Talk: affuring them that they and their children fhould be his children, and that if they would leave their native country and make fettlements, and live here, and buy, and fell, and trade with their brethren beyond the water, they should ftill keep hold of the fame covenant chain and enjoy peace-And it was covenanted, that the fields, houfes, goods and poffeffions which our fathers fhould acquire, fhould remain to them as their own, and be their children's forever, and at their fole difpofal. Trufting that this covenant should never be broken, our fathers came a great diftance beyond the great water, laid out their money here, built houses, cleared fields, raised crops, and through their own labour and industry grew tall and ftrong. They have bought, fold and traded with England according to agreement, fending to them fuch things as they wanted, and taking in exchange fuch things as are wanted here. open The King of England and his people kept the way for more than one hundred years, and by our trade became richer, and by a union with us, greater and ftronger than the other Kings and people who live beyond the water. All this time they lived in great friendship with us, and we with them; for we are brothers-one blood. Whenever they were ftruck, we inftantly felt as though the blow had been given to us-their enemies were our enemies. Whenever they went to war, we fent our men to ftand by their fide and fight for them, and our money to help them and make them ftrong. They thanked us for our love and fent us good Talks, and renewed their promife to be one people for ever. 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. Many of his Counsellors are proud and wicked menThey perfuade the King to break the covenant chain, and not to fend us any more good Talks. A confiderable number have prevailed upon him to enter into a new covenant against us, and have torn afunder and caft behind their backs the good old covenant which their ancestors and ours entered into and took strong hold of. They now tell us they will flip their hand into our pocket without asking, as though it were their own; and at their pleasure they will take from us our charters or written civil conftitution which we love as our lives'; alfo our plantations, our houfes and goods whenever they pleafe, without asking our leave. That our veffels may go to this ifland in the fea, but to this or that particular ifland we shall not trade any more.-And in cafe of our non-compliance with these new orders, they shut up our harbours. Brothers, this is our present fituation-thus have many of the King's Counsellors and Servants dealt with us. If we fubmit, or comply with their demands, you can eafily perceive to what ftate we will be reduced. If our people labour on the field, they will not know who shall enjoy the crop; if they hunt in the woods, it will be uncertain who fhall tafte of the meat, or have the skins; if they build houses, they will not know whether they may fit round the fire with their wives and children: they cannot be fure whether they fhall be permitted to eat, drink, and wear the fruits of their own labour and industry. Brothers and Friends of the Six Nations, attend. We upon this island have often spoke and intreated the the King and his Servants the Counsellors, that peace and harmony might ftill continue between us; that we cannot part with, or loose our hold of the old covenant chain which united our fathers and theirs; that we want to brighten this chain, and keep the way open as our fathers did; that we want to live with them as brothers, labour, trade, travel abroad, eat and drink in peace. We have often asked them to love us and live in fuch friendship with us as their fathers, did with ours. We told them again that we judged we were exceedingly injured, that they might as well kill us, as takę away our property and the neceffaries of life. We have afked why they treat us thus? What has become of our repeated addreffes and fupplications to them? Who hath fhut the ears of the King to the cries of his children in America? No foft aufwer-no pleasant voice from beyond the water has yet founded in our ears. Brothers, thus ftands the matter betwixt Old England and America. You Indians know how things are proportioned in a family, between the father and the fon, the child carries a little pack-England we regard as the father; this island may be compared to the fon. The father has a numerous family, both at home and upon this ifland; he appoints a great number of Servants to affift him in the government of his family: in procefs of time, fome of his fervants grow proud and ill natured --they were displeased to see the boy fo alert, and walk on fo nimbly with his pack; they tell the father, and advife him to enlarge the child's pack-they prevail; the pack is increased-the child takes it up again; as he thought it might be the father's pleasure, fpeaks but few words, thofe very fmall, for he was loth to offend the father. Those proud and wicked fervants finding they had prevailed, laughed to fee the boy fweat and stagger under his increafed load. By and by, they apply to the father father to double the boy's pack, because they heard him complain; and without any reason faid they, he is a crofs child, correct him if he complains any more. The boys intreats the father, addreffes the great fervants in a decent manner, that the pack might be lightened; he could not go any further; humbly afks, if the old fathers, in any of their records, had defcribed fuch a pack for the child: after all the tears and intreaties of the child, the pack is redoubled; the child ftands a little, while ftaggering under the weight, ready to fall every moment: however, he entreats the father once more, though fo faint he could only lifp out his laft humble fupplication-waits a while-no voice returns. The child concludes the father could not hear-thofe proud fervants had intercepted his fupplications, or ftopped the ears of the father. He therefore gives one ftruggle and throws off the pack, and fays he cannot take it up again, fuch a weight will crufh him down and kill him, and he can but die if he refuses. Upon this, those servants are very wrath, and tell the father many false stories refpecting the child; they bring a great cudgel to the father, afking him to take it in his hand and ftrike the child. This may serve to illustrate the prefent condition of the King's American fubjects or children. Amidst these oppreffions, we now and then heard a molifing and reviving voice from fome of the King's wife councellors, who are our friends and feel our diftreffes; when they heard our complaints and our cries, they applied to the King, alfo told those wicked fervants, that this child in America was not a cross boy, it had sufficient reafon for crying, and if the caufe of its complaint was neglected, it would foon affume the voice of a man, plead for juftice like a man, and defend its rights, and fupport the old covenant-chain of the fathers. Brothers Brothers liften! Notwithstanding all our intreaties, we have but little hope the King will fend us any more good talks, by reafon of his evil counfellors; they have perfuaded him to fend an army of foldiers and many ships of war, to rob and deftroy us. They have fhut up many of our harbours, feized and taken into poffeffion many of our veffels: The foldiers have ftruck the blow, killed fome of our people the blood now runs of the American children: They have also burned our houses and towns, and taken much of our goods. Brothers! we are now neceffitated to rife, and forced to fight, or give up our civil conftitution, run-away, and leave our farms and houses behind us. This must not be. Since the King's wicked counsellors will not open their ears, and confider our just complaints, and the cause of our weeping, and hath given the blow, we are determined to drive away the King's foldiers, and to kill and deftroy all thofe wicked men we find in arms against the peace of the Twelve United Colonies, upon this ifland. We think our caufe is juft; therefore hope God will be on our fide. We do not take up the hatchet and ftruggle for honour or conqueft; but to maintain our civil conftitution and religious privileges, the very fame for which our forefathers left their native land and came to this country. Brothers, and Friends! We defire you will hear and receive what we have now told you, and that you will open a good ear and liften. to what we are now going to fay. This is a family quarrel between us and Old England. You Indians are not concerned in it. We don't with you to take up the hatchet against the King's troops. We defire you to re-; main at home and not join either fide; but keep the hatchet buried deep. In the name and behalf of all our people |