Halliday Jackson

“ My brothers and friends—I rejoice to find that you agree in opinion with us, and express an anxiety to be, if possible, of service to us in removing this great evil out of our country; an evil which has had so much room in it, and has destroyed so many of our lives, that it causes our young men to say, ‘we had better be at war with the white people; this liquor which they introduce into our country, is more to be feared than the gun and the tomahawk. There are more of us dead since the treaty of Grenville, than we lost by the six years war before. ”

“ Why then should not the policy of the government be directed to the protection and preservation of these people, and not to their extermination from their native soil? Is it not a doctrine sanctioned by the general consent of Christians, that all nations are equally free? That one nation has no right to infringe upon the freedom of another? ”

“ 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. ”

“ Brothers, are you not sensible that when you are quarrelsome, or have done any bad action, that you are made sorrowful and uneasy, and that on the contrary when you are serious, and do good actions, your minds feel easy, pleasant, and comfortable? This is from the good spirit, who is all love, and who hath placed his law in our hearts, to give us peace and comfort when we do well, and make us sad and uneasy when we do evil. ”

“ Now, Brothers, I have the great pleasure to inform you, that your good friends, the Quakers, have formed a wise plan to show your young men and boys the most useful practices of the white people. They will choose some prudent, good men to instruct them. These good men will do this, only from the love they bear to you, their fellow men, and children of the Great Spirit whom they desire to please, and who will be pleased with the good they do to you. ”

“ It was a pleasing reflection, at that time, that the benign influence of the prince of peace had so softened the hearts of men, that measures were contemplated by the rulers of our land to extend the blessings of civilization to these aborigines of our country; to reclaim them from their savage habits and induce them to adopt the innocent employments of the pastoral and agricultural life. ”

“ Look on this belt and this writing, and if you remember the old friends of your fathers, consider their former friendship and their present distress, and if the good spirit shall put it into your hearts to comfort them in their old age, do not disregard his counsel. We are men, and therefore need only tell you, that we are old and feeble, and hungry, and naked, and that we have no other friends but you, the children of our beloved brother Onas. ”

“ 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. ”

“ We have often heard that you were a good and a faithful people—ever ready to do justice, and good to all men without distinction of colour—therefore, we love you the more sincerely, because of the goodness of your hearts, which has been talked of among our nation long since. ”

“ Brothers, we will here mention, that the time was, when the forefather of your brothers, the white people, lived beyond the great water, in the same manner that our red brethren now live. The winters can yet be counted when they went almost naked, when they procured their living by fishing, and by the bow and arrow in hunting—and when they lived in houses no better than yours. ”

“ Brothers, we are fully convinced that if you will turn your attention to the cultivation of the earth, to raising the different kinds of grain—to building comfortable dwelling houses for your families—to raising useful animals—amongst others, sheep for the advantage of the wool, in making clothing—to raising flax and hemp for your linen—and your women learn to spin and weave—your lives will be much easier and happier than at present—and your numbers will increase, and not continue to diminish. ”

“ In a letter which he sent them by his deputy, previous to his arrival in America, dated Eighth month, 1681, he called their attention to the existence of a supremely good, all-wise Being, and to his law written in the heart, by which men are taught to love, help, and do good, one to another; and briefly informed them respecting his grant from the king, and assured them that he desired to enjoy it with their love and consent, that they might always live together as neighbours and friends. ”

“ We wish you, therefore, to improve the opportunity, by which means you may come to live happy and plentifully by the fruits of your own industry and care. We have often told you that we want nothing from you for all our trouble and expense, but the improvement of your nation.
“Brothers, you have now the advantage of having most of your smith work done by your own people, which is not the case with any of your brethren to the westward. If you do not improve the advantages you have, you must blame yourselves for your poverty and distress. ”

“ You may tell your old friends, the Quakers at Philadelphia, when you go home, that we are exceedingly thankful for the kindness you have shown us, and the assistance you have already given us. We are now determined to follow your advice as far as we are able, and to spill all the whiskey traders bring among us for sale. You must not think we are offended at you for trying to make us sensible of our weaknesses; for even our young men and young women rejoice to hear it, and are in hopes their hands will grow stronger, that they may be able to overcome their weaknesses. ”

“ Brothers, we are an ignorant people, and don’t know what is right as well as you do. We have often been persuaded by the white people to join in their wars against one another. A great while ago, the French set us against the English. They should have taught us better things. I hope, however, our hearts will become as white as the wampum in my hand. The Great Spirit above has made us, as well as you; though we are not of one colour. He has put it into our hearts to live in peace with the white people. ”

