Cadwallader Colden

“ For Liberty without Obedience is Confusion, and Obedience without Liberty is Slavery. To carry this Evenness is partly owing to the Constitution, and partly to the Magistracy: Where either of these fail, Government will be subject to Convulsions; but where both are wanting, it must be totally subverted: Then where both meet, the Government is like to endure. Which I humbly pray, and hope GOD will please to make the Lot of this of Pensilvania. Amen.
William Penn. ”

“ I make no doubt you are the true Sons of such renowned and brave Ancestors, animated with the same Spirit for your Country's Glory, and in Revenge of the Injuries your Fathers received, uncapable of being deluded by the flattering Speeches of them, who always have been, and always must be, in their Hearts, your Enemies, and who desire nothing more, than the Destruction of your Nations. ”

“ And, near Sixty Years ago, you acknowledged to the Governor of New-York at Albany, "That you had given your Lands, and submitted yourselves to the King of England."
We are that Great King's Subjects, and we possess and enjoy the Province of Maryland by Virtue of his Right and Sovereignty thereto; why, then, will you stir up any Quarrel between you and ourselves, who are as one Man, under the Protection of that Great King? ”

“ But this is not all, he opens and carries the Matter of Government a little further: Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers; for there is no Power but of GOD. The Powers that be are ordained of GOD: Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power, resisteth the Ordinance of GOD. For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works, but to evil: Wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power? ”

“ Brethren of the Six Nations, "We hear the Governor of New-York has invited you to meet him; we intreat you not to mind any Thing he shall say, in order to set you against us; for if you do, you, as well as we, must all die. ”

“ It is no less apparent likewise, that it is of the greatest Consequence to the Safety of all the British Colonies in North-America. We feel too sensibly, the ill Effects of the French Interest in the present War betwixt New-England, and only one Nation of Indians supported by the French. Of what dismal Consequences then might it be, if the French should be able to influence in the same Manner, so many and such numerous Nations, as lie to the Westward of this Province, Pensylvania and Maryland? ”

“ It seems to us a strange Argument to say, that an Act, the whole Purport of which is to encourage our own People to go among the Indians, and to draw the far Indians through our Indian Country to Albany (and which has truly produced these Effects) would on the contrary, restrain them from a free Commerce with the Inhabitants of New-York, and may too probably estrange them from the English Interest, and therefore that it would be much wiser in us to make use of the French, to promote the English Interest; and for which End, we ought to encourage a free Intercourse between them and our Indians. ”

“ If your Fathers could now rise out of their Graves, how would their Hearts leap with Joy to see this Day; when so glorious an Opportunity is put into their Hands to revenge all the Injuries their Country has received from the French, and be never more exposed to their Treachery and Deceit. ”

“ But as every one may not be sufficiently apprized of what Consequence the Six Nations being hearty, is to the Interest of Great-Britain, it may be proper to observe, That though a Number of Indians to march with the Army, which was intended to attack Canada, would be of great Use in discovering and defeating the Ambushes of the Enemy's Indians, while they were every Day to be guarded against by the Forces which were to march by Land, and would by their Incursions into the Enemy's Country, terribly harass them, and keep them from joining their Forces into any great Body to oppose the Design ”

“ And is there not, now you have sold so much, enough left for all the Purposes of Living?—What you say of the Goods, that they are soon worn out, is applicable to every Thing; but you know very well, that they cost a great deal of Money; and the Value of Land is no more, than it is worth in Money. ”

“ On the other Hand, your Cause is bad; your Heart far from being upright; and you are maliciously bent to break the Chain of Friendship with our Brother Onas, and his People. We have seen with our Eyes a Deed sign'd by nine of your Ancestors above fifty Years ago for this very Land, and a Release sign'd, not many Years since, by some of yourselves and Chiefs now living, to the Number of fifteen or upwards.—But how came you to take upon you to sell Land at all? We conquered you; we made Women of you; you know you are Women, and can no more sell Land than Women ”

“ In this Time of War with our common Enemies the French and Spaniards, it will be the wisest way to be at Peace among ourselves. They, the Catawbas, are also Children of the great King, and therefore we desire you will agree, that we may endeavour to make a Peace between you and them, that we may be all united by one common Chain of Friendship. ”

“ You are, said we aloud, that all our People might hear and take Notice, to know and remember, that the Six Nations have obliged themselves to sell none of the Land that falls within the Province of Pensylvania, to any other but out Brother Onas, and that to sell Lands to any other is an high Breach of the League of Friendship. ”

“ Now that we have represented to your Excellency, that not one Word of the Geography of these Merchants is true, upon which all their Reasoning is founded, it might seem needless to trouble your Excellency with any further Remarks, were it not to show with what earnestness they are promoting the French Interest, to the Prejudice of all his Majesty's Colonies in North America, and that they are not ashamed of asserting any Thing for that End, even in the Royal Presence. ”

