Part 6 (2/2)

_Logan_, who was at that Time President, did write to the Governor of _Maryland_, that he might make you Satisfaction for such of your Lands as his People had taken up, but did not receive one Word from him upon that Head. I will write to him again, and endeavour to procure you a satisfactory Answer. We do not doubt but he will do you Justice: But we exhort you to be careful not to exercise any Acts of Violence towards his People, as they likewise are our Brethren, and Subjects of the same great King; and therefore Violence towards them, must be productive of very evil Consequences.

'I shall conclude what I have to say at this Time, with Acknowledgments for your Present; which is very agreeable to us, from the Expressions of Regard used by you in presenting it: Gifts of this Nature receiving their Value from the Affection of the Giver, and not from the Quant.i.ty or Price of the Thing given.'

At a C O U N C I L held at _Philadelphia, July_ 8, 1742.

P R E S E N T,

The Honourable _G E O R G E T H O M A S_, Esq; Lieutenant-Governor.

_James Logan_, } _Clement Plumsted_, } _Samuel Hasell_, } _Abraham Taylor_, } _Samuel Preston_, } Esqrs; _Thomas Lawrence_, } _Ralph Asheton_, } _Robert Strettell_, }

The Board taking into Consideration, whether it be proper or not at this Time, to make a Present to the _Indians_ of the Six Nations now in Town, in Return for their Present to this Government at Yesterday's Treaty;

_Resolved_,

That it is highly fit and proper that a Present be made to the said _Indians_ at this Time.

And it is the Opinion of this Board, that the said Present should be of the Value of 500 _l._ or at least 300 _l._

And it is recommended to Mr. _Logan_, Mr. _Preston_, and Mr. _Lawrence_, to acquaint Mr. _Kinsey_, the Speaker of the a.s.sembly, with the Opinion of this Board; and that they request him to confer with such other Members of a.s.sembly as are in Town, and report their Sentiments thereupon.

The Board taking into Consideration the Threats expressed by the _Indians_, at the Treaty Yesterday, against the Inhabitants of _Maryland_, settled on certain Lands on the West-side of _Sasquahannah_, which the _Indians_ claim, and for which they require Satisfaction; and considering, that should those Threats, in any Sort be put in Execution, not only the Inhabitants of _Maryland_, but of this Government, and all his Majesty's Subjects on the Northern Continent of _America_, may thereby be involved in much Trouble: It is the Opinion of this Board, that the Governor write to the Governor of _Maryland_ without Delay, to inform him of the _Indians_ Complaints and Threats, and to request a satisfactory Answer; and that his Letter be sent by a special Messenger, at the publick Expence.

At a C O U N C I L held _July_ 9, 1742.

P R E S E N T,

The Honourable _G E O R G E T H O M A S_, Esq; Lieutenant-Governor.

_James Logan_, Esq; _Clement Plumsted_, Esq; _Samuel Hasell_, Esq; _Robert Strettell_, Esq; _Samuel Preston_, Esq; _Ralph Asheton_, Esq; _Thomas Lawrence_, Esq; Mr. _Peters_.

The Governor informed the Board, that the _Indian_ Chiefs dining with him Yesterday, after Dinner delivered their Answer to two Affairs of Consequence:

The first related to the violent Battery committed on _William Webb_, in the Forks of _Delaware_, whereby his Jaw-bone was broke, and his Life greatly endangered, by an unknown _Indian_. _Cana.s.satego_ repeating the Message delivered to the _Six Nations_ by _s.h.i.+ckcalamy_, in the Year 1740, with a String of Wampum, said in Answer: 'The _Six Nations_ had made diligent Enquiry into the Affair, and had found out the _Indian_ who had committed the Fact; he lived near _Asopus_, and had been examined and severely reprov'd: And they hoped, as _William Webb_ was recovered, the Governor would not expect any further Punishment; and therefore they returned the String of Wampum received from their Brethren, by the Hand of _s.h.i.+ckcalamy_, in Token that they had fully complied with their Request.'

I thank'd them, said he, for their Care; but reminded them, that though the Man did not die, yet he lay a long Time in extreme Misery, and would never recover the free Use of his Speech, and was rendered less able to get his Livelihood; and in such Cases the _English_ Laws obliged the a.s.sailant to make good all Damages, besides paying for the Pain endured.--But as the _Indian_ was, in all Probability, poor and unable to make Satisfaction, I told them, that for their Sake I would forgive him; adding, had _Webb_ died, I make no Doubt but you would have put the _Indian_ to Death, just as we did two of our People who had killed an _Indian_; we caused them to be hung on a Gallows, in the Presence of many Hundreds of our People, to deter all others from doing the like.

_Cana.s.satego_ made me this Reply: 'The _Indians_ know no Punishment but Death; they have no such Thing as pecuniary Mulcts; if a Man be guilty of a Crime, he is either put to Death, or the Fault is overlook'd. We have often heard of your Hanging-up those two Persons; but as none of our _Indians_ saw the Men die, many believe they were not hanged, but transported to some other Colony: And it would be satisfactory to the _Indians_, if, for the future, some of them be sent for, to be Witnesses of such Executions.' I a.s.sured them, that whoever gave them that Information, abused them; for the Persons certainly suffered Death, and in the Presence of all the People.

_Cana.s.satego_ then proceeded to give an Answer to what was said to them the 2d Instant, relating to _Le Tort_'s Letter: 'That they had, in Council, considered in what Manner the Matter recommended to them ought to be conducted; and they were of Opinion, that as the _Shawanese_, not the _Twightwys_ (for they knew so much of it, that the People were of the _Twightwy_ Nation in whose Bags the Scalps were found) had sent me a Present of Skins, I should in return, send them a Blanket or a Kettle, and with it a very sharp Message, that tho' they had done well in sweeping the Road from Blood, yet that was but a small Part of their Duty; they ought not to have suffered the _Twightwys_, after their Lye and the Discovery of the Scalps, to have left them, 'till they had given a full and true Account how they came by them, whose Scalps they were, and in what Place, and for what Reason the Men were kill'd; and when they had been fully satisfied of all these Particulars, then it was their Duty to have given Information to the Government where the white People lived, that the Murderers might be complained against, and punished by the Nation they belonged to: And as the _Shawanese_ had omitted to perform the Part of Brethren, that I should reprove them for it, and charge them to make Amends for their Neglect, by using all possible Expedition to come at the Knowledge of these Things, and to aid their Brethren the white People in obtaining Justice.'

The Minutes of the preceding Council being read, Mr. _Logan_, in pursuance of the Board's Direction of Yesterday, reported, on behalf of himself, and the other Gentlemen to whom it was recommended, that they had confer'd with Mr. _Kinsey_, and requested him to consult the other Members of the a.s.sembly concerning the making a Present to the _Indians_; and that Mr. _Kinsey_ having collected the Sentiments of several Members of the a.s.sembly in Town, whom he had confer'd with on that Subject, found them generally of Opinion, that a Present should at this Time be made; but that they had declined nominating any Sum: However, that Mr. _Kinsey_ had given it as his own Opinion, that the Governor and Council might go as far as _three hundred Pounds_.

And accordingly it is refer'd to Mr. _Logan_, Mr. _Preston_, and Mr.

_Lawrence_, to consider of, and prepare a proper List of the Goods whereof the Present should be composed, to the Value of _three hundred Pounds_, as aforesaid; advising with the Interpreter as to the Quant.i.ty and Quality.

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