private property, and to the disposition of the
other Indians to move higher up the river, and settle on land belonging
to the nation, where they would have a greater security for the
improvements they should make.
Cornplanter expressed his great satisfaction at once more seeing his
friends in his own house, and that he was still preserved alive to
talk with them. He acknowledged the advice of Friends had always been
good, and that in consequence of many of the Indians adhering to it,
their situation had been much improved, but that in consequence of the
miseries of war, some of his people had again become intemperate.
The too common practice of men and their wives parting, having been
animadverted upon at the late council, the old chief observed, that he
also reprobated it, as being attended with many evil effects; and that
he had often seen children, who had been thus neglected, when young,
in consequence of their parents’ separation, reflect on their parents,
when they got old, and charge them with neglect of duty; it being
generally the practice where separations take place, for the mother to
take charge of the children, and provide for them as well as she can.
“The liquor, said he, has been introduced among us by white people; but
this evil practice has grown up among ourselves. Our young people are
too fond of diversions, and not serious enough, in forming connexions.
I have often advised them to more sobriety and regular conduct, and
spent much of my time in serving the nation.”
The Indians, generally, on the Alleghany river, continued to increase
their stock of cattle, horses, and swine, quite equal to their means
of supporting them through the winter; although in other respects,
since the commencement of the war, they had made but little progress
in agriculture. Many of the women, however, had given considerable
attention to spinning--especially in the winter season. They appeared
more cleanly in their persons and houses than they formerly did; and
their manners, and general deportment, appeared to be rising from that
degraded state in which they had formerly lived, and becoming more
assimilated to the modes and practices of white people.
The spring of 1815, was ushered in with the welcome and consoling news
of peace, to the poor Indians; an accommodation having taken place
between the United States and Great Britain in the preceding winter.
Not only could the Seneca nation participate in the blessings of
peace, by having their prospects to pursue their agricultural labours
again brightened, but many of the surrounding tribes, who had been
more extensively engaged in the late contest, could now lay down the
hatchet, which had often been stained with the blood of their enemies.
But although peace had now taken place, and hostilities ceased
between the contending parties, it was doubtful whether the Seneca
nation would be conciliated, and immediately restored to that mutual
friendship, which previous to the war had subsisted between them and
their confederate tribes in Canada, who had, under the banner of Great
Britain, taken up arms against the United States. It was, therefore,
believed expedient by the committee at this critical juncture to send
them a suitable address on the occasion, from which the following is
extracted.
“Brothers, since it has pleased the Great Spirit to restore to our
country the blessing of peace, we have felt our minds concerned to
address you, in order to encourage you to pursue the path we have long
been pointing out to you; and likewise to call your attention to the
great advantages resulting from living in peace with all men.
“Brothers, we are sensible that there are two spirits at work in
the minds of men. The one produces in us a disposition of love and
good will towards all men, and is a comforter for all good actions.
The other excites evil thoughts and desires, and influences to bad
actions, such as lying, swearing, drunkenness, pride, envy, hatred,
gaming, and many other evils, which, if given way to, often create war
between nations. So we believe it is in our power to resist the evil
spirit, and conquer all the evil propensities of our nature, by obeying
the Good Spirit, and by daily watching, and prayer to him. If we so
conduct, he will deliver us from evil.
“Brothers, our fathers, and we their children, who profess the same
principles by which they were guided, have always believed that wars
and fightings are displeasing to the Great Spirit, who is all love,
and who made of one blood all nations of men, that they should live in
peace and love with each other. For this cause, he hath placed his law
in our hearts, and in the hearts of all men, teaching, not only to love
one another, but also to forgive injuries, and even to love and do good
to our enemies.
“Brothers, where people live in this disposition, and trust in the
Great Spirit for protection, it has a powerful effect in producing the
same disposition in the minds of those who wish to do them an injury;
and instead of hatred, it will produce in their minds love and good
will. For you must be sensible, brothers, that when a man is angry with
another, and uses many threatening expressions, if the other returns
mild answers, and endeavours to pacify him by acts of kindness and good
will, it is more likely to restore the angry man to a sober and right
state of mind, than if he were to quarrel and fight with him--and this
would be overcoming evil with good, which is always pleasing to the
Great Spirit.