“ Rum is another considerable Branch of the Indian Trade, which the French have not, by reason they have no Commodities in Canada fit for the West India Market. This they supply with Brandy, at a much dearer Rate than Rum can be purchased at New-York, tho' of no more Value with the Indians. Generally, all the Goods used in the Indian Trade, except Gun-Powder, and a few Trinkets, are sold at Monreal for twice their Value at Albany. To this likewise must be added, the necessity they are under of laying the whole Charge of supporting their Government on the Indian Trade. ”

“ We are all Subjects, as well as you, of the great King beyond the Water; and, in Duty to his Majesty, and from the good Affection we bear to each other, as well as from a Regard to our own Interest, we shall always be inclined to live in Friendship. ”

“ We are resolved to make use of the Hatchet against the French, to revenge the Injuries done to you and your People, our Brethren.
We have received at Times very different Kind of News from the Six Nations, sometimes it seemed as if the French would be Masters; but it cannot be so, they are a deceitful People, and cannot be trusted; they make fair Promises, and have no Intention to perform them; they flatter themselves with Hopes to be Masters, but they shall be disappointed; for we shall keep the Hatchet firmly in our Hands, and are resolved to make Use of it. ”

“ Whereas by a Freedom of Commerce, and an encourag'd Intercourse of Trade with the French, and their Indians, the English Interest might, in time, be greatly improved and strengthened among the Indians in general, who, by such Latitude of Trade, might be link'd to our Friendship in the strongest Ties of their own Interest, as well as Inclinations. ”

“ Secondly to cherish those that do well; which gives Government a Life beyond Corruption, and makes it as durable in the Word, as good Men shall be. So that Government seems to me a Part of Religion itself, a Thing sacred in its Institution and End. ”

“ It has of late been generally believed, that the Inhabitants of the Province of New-York are so advantageously situated, with respect to the Indian Trade, and enjoy so many Advantages as to Trade in general, that it is in their Power not only to rival the French of Canada, who have almost entirely engrossed the Furr-Trade of America, but that it is impossible for the French to carry on that Trade in Competition with the People of this Province. ”

“ Brethren of New-York, New-England, and Virginia,
You must not suspect that it proceeds from any Backwardness in us, that a greater Number of our People do not at this Instant join with you; the Reason is, our Castles have but few fighting Men in them, many are now Abroad, some hunting and trading with far distant Nations, and others out fighting against our Enemies; all these we shall recall Home as soon as possible, in order to enter with all our Force, into the War against your and our common Enemy. ”

“ There lives a Nation of Indians on the other Side of your Country, the Tuscaroraes, who are our Friends, and with whom we hold Correspondence; but the Road between us and them has been stopped for some Time, on account of the Misbehaviour of some of our Warriors. We have opened a new Road for our Warriors, and they shall keep to that; but as that would be inconvenient for Messengers going to the Tuscaroraes, we desire they may go the old Road. We frequently send Messengers to one another, and shall have more Occasion to do so now that we have concluded a Peace with the Cherikees. ”

“ The Great King might send you over to conquer the Indians, but it looks to us that God did not approve of it; if he had, he would not have placed the Sea where it is, as the Limits between us and you.
Brother Assaragoa,
Tho' great Things are well remembered among us, yet we don't remember that we were ever conquered by the Great King, or that we have been employed by that Great King to conquer others; if it was so, it is beyond our Memory. We do remember we were employed by Maryland to conquer the Conestogoes, and that the second time we were at War with them, we carried them all off. ”

“ The French have been indefatigable in making Discoveries, and carrying on their Commerce with Nations, of whom the English know nothing but what they see in the French Maps and Books. The Barrenness of the Soil, and the Coldness of the Climate of Canada, obliges the greatest number of the Inhabitants to seek their living by travelling among the Indians, or by trading with those that do travel. ”

“ Indeed the Art and Industry of the French, especially that of their religious Missions, has so far prevail'd upon all the Indians in North-America, that they are every where directed by French Councils. Even our own Five Nations, (the Iroquois) who formerly were mortal Enemies of the French, and have always liv'd in the strictest Amity with the English, have, of late, (by the Practices of the French Priests) been so far gain'd, that several of the Mohawks, who live nearest the English, have left their Habitations, and are gone to settle near Monreal in Canada ”

“ On the other Hand, if a proper Attempt were to be made by the Northern Colonies alone, without the Assistance of their Mother Country, but with the Assistance of the Indians, it would in all Appearance be sufficient to reduce Canada; for if the Indian Nations can be persuaded to join heartily, (as from what is above related it seems probable they may) it will be impossible for the Inhabitants of Canada to defend themselves from the Incursions of these numerous Indian Nations, and from a Body of regular Troops at the same Time. ”