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Baltimore Yearly Meeting Indian Committee Minutes, 1795-1815

BYM_Page_048

Two years, last spring, seven of us wentover the Ohio, and thence to Upper San-dusky, at the time mentioned in the speechthat was sent to us—We were invited tobe there about the first of June, and ac-cordingly got there about that time—butwere informed that the council was not tobe held till about two weeks after. Notbeing accustomed to their mode of living,and finding a considerable number of theIndians at that place intoxicated with li-quor, we were much discouraged, andconcluded we might as well return homeagain. The Indians however, notwith-standing their situation, treated us verykindly. –We got together several chiefs ofthe Wyandots, and communicated to themour business—They informed us theywould lay it before the chiefs at the coun-cil and return us an answer; but we havenot yet received one. The friend who made the second commu-nication, addressed them again as fol-lows: Brothers and Friends,We were glad when we heard that soneof our red brethren were come to this city,and felt our minds drawn to take them bythe hand, in order that we might have anopportunity of knowing them. As wehad not been acquainted with their situa-tions and circumstances, we have notbeen able to judge whether any thing wehad to propose to do for them would beaccepted? –Whether they were under thenecessity of applying to some other modefor a livelihood? –Whether the game intheir country was in plenty? We havethought, brothers, that if it should not yetbe the case that the game is scarce, it pro-bably will be the case at some time; andtherefore we thought it would be best forour red brethren to gibe some attention to the cultivation of the soil. This is one of thesubjects which has claimed our considerati-on. And feeling in our hearts that we lovedthe Indians, and wished their welfare, it wasour concern that they might be instructedto turn their attention to the cultivationof their lands. And as we believe, broth-ers, that we derive very great advantagesfrom reading books which contain muchinstruction, &; wishing that our brethren, theIndians, should also derive the same advan-tages with us, we have wished that theyshould candidly let us know, whether theydesire these things, that we might do forthem whatever is in my power to do. After a pause, the Little Turtle observed,“Brothers and Friends,If there is any thing more that you have’=to say we wish to hear it; but if not I willmake a short reply to what we have alreadyheard you say." He was desired to pro-ceed; when rising on his feet he said— Friends and Brothers,My heart returns thanks to the GreatSpirit above, that has put it in our powerto speak to each other. My brotherchiefs, with myself, are glad that ourfriends and brothers the Quakers, havesuch great compassion for their red bre-thren. Friends and Brothers,Your red brethren believe, that one man--one Great Man—made all the men thatare on the earth; and that he made menwhen he made the earth, and that he madethe sun, the moon and the stars to givelight and to be useful to them. Friends and Brothers,We now rejoice that the Great Spirit hasmade you feel that we stand in need ofthe assistance which you have been describe-ing to us, and to wish if possible to renderyour red brethren those services whichthey now are highly in need of. Brothers and Friends,It appears to us, your red brethren, thatyou have been kept in the straight path bythe Great and Good Spirit. We have beenled astray by inferior spirits: we now hopethat we may come upon your track andfollow it. Brothers and Friends,The long and destructive wars thathave raged in the country of your redbrethren, since your fathers first camea-mongst them, have caused their numbersto be greatly diminished. Those that havecome amongst us have very much cheatedand imposed upon us. They have found ussimple and ignorant, and have taken verygreat care to keep every thing from ourknowledge in order to profit by our ignor-ance. Friends and Brothers,We find that you are now disposed withopen arms to receive us, and we hope theGreat Spirit will assist you, together with thegreat chief of the white people, whom weare now about to apply to for help. Brothers and Friends,At the treaty of Grenville, which is nowa little past six years ago, we received somepresents by the hands of the great war chiefof the Americans—(gen. Wayne) saidto be sent to us by our brothers the Qua-kers. After this treaty, I was invited bythe great chiefs of the Americans tovisit them. It is now four years sinceI visited them at Philadelphia, whilst thegreat council was held at that city. I hadthere opportunity to see our brothers theQuakers, and received from their mouthssome talks: all these talks I wrapped upin my heart, and when I returned hometo my brothers, I communicated to themfaithfully all those good things which youhad told us you were desirous to do for us. Friends and Brothers,I am happy to say that these my redbrothers now present with me are chiefs,who, in their own country are equally greatwith myself. They were rejoiced to hearyour words delivered to them through me,four years ago, and they are now equallyglad with myself, to hear from the mouthsof our brothers, the Quakers, the samegood words again. Brothers and Friends,If we understand you right, you wish toadd comfort to our women and children byteaching us some of your ways of living. Iam glad that the Great Spirit has put thisinto your hearts, and am sorry that yourexertions have not yet been successful. Brothers and Friends,I now assure you, that you hear thevoice of the Pattawattamy, Miami, De-laware, Shawanese, Weas, Eel river, Pi-ankashaw, Kickapoo and Kaskaskias tribesof Indians, and that if you wish to do anything for any of these nations of Indians,they will be ready at all times to receiveyou—and we also will be ready at all timesto render you any assistance in our power. Brothers and Friends,This is the first time that the Great Spi-rit has brought us to take our brothers,the Quakers of Baltimore, by the hand,and we rejoice to hear them mention thesame things to us, that have heretoforebeen mentioned to us by our brothers, theQuakers of Philadelphia. Brothers, I sometime past received from our brothers, theQuakers of Philadelphia, some tools amongstwhich were two ploughs. I used them, &; didall I could to keep them from wearing out--I was pleased with them: They havenow become necessary to be repaired. Wehave nobody amongst us that can mendthem and they are now useless to me. Brothers and Friends,It is now five days since we took ourbrothers, the Quakers of Philadelphia bythe hand—we then talked over these thingstogether. They have promised me that attheir next great council, they will hold atalk about these things, and consider whatthey can do for us. Brothers and Friends,If our brothers, the Quakers of Balti-more, desire to do any thing for the In-dians, I wish to give them full informationof the place where we may be found gene-rally together. The great council of ourtribes of Indians, is held at Fort Wayneat the time we receive our annuity from