“Brothers, we are sensible that the late war must have brought you into
great difficulty and distress--and we are thankful for the return of
peace. We hope the Great Spirit will preserve you from again feeling
the miseries of war. We also wish you to be reanimated, to pursue your
farming, and the improvement of your land, under the instruction of
our friends who reside among you, as this is the only sure method we
can recommend to you to obtain a comfortable living for yourselves
and families; and the most likely means, as you are industrious and
become sensible of the value of your property, of securing you in the
permanent possession of your land.
“Brothers, our desires continue as strong at the present day, as ever
they were, to promote your happiness in this life, and in that which is
to come. But this happy state we know can only be attained, by having
our minds drawn to the Great Spirit, by imploring his protection,
and by beseeching him that he would preserve us in love towards all
mankind. If we are sincere in our desires for his assistance, and
attentive to the voice of his spirit in our hearts, we shall have
reason to hope for his blessing upon our labours, which is our desire
for ourselves, for our Indian brethren, and for all men.”
The Indians were also strongly reminded in this address, of the
dangerous tendency of introducing strong liquor again into their
villages, as the late war had exposed them to the use of it more than
they had been for many years previous--and if they now become so unwise
as to fall again in love with it, it would prove their ruin.
This communication had a stimulating effect upon the Indians at both
the settlements. Those of Alleghany sent a written address to the
committee, signed by six of their chiefs, in which they expressed in
a high degree, their sense of gratitude for the continued care of
the society of Friends over them, and the great advantages they had
received from their instruction. They also renewed their request that
they might be furnished with a schoolmaster, as but little attention
had been given to their improvement in school learning for some time
past, owing to the general disinclination of the Indians to have their
children thus instructed.
At the request of the Indians, also, in the summer of 1816, four lads,
two from Buffalo, and two from Alleghany, were brought into Chester
county, within forty miles of Philadelphia, and placed with suitable
persons under the care of the committee, to be instructed in school
learning, and some of the mechanic arts.
In the Eighth month this year, a Friend who had formerly devoted many
years to the instruction of the natives, proceeded again with his wife
to the Alleghany settlement, accompanied by a young man in the capacity
of a schoolmaster; and the family who had resided there for some
years past returned from thence. The school was again opened at Cold
Spring town, in the Tenth month, where about twenty different scholars
attended, in an irregular manner, owing, in part, to the scarcity of
provisions. This scarcity of food was occasioned by unusually early
frost, which destroyed more than half their corn, and likewise many
other vegetables. This calamity was felt through all that part of the
country bordering on the lakes.
Although the Indians had had the fairest prospect of a plentiful
supply, yet, from the foregoing circumstance, many of them were
compelled to resort to their former source of dependence, and with
their families, retire to the woods and hunting encampments, where they
remained a great part of the winter.
The Indians at Cattaraugus were conspicuous sufferers by this calamity;
many of them having their crops of corn entirely cut off, while they
had as yet scarcely recruited from their sufferings during the late
war. Friends duly considered their distressed situation, and granted
five hundred dollars to be applied in supplying them with provisions,
and three hundred more to be administered to the necessities of
those on the Alleghany reservation. These donations were gratefully
received by the Indians, and were peculiarly useful in enabling them,
the following spring, more generally to attend to their agricultural
pursuits, without being compelled from necessity to retire to their
hunting grounds. It was said five hundred and twelve individuals at
Alleghany, and three hundred and ninety at Cattaraugus, partook of this
timely donation of Friends.
In the spring of 1817, the fears of the committee were strongly excited
for the safety of the Indians, from the various concurring accounts,
that plans were again devising to induce a removal of many of them in
the state of New York, from their present seat, to one very remote
among the western tribes. A measure of this kind would not only tend
to unsettle the Indians in their agricultural pursuits, but if carried
into effect, would entirely frustrate the plan of their civilization,
and render of little avail the labours of Friends for twenty years
past, and the expenditure of more than forty thousand dollars in
promoting their advancement toward a civilized state.
The committee, therefore, being fully impressed with the great loss
the Indians would inevitably sustain by a removal to a distant clime,
communicated their views by a written address; and with a view of
setting them in a more permanent possession of the soil, recommended a
division of their land into lots, suitable to accommodate each family,
to be held under such regulations, that it might descend from parent
to children, and other near connexions; and under such restrictions as
would debar individuals from selling, leasing, or transferring it, in
any way, to white people.
