THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Minutes of the Provincial
Council of Pennsylvania
(October 10, 1750)
In: Pennsylvania Provincial
Council
Minutes, Colonial Records,
Vol. V, pp. 484-487.
. . .
____
At a Council at Philadelphia, Wednesday the 10th October, 1750.
PRESENT:
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
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Thomas Lawrence, |
Samuel Hassell, |
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Benjamin Shoemaker, |
Joseph Turner, |
} Esquires. |
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Thomas Hopkinson, |
Richard Peters, |
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The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.
Six Members of Assembly waited on the Governor last night with a Message from the House, that pursuant to the Charter and Laws of the Province a Quorum of the Representatives had met and chose a Speaker, and desir'd to know when he wou'd be pleased to receive them that they might present him. By the Appointment of the Governor the whole House came into the Council Chamber and presented Isaac Norris, Esquire, as their Speaker, Who, having made the Request for Privileges as usual, and received the Governor's Approbation and favourable Answer, they withdrew.
The Governor informed the Board that he had communicated the Intelligences relating to Indian Affairs to the Governments of Virginia and Maryland, with his earnest Request that they wou'd lay the same before their respective Assemblies, and recommend to them to consider the Contents thereof that such measures might be taken by their Colonies, either separately or in Conjunction with New York, as might prevent the Defection of the Indians, which was much to be apprehended.
The following Message drawn in order to be sent to the Assembly was read and approved:
Gentlemen:
In my Message of the eighth of August to the late Assembly, I mentioned the Apprehensions the Indians at Ohio were under from the Menaces of the French, who frequently threatned to attack them for adhering to their Friendship with Us; yet as no Hostilities had then been attempted I was in Hopes, from the Caution and Unani- (page 485) mity of the Indians in our Alliance, they might be discouraged from any Undertaking of that kind, But I am now sorry to acquaint You that from the Information I have since received it appears the French are determined at all Events to bring off the Indians from our Alliance. That in Consequence of this Resolution they have been using all possible Artifices to corrupt the Six Nations at Onondago, and have also sent a large and valuable Present to be distributed among the Indians at Ohio; and least these Measures should fail have actually provided at Fort D'Etroit Magazines of Provisions and war-like Stores to be in readiness against the Spring, in order to reduce them by a Body of Forces from Canada; In which Design, should they succeed, it cannot be supposed they will long suffer those Indians to continue in Peace with Us, the fatal Consequences whereof not only to our Trade but even to the Lives and Properties of our remote Inhabitants must be obvious to every considerate Person.
That the French are resolved at any rate to embroil Us with the Indians at Ohio is further confirmed by two Persons, Inhabitants of this Province, who were taken Prisoners in May last by Seven French Indians within a few Miles of one of the Twightwee Towns at the Instigation of the French Officer at Fort D'Etroit, to whom they were delivered, and from whom as he was conveying them to Canada they made their Escape.
Mr. Weiser, our Province Interpreter, is now in Town, being just returned from Onondago, and brings from thence likewise very disagreeable News, to wit, That upon the Death of Canassatego and some of the of the Principal Sachems of the Six Nations, who were heartily attached to the English, the Person now at the Head of their Councils is wholly in the French Interest.
Thus thro' the indefatigable Industry of the French, not only the Six Nations at Onondago are much shaken in their Affections to Us, and inclining to go over to our Rivals, but the Indians at Ohio are in great Danger of being corrupted by their Presents or subdued by their Arms, unless some proper and speedy Measures are taken to prevent it.
This, Gentlemen, is the present unhappy Situation of our Indian Affairs, according to the best Information I can procure, and tho' it is not usual for You to enter on Business of Importance at Your first Meeting, yet I am persuaded that on Perusal of the Papers I herewith send you, you will think it incumbent on You to take the whole Matter into your immediate Consideration, since any Delay, as things are now circumstanced, may proved of the most dangerous Consequences.
Upon what his Excellency Governor Clinton was pleased to write to me on Indian affairs, I immediately directed Mr. Croghan and Mr. Montour to hasten to Ohio with the small Present provided by the late Assembly for the Twightwees, and was in hopes they would arrive time enough to have disappointed the Schemes of the (page 486) French, and by showing those Indians their true Interest have fixed them stedfastly in our Friendship; but unfortunately they were both prevented by Sickness from proceeding on their Journey, so that they are not yet gone. I have given Orders to stay them till I shall be acquainted with the Resolutions of your House on this Subject.
