The Treaty Held with the Indians of the Six Nations at Philadelphia, in July 1742 - To which is Prefix'd an Account of the first Confederacy - of the Six Nations, their present Tributaries, Dependents, - and Allies by Various
page 33 of 57 (57%)
page 33 of 57 (57%)
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'We have further to observe, with Respect to the Lands lying on the West
Side of _Susquehanna_, that tho' Brother ONAS (meaning the Proprietor) has paid us for what his People possess, yet some Parts of that Country have been taken up by Persons whose Place of Residence is to the South of this Province, from whom we have never received any Consideration. This Affair was recommended to you by our Chiefs at our last Treaty; and you then, at our earnest Desire, promised to write a Letter to that Person who has the Authority over those People, and to procure us his Answer: As we have never heard from you on this Head, we want to know what you have done in it. If you have not done any thing, we now renew our Request, and desire you will inform the Person whose People are seated on our Lands, that that Country belongs to us, in Right of Conquest; we having bought it with our Blood, and taken it from our Enemies in fair War; and we expect, as Owners of that Land, to receive such a Consideration for it as the Land is worth. We desire you will press him to send us a positive Answer: Let him say _Yes_ or _No_: If he says _Yes_, we will treat with him; if _No_, we are able to do ourselves Justice; and we will do it, by going to take Payment ourselves. 'It is Customary with us to make a Present of Skins whenever we renew our Treaties. We are ashamed to offer our Brethren so few; but your Horses and Cows have eat the Grass our Deer used to feed on. This has made them scarce, and will, we hope, plead in Excuse for not bringing a larger Quantity: If we could have spared more, we would have given more; but we are really poor; and desire you'll not consider the Quantity, but, few as they are, accept them in Testimony of our Regard.' _Here they gave the Governor a Bundle of Skins._ |
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