This measure being of an important character in the disposition of
Indian affairs, it was believed expedient, by the committee, to present
a memorial to the President of the United States, in their behalf,
by which he was fully made acquainted with the plan proposed to the
Indians for a division of their land; and being visited, also, by a
deputation from the committee, and furnished with various documents, it
opened the way for a free communication of sentiment on the subject,
and the president gave assurance of attentively perusing and duly
considering the documents and memorial.
In the Ninth month this year, the settlements of Tunesassa and
Cattaraugus were again visited by four of the committee, who spent
several weeks among the Indians, in attending to the various services
of their appointment. They inspected, particularly, the state of
improvement at both the settlements, and also had divers interviews
with the Indians in council, at both places.
With respect to the improvements at Cattaraugus, the author being one
of the deputation now visiting them, had a fair opportunity of judging
of the advances they had made in three years past. Their settlements
at this place were now extended about ten miles in length--and they
had fenced in many fields and laid out their farms much more detached
from each other--and were gradually advancing in agriculture. It
was supposed they had more than two hundred acres of corn growing,
(and it generally looked well,) besides one hundred acres more under
cultivation; spring wheat, oats, potatoes, and a great variety of
garden vegetables. Their stock of cattle and horses was much increased,
and divers of them had enclosed lots of grass on which they gathered
hay for winter. Many of the women had made considerable progress in
spinning, so as, in the course of the last year, to make about one
hundred and seventy yards of cloth.
The Alleghany settlement was said to consist of about seventy families,
all of whom, except four, had horned cattle, amounting in the whole to
upwards of four hundred.
They had more horses than was any advantage to them. Their corn, oats,
and buckwheat, were in a prosperous condition, and promised to afford
them a plentiful supply. And it was pleasing to find, that they had
generally refrained from the use of spirituous liquors. The women,
also, continued their attention to spinning and manufacturing their
clothing.
The school taught by the Friend at this place was also in a more
prosperous condition than had hitherto been evidenced among those
Indians. Nearly twenty lads attended, divers of whom could write and
read the English language, and had otherwise made satisfactory progress
in learning. The cleanliness of their persons, their order in the
school, and general deportment, appeared to be encouraging.
A prominent object in this visit was, to encourage the Indians to
make the experiment of dividing their land into lots, and holding it
as private property, under certain restrictions. This was suggested
to them, in separate councils with the different tribes, as the most
eligible plan by which they could continue to possess the good land
which they and their fathers had so long enjoyed, and which of late
years they had improved so much, that “this land, with its valuable
improvements, might pass to their children, and be inherited by them as
long as the Alleghany and Cattaraugus rivers should continue to run,
and the grass and corn to grow.”
The Indians in their several settlements, took this matter under
serious consideration; and, in consequence of an arrangement made for
the purpose, Friends met the principal chiefs, and many others of
the Seneca nation, in a general council at Cattaraugus, among whom
was the noted chief, Red Jacket, and several others from Buffalo. In
this general council, the subject of dividing their land into lots,
was again proposed to the Indians, as the most eligible means of
accelerating their civilization, and securing them more permanently
in the possession of the remnant of the land they yet occupied; and
that these lots should be of adequate dimensions to accommodate each
family with a farm, and be held under such restrictions, that they
could not be alienated, or leased to any other than their own people,
but in such manner as to secure to the individuals respectively, the
land, with the improvements thereon, which should be appropriated to
each. It was believed the adoption of this measure would prove an
additional stimulus to their industry and care, in the prospect it
presented, of the benefits which might result from their agricultural
labours descending to, and being enjoyed by, their children, and
posterity more remote. This important subject occupied the deliberate
attention of the Indians for several days. The result was, a resolution
that an experiment should be made on the Alleghany reservation by the
Indians residing thereon, many of whom had for a considerable time been
desirous of possessing their property more distinct from each other
than had heretofore been the case.
On the morning Friends were about to proceed on their way homewards,
a number of the chiefs called to see them, and expressed their
great satisfaction with the conclusions that had resulted at the
late council. One of them named Blue-eyes, said, “Brothers, we want
you to continue your endeavours to strengthen us, that we may not
become a lost people, but that by persevering in the right path, we
may experience preservation. We believe it is owing to the favourable
disposition of the United States, that the Six Nations yet exist. And
we are of the opinion, from the representations that have been made,
that we owe much to you--and we trust to an overruling providence, who
has thus favoured us, that we may yet experience preservation.”
