The Honourable _G E O R G E T H O M A S_ Esq; Governor, &c.
The Honourable the Commissioners of _Virginia_.
The Honourable the Commissioners of _Maryland_.
The Deputies of the _Six Nations_.
_Conrad Weiser_, Interpreter.
_C A N A S S A T E G O spoke as follows_:
_Brother_ Onas,
The other Day you was pleased to tell us, you were always concerned
whenever any thing happened that might give you or us Uneasiness, and
that we were mutually engaged to preserve the Road open and clear
between us; and you informed us of the Murder of _John Armstrong_, and
his two Men, by some of the _Delaware Indians_, and of their stealing
his Goods to a considerable Value. The _Delaware Indians_, as you
suppose, are under our Power. We join with you in your Concern for such
a vile Proceeding; and, to testify that we have the same Inclinations
with you to keep the Road clear, free and open, we give you this String
of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony_.
_Brother_ Onas,
These Things happen frequently, and we desire you will consider them
well, and not be too much concerned. Three _Indians_ have been killed
at different Times at _Ohio_, and we never mentioned any of them to you,
imagining it might have been occasioned by some unfortunate Quarrels,
and being unwilling to create a Disturbance. We therefore desire you
will consider these Things well, and, to take the Grief from your Heart,
we give you this String of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremonies_.
_Brother_ Onas,
We have heard of the Murder of _John Armstrong_, and, in our Journey
here, we had Conference with our Cousins the _Delawares_ about it, and
reproved them severely for it, and charged them to go down to our
Brother _Onas_, and make him Satisfaction, both for the Men that were
killed, and for the Goods. We understood, by them, that the principal
Actor in these Murders is in your Prison, and that he had done all the
Mischief himself; but that besides him, you had required and demanded
two others who were in his Company when the Murders were committed. We
promise faithfully, in our Return, to renew our Reproofs, and to charge
the _Delawares_ to send down some of their Chiefs with these two young
Men (but not as Prisoners) to be examined by you; and as we think, upon
Examination, you will not find them guilty, we rely on your Justice not
to do them any Harm, but to permit them to return home in Safety.
We likewise understand, that Search has been made for the Goods
belonging to the Deceased, and that some have been already returned to
your People, but that some are still missing. You may depend upon our
giving the strictest Charge to the _Delawares_ to search again with more
Diligence for the Goods, and to return them, or the Value of them, in
Skins. And, to confirm what we have said, we give you this String of
Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremonies_.
_Brother_ Onas,
The _Conoy Indians_ have informed us, that they sent you a Message, some
Time ago, to advise you, that they were ill used by the white People in
the Place where they had lived, and that they had come to a Resolution
of removing to _Shamokin_, and requested some small Satisfaction for
their Land; and as they never have received any Answer from you, they
have desired us to speak for them; we heartily recommend their Case to
your Generosity. And, to give Weight to our Recommendation, we present
you with this String of Wampum.
_Which was received with the usual Ceremony_.
_The Governor having conferred a little Time with the honourable
Commissioners of_ Virginia _and_ Maryland, _made the following Reply_:
_Brethren_,
I am glad to find that you agree with me in the Necessity of keeping the
Road between us clear and open, and the Concern you have expressed on
account of the barbarous Murders mentioned to you, is a Proof of your
Brotherly Affection for us. If Crimes of this Nature be not strictly
enquired into, and the Criminals severely punished, there will be an End
of all Commerce between us and the _Indians_, and then you will be
altogether in the Power of the _French_. They will set what Price they
please on their own Goods, and give you what they think fit for your
Skins; so it is for your own Interest that our Traders should be safe in
their Persons and Goods when they travel to your Towns.
_Brethren_,
I considered this Matter well before I came from _Philadelphia_, and I
advised with the Council there upon it, as I have done here with the
honourable the Commissioners of _Virginia_ and _Maryland_. I never heard
before of the Murder of the three _Indians_ at _Ohio_; had Complaint
been made to me of it, and it had appeared to have been committed by any
of the People under my Government, they should have been put to Death,
as two of them were, some Years ago, for killing two _Indians_. You are
not to take your own Satisfaction, but to apply to me, and I will see
that Justice be done you; and should any of the _Indians_ rob or murder
any of our People, I do expect that you will deliver them up to be tried
and punished in the same Manner as white People are. This is the Way to
preserve Friendship between us, and will be for your Benefit as well as
ours. I am well pleased with the Steps you have already taken, and the
Reproofs you have given to your Cousins the _Delawares_, and do expect
you will lay your Commands upon some of their Chiefs to bring down the
two young Men that were present at the Murders; if they are not brought
down, I shall look upon it as a Proof of their Guilt.
If, upon Examination, they shall be found not to have been concerned in
the bloody Action, they shall be well used, and sent home in Safety: I
will take it upon myself to see that they have no Injustice done them.
An Inventory is taken of the Goods already restored, and I expect
Satisfaction will be made for such as cannot be found, in Skins,
according to Promise.
I well remember the coming down of one of the _Conoy Indians_ with a
Paper, setting forth, That the _Conoys_ had come to a Resolution to
leave the Land reserved for them by the Proprietors, but he made no
Complaint to me of ill Usage from the white People. The Reason he gave
for their Removal was, That the settling of the white People all round
them had made Deer scarce, and that therefore they chose to remove to
_Juniata_ for the Benefit of Hunting. I ordered what they said to be
entered in the Council-Book. The old Man's Expences were born, and a
Blanket given him at his Return home. I have not yet heard from the
Proprietors on this Head; but you may be assured, from the Favour and
Justice they have always shewn to the _Indians_, that they will do every
thing that may be reasonably expected of them in this Case.
* * * * *
In the C o u r t-H o u s e Chamber at _Lancaster_, _July_ 2, 1744,
_P. M._