I therefore earnestly entreat You to give these Affairs all the Attention their Importance requires, and that together with your advice you will likewise furnish the necessary Means of frustrating the mischevous Designs of our Rivals the French, and enable me efectually to preserve the Fidelity and Friendship of our Indians and their allies.
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JAMES HAMILTON. |
October 16, 1750.
MEMORANDUM.
The Governor having exceedingly at heart that the Assembly should act a becoming Part towards the Indians, had several Conferences with their Speaker and four or five of the principal Members, and on the nineteenth of October he received the following Message from the House:
May it Please the Governor:
As the Prosperity of the Trade of the Province and the Peace and Safety of our remote Inhabitants are essentially concerned in preserving the Indians in our Alliance steady in their Friendship with Us, the House hath deliberately and maturely considered the Governor's Message, with the several Letters and Papers he was pleased to send with it, and having examined our Province Interpreter and likewise the two Persons who have lately escaped from their Imprisonment among the French, we do now with Gratitude acknowledge the Regard and Attention to the Interest of the Province manifested by the Governor on this Occasion.
We are heartily concerned that the Industry of the French hath met with so much Success with the Indians of the Six Nations, and we doubt not they will carefully improve this Opportunity (given by the Death of Canassatego and the other Chiefs who were our steady Friends) of using many Artifices to alienate the Affections of these Nations from Us, and engage them more closely to the French Interest than they have heretofore been able to do, so that we are sensible there is a Necessity of speedy Measures being immediately taken to avert the unhappy Consequences of losing their Affection and Friendship; and we hope the Care the Governor has taken to inform the Governors of the neighbouring Colonies of the present Disposition of these Indians will be duly regarded. This Province made them a large and valuable Present last Year, and as the Situation and Trade of New York particularly demands (page 487) their steady Attention to the maintaining the Alliance and Friendship of these Nations, we doubt not they will think themselves obliged to take the proper Care on this Occasion; And we believing it may be proper to send them a Message of Condolence on the Death of their Sachems, are willing to make the necessary Provision, if the Governor should concur with Us in directing Conrad Weiser to attend the next Treaty at Albany with such a Message.
The several Nations of Indians about Ohio appear to Us at this time most immediately to merit and stand in need of our Assistance, and as the Governor has informed Us that the Messengers appointed to carry the Present provided by the last Assembly for the Twightwees are not yet set out on their Journey, we have now concluded to make an Addition to that Present, and likewise to direct a Present of larger Value to be provided for the Shawanese, Delawares, Owendaets, and other Nations settled near them, in order to confirm them in their Friendship with Us; and as we are informed there are considerable Numbers of those People who are not united in any Government or under any Sachems, which render it difficult to transact Affairs and treat with them on any Emergency, We submit to the Governor's Consideration the Expediency of recommending to them the Advantage of such an Union, which if it can be effected and maintained without interfering with their Engagements with the Six Nations, may probably discourage the French from any attempts against them, and afford us a greater Opportunity of improving the good Disposition they have lately manifested towards Us, and of keeping them steadily attached to the British Nation.
The Expences arising on these Negotiations having encreased much of late Years, and being likely to continue, our Duty to the Freemen of this Province obliges Us to repeat the Request made by the Assembly the last Year to the Governor, to recommend to the Proprietaries the Justice of their joining with Us on these Occasions. The Benefits they reap from the Settlement of their back Lands are very great, and tend peculiarly to the Advancement of their private Properties, besides what they have in the common Prosperity of the Province and the Increase of a Trade which enables Us to make Remittances directly to Great Britain; that if there were not any other Considerations, these will, we hope, be sufficient to induce the Proprietaries to bear a Part of these Expences; and as we shall now contribute as much as the present State of our Treasury will permit, we hope on the Governor's Intercession the Proprietaries will readily consent to direct a proper Addition to be made thereto.
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Signed by Order of the House. |
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ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker. |
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19th October, 1750.
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