“ We now see, brothers, that your society has manifested more regard for the welfare of the Indians, than any other people, for which we thank you. We also thank the Great Spirit that he has put it into your hearts to love and regard Indians. ”

“ Yet the good Spirit who taught our forefathers to cultivate peace with the Indians and all men, still teaches us the same; therefore, we can take no part in the war with any people, and our influence in the great councils of our nation is very small—but we use our endeavours to persuade men to live in peace, and have brotherly love towards each other. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Brothers, we cannot tell you how much we want you to improve in all things—we know you cannot do every thing at once, but we want you to hearken to our counsel—we love you—we desire your good, and that you may increase and leave a good name behind you, when the Great Spirit shall take you away. ”

“ There is at present five thousand of our people and upwards, who wish the society of Friends to send a suitable person among us, to teach our young men how to till the ground, and our young women the art of domestic manufactures, and our children to read and write. If our friends feel disposed to comply with our wishes, we shall be happy to receive them, and will cause all necessary buildings to be erected for their use—we think by having this plan carried into effect, the nation once more would be united, and become a happy people. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Early in the spring of 1799, more of a spirit of industry seemed to exhibit itself among some of the Indians, and several who were settled near Friends began to work at splitting rails, and fencing in lots of land, as they saw Friends fence in theirs. Some who inclined to work, that had no families, were employed at the business of the farm, and seemed capable of doing as much in a day as the generality of white people. ”

“ Now you have staid the time you proposed, and have fulfilled all your engagements to our nation, and we shall follow the good example you have set before us, which we know would be of lasting benefit to us; and we thankfully acknowledge your kindness, having never heard of any people who have done so much for Indians, without any view of advantage to themselves—which is a convincing proof to us that you are our real friends. ”

“ Then we believe the good spirit will bless you with lasting benefits; and as we have endeavoured to live in peace among you, we wish you to live in peace one with another, that your good example may be a blessing to your children—always remembering, that your welfare and happiness as well as the improvement of your children will depend much on your sobriety and industry. ”

“ I hope the Great Spirit will still preserve my friend on his journey to Philadelphia, and every evening when night shall overtake him, that the Great Spirit will spread over him the curtain of safety,—that he may again meet the society that sent him among us, for the purpose of teaching us the useful arts of the white people ”

“ At the treaty of Philadelphia with William Penn and the Six Nations, we considered William Penn as a friend to us, not wishing to cheat 97 us out of our lands, but to pay us a full value for them. Since that time, the society of Friends have treated us very kindly—they have never shown a disposition to wrong us out of our lands, but seemed to wish to cultivate friendship with us, and to let us have our rights and privileges—and to enjoy our own religion. But there are certain persons residing among us, at present, who we believe have a different object. ”

“ We hope that some of you have got your eyes open, to see that whiskey and other strong drink have been the cause of much evil and wickedness among you, and that these pernicious things have taken much of your money, your skins, and your furs, which the Great Spirit has favoured you with, and with which you might buy clothing, and oxen, and axes, hoes, and other useful articles to assist you in tilling the field, and we fear, in time past, it has taken some of the corn your poor women have worked hard at raising, with their hoes. ”

“ Brothers, it is good that parents tenderly love their children. It is also the duty of children to love and serve their parents. Families should live together in harmony; and when men and their wives differ and part, and marry to others, it is wrong—it is an injury to their children, and displeasing to the Great Spirit. We wish you seriously to think of these things, and to discourage so injurious a practice.
“Brothers, you have often been told by your friends, that the use of spirituous liquors is hurtful. ”

“ The agent further added, “that the Indians appeared very desirous of procuring for themselves, the necessaries of life, in our way, but say they do not know how to begin. Some of their old men say, “the white people want for nothing.” We wish them to show us how to provide the many good things we see amongst them, if it is their wish to instruct us in their way of living as they tell us it is, we wish them to make haste and do it, for we are old and must die soon; but we wish to see before we die, our women and children in that path, that will lead them to happiness. ”

“ Brothers, we believe that men ought to live, so as to seek for the assistance of the Good Spirit, to enable them to love and worship him—and although it is our practice to meet together to worship him, yet we do not wish to force upon you any of our performances in religion. We think it right that every man should follow the teachings of the Good Spirit, in his own heart, which, if attended to, would always lead him in the right path. ”

“ Believing as I do that the society of Friends are desirous of ameliorating the situation of their red brethren in the country, I will take the liberty to observe, that the present is a favourable time to put in execution their benevolent views towards the distressed natives of the land; and that much good may be done on the Wabash by sending one or two suitable men to reside amongst the Indians, and teach them how to raise stock, and cultivate the earth. ”