Notwithstanding the repeated refusals of the Indians to dispose of any
more of their land, renewed applications were made by those holding the
pre-emption right in the beginning of the year 1818; and at a general
council, held at Buffalo, about this time, they again determined not to
sell; and with a view of making the President of the United States more
particularly acquainted with their situation, and with the difficulties
to which they were subjected, by these repeated applications for land,
they sent forward a talk for that purpose, signed by twenty-one chiefs
of the Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondago tribes, which was published in the
Niagara Patriot, and from which, for its simple, natural, impassioned,
and pathetic eloquence, we shall present to the reader a few extracts.
* * * * *
“Father, from the fatherly care the presidents of the United States
have exercised towards their red children, we speak to our father in
confidence, believing he will not turn away his ears from his red
children. We are alarmed lest we lose our seats. Those men who say
they have a right to purchase our lands, have been distressing us for
a number of years with their plans to possess our lands--offering us
in exchange lands to the westward. We declare to you, we desire you to
publish to all our white brothers, that it is our fixed and determined
purpose to live and die on our present land. It is sealed to us by
the bones of our fathers--they obtained it by their blood. Our bones
shall lie beside theirs--it is the heritage of the Almighty--he gave it
us--he it is must take it from us.”
“We mean no threat by this--we know we are in the hands of our white
brethren--they can destroy us with ease--but they need not think to
persuade us to part with our lands--as free men we claim the right to
choose between being killed outright, or a lingering execution, by
being driven a thousand miles into the wilderness.
“Where, father, where would our white brothers have us to go? The
Indian claim to land is put out for more than a thousand miles to the
west--except little spots for particular nations.
“We have confidence in you. You cannot see your red children, with
their little ones, driven off by stealth and fraud--leaving the
sepulchres of their fathers, their farms, their farming tools, and
their cattle, and dying by families on the road, through hardships
and privation--exchanging all their advances in civilization and its
comforts, for the hardships of the chase--without house or friend.
“Father, we have confidence in you, that if you see any device formed
against us, you will frustrate it, and succour your red children. We
have deceived no man--we have wronged no man--our language has been
one--we choose not to part with our land. If we have been needlessly
alarmed, you will pity our ignorance, and forgive our childish fears.
“We trust that you will pardon the multitude of our words. Let none
deceive you in saying that this is the voice of a few individuals, and
not the voice of the Six Nations. It is the voice of the Six Nations in
the state of New York. The chiefs of Buffalo, Cattaraugus, Genessee,
and Onondago, are now in council. We have the message of Oneida
and Alleghany with us, desiring we should speak to our father the
president--intreating him to consider and help us. Speak, father--speak
to your children, that their minds may be at rest. Speak to our council
fire at this place, and let us hear your own words; send them by safe
hands.
“May the Great Spirit preserve you many years a blessing to all your
children.”
* * * * *
The Indians also sent a copy of the foregoing talk to the governor of
New York, accompanied with a short address, from which we make the
following extracts:
“Father, we thank you that you feel anxious to do all you can to the
perishing ruins of your red children. We hope, Father, you will make a
fence strong and high around us, that wicked white men may not devour
us at once, but let us live as long as we can. We are persuaded you
will do this for us, because our field is laid waste and trodden down
by every beast--we are feeble and cannot resist them.”
“Father, we are persuaded you will do this for the sake of our white
brothers, lest God, who has appeared so strong in building up white
men and pulling down Indians, should turn his hand and visit our white
brothers for their sins, and call them to an account for all the wrongs
they have done them, and all the wrongs they have not prevented, that
it was in their power to prevent, to their poor red brothers, who have
no helper.
“Father, would you be the father of your people and make them good and
blessed of God, let not the cries of his red children ascend into his
ears against you.”
Without further comment on these impressive communications of the
Indians, we shall leave the reader to his own reflections, after
stating, that whatever impressions they might have made on the rulers
to whom they were addressed, it did not prevent the renewed and
persevering applications of the pre-emption holders, to obtain the
Indians’ land, which, although they as often refused to sell, had the
effect to keep them in a state of agitation and unsettlement; for
although they had been repeatedly told that their lands were their
own, and that they could not be compelled to dispose of them without
their consent, and that President Washington had fully assured them
that the United States would protect them in the remainder of their
lands, which they had not legally conveyed away at public treaties,
yet there appeared to be a degree of jealousy existing with some, as
to the sincerity of these professions, and a fear lest they might, at
some time, be compelled to relinquish their rightful possessions and be
removed to another clime.