freed from their apprehensions of a very dan gerous enemy. The six confederate nations that border on the colonies, consist of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Tuscaroras, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas. A solemn conference was held between the deputies from Congress and these tribes at Onondaga; and the style of the speech made to them on that occasion, is a most curious specimen of the manner and form of the polical intercourse between the colonists and the original natives of Ameri ca. The following extracts will probably be amusing to the reader: We, the delegates from the twelve United Provinces, now sitting in General Congress at Philadelphia, send their talk to you, our brothers. "Brothers and friends, now attend : "When our fathers crossed the great water, and came over to this land, the King of England gave them a talk, assuring them that they and their children should be his children; and that, if they would leave their native country and make settlements and live here, and buy and sell, and trade with their brethren beyond the water, they should still keep hold of the same covenant chain, and enjoy peace, and it was covenanted that the fields, houses, goods and possessions which our fathers should acquire, should remain to them as their own, and be their children's forever, and at their sole disposal. "Brothers and friends, open a kind ear!' "We will now tell you of the quarrel betwixt the counsellors of King George, and the inhabitants and colonies of America. 66 Many of his counsellors have persuaded him to break the covenant chain, and not to send us any more good talks.. They have prevailed upon him to enter into a covenant against us, and have torn asunder, and cast behind their backs the good old covenant, which their ancestors and ours entered into and took strong hold of. 66 They now tell us, they will put their hands into our pockets without asking, as though it were their own: and at their pleasure they will take from us our charters, our written civil constitutions, which we love as our lives; also our plantations, our houses, and goods, whenever they please, without asking our leave. They tell us that our vessels may go to that or this island in the sea, but to this or to that particular island, we shall not trade any more; and in case of our non-compliance with these new orders, they shut up their harbours. "Brothers, thus stands the matter betwixt Old England and America. "Notwithstanding all our entreaties, we have but little hope the King will send us any more good talks by reason of his evil counsellors. They have persuaded him to send an army of soldiers, and many ships of war to rob and destroy us; they have shut up many of our harbours, seized many of our vessels the soldiers have struck the blow; the blood now runs of the American children; they have also burned our houses and towns, and taken much of our goods. "Brothers and friends, we desire you will hear and receive what we have now told you, and that you will open a good ear, and listen to what we are now going to say. This is a family quarrel between us and Old England; you Indians are not concerned in it; we do not wish you to take up the hatchet against the king's troops; we desire you to remain at home, and join neither side, but let the hatchet be buried deep. "In the name and behalf of all our people, we ask and desire of you to love peace, and to maintain it; and to love and sympathise with us in all our trouble; that the path may be kept open with all our people and yours, to pass and re-pass without molestation. "Brothers, we live on the same ground with you; the same island is our common birth place. We desire to sit down under the same tree of peace with you; let us water its roots, and cherish its growth, till the large leaves and flourishing branches shall extend to the setting sun and reach the skies. "Brothers, observe well: "What is it we ask of you? but peace. Nothing And if application should be made to you by any of the king's ministers to join on their side, we advise you to look forward to the consequences of a compliance; for if the king's troops take away our property, and destroy us, who are of the same blood with themselves, what can you, who are Indians, expect from them afterwards? "Therefore we say, brothers, take care! hold fast to your covenant chain: you know our disposition towards you, the six nations. of Indians, and your allies. Let this our good talk remain at Onondaga, your central council-house. We depend upon you to send and acquaint your allies to the northward, the seven tribes on the river St. Lawrence, that you have this talk of ours at the great council-fire of the six nations. And when you return, we invite your great men to come and converse further with us at Albany, where we intend to rekindle the council-fire, which your and our ancestors set Found in great friendship. Brothers and friends, we greet you all. Farewell." Ticonderogo had been taken by Colonel Arnold on the 10th of May. This important fortress is situated on a promontory, formed at the junction of Lake George and Lake Champlain, and consequently it is the key of communication between New-York and Canada. Arnold, flushed with success, wrote a letter to Congress, in which he offered to reduce the whole province of Cana-da with two thousand men. From the im-petuosity of his disposition, he advised the adoption of an offensive war, but as Congress did not wish to widen the breach between Great Britain and the colonies, and an ac-commodation was their wish, they deferred the invasion of Canada. Sir Guy Carleton, the Governor of that province, planned a scheme for the recovery. of Ticonderoga, and Crown Point, another. fort which had been taken by the Americans. He had been invested with full pow-ers to embody the Canadians, and march them against the enemy; however, they |
