solemnly ratified and confirmed by your Chiefs in the presence of Capt. Brandt and all the Nations then present—that we signed and sealed them and each party took a Copy that what had been done might not be forgotten even by our Posterity. This covenant so perfectly understood and so solemnly ratified, I had reason to expect would be faithfully observed by all parties. On our side it has been kept without the least deviation-Everything we promised, we have faithfully performed and shall continue to do SO. It was however not long before we heard that you was treating with some of our Young Men at New Town Point and had leased to them the lands reserved for your use. This Brothers was so contrary to our Agreements and so repugnant to our former customs and to our laws, that we could not consent to it and the lease was accordingly declared to be void by the President of the United States. We were soon after informed that this gave you some dissatisfaction because you wished to sell or lease your lands. Genl. Chapin who is now present mentioned it to me last year and I communicated it to our Great Council then sitting in New York; Upon which they appointed three Commissioners, one of whom was Genl. Chapin, to confer with you on this subject in order that your minds might be made easy. These men went to your Country last fall on this business but it seems you did not listen to their voice for they did not find you there.

BROTHER: You must be sensible that this though a short is a true detail of every transaction that has taken place between us and I conceive it proper to remind you of it to remove any improper impressions which the stories of the little Birds may have made on your minds. These birds are the Emissaries which designing men generally employ to create strife between brothers and promote their own interested views. Our government have never listened to the stories of the little birds. They always have dealt and always will deal faithfully and honestly to you and your own reflections must convince you of it.

BROTHERS: Open your ears and listen attentively to what I have to say, that you may be able to repeat it to your Chiefs and Warriors and to your Women when you return home. They are but a few words—they are however strong and must be pleasingthey come from the heart. Our Great Council who are now sitting in this place hearing that you had not met the man whom they had sent into your Country last Summer to confer with you,

and being still anxious to promote your interest and happiness requested me to send a Messenger to your different nations to invite a deputation of each to attend at his place that they might hear from your own mouths if there was anything that disturbed your minds or that they could do to advance your welfare. This message I accordingly sent. The Oneidas and such of your Nations as reside in their respective Countries attended and left this place on their return home before your arrival here. Our Great Council requested me to assure them as I now do you, that they continue the strongest friendship for your Nations that they will protect and secure them in the possession and enjoyment of their Reservation according to the several agreements made with them and are ready to make any farther disposition thereof for their benefit whenever the wishes of your respective nations shall be made known for that purpose. This Brothers is all I have to say to you. As to the place at which business is to be transacted between you and us, this according to the custom of our ancestors, must be left to our Great Council to detemine as well as the time. You cannot doubt but that they will study our mutual convenience, as was always the case with our for-fathers.

To which the little Cayuga Chief replied.

BROTHER: We had a Council day before yesterday and we agreed that out directions before we left home were simple and confined to request that Commissioners should be appointed to meet us at Buffaloe Creek about the middle of April if convenient. Our head Chief came with us for this purpose as far as Canadaque but business prevented him from proceeding. He then made a speech to Genl. Chapin to which we refer you.

BR: When we came here we were not instructed to deliberate on general matters. This is reserved for the great Council which we desire to be held at Buffaloe Creek and to which we entreat you to send Commissioners.

BR: We wish the Superintendent appointed by the United States Genl. Chapin to be present and see justice done us in our negociations, as we look on him as our father. We do not expect that he will confine his care to us only, but that he should be a meditor between both parties.

BR: You say that you had not time to relate all our past transactions. You mentioned some of the heads. We listened with

great attention. We thank you for it. It shall rest on our minds and we will communicate it on our return to our people.

You mentioned some of the transactions that took place in our Country. Our instructions being limited to request the appointment of Commissioners, it is not in our power to make lengthy replies.

Three Agreements were made with some of your people in our General Council which you have annulled, because they did not get the consent of your Government-but the Commissioners you sent last fall made an agreement with a few of the people that live on our land and did not obtain the consent of our head men nor the voice of our Nation. It is void and we bury it.

BRS: Let us forget what is past-let us have a new Agreement that will give general satisfaction.

We shall invite the people that live on our reservations to attend the proposed Council at Buffaloe Creek. We called a Council at Onendaga and Cayuga on our way and told them of it.

The Governor again addressed the Indians as follows:

BROTHERS: I observe that you refer me to a specch made by Clear Sky at Canadague to General Chapin which he has now delivered to me. I request that the Interpreters may explain to you one part of it, which I think is very exceptionable, it is necessary that I should say a few words more to you.

BROTHERS: You say you are but Messengers and that this Speech contains the principal part of what you have to say if this is the case General Chapin might as well have brought the message himself.

BROTHERS: This Message says that we Trade with Boys for their Lands and not with the owners and that we want to defraud you out of it-our Brothers who live at your ancient seat speak differently, they say that you have left your Country and now want to sell the Land that they live on, and have taken care of. Brothers, I do not meddle with your disputes. I wish to reconcile you to each other, and do equal Justice to both parties, it was for this purpose I formerly kindled a second council fire at Fort Stanwix some of you were there I recollect your Faces, and you know the pains I took to reconcile you to each other and do you equal Justice.-it was with this View also that I now sent for your principal chiefs who were authorized to Transact your business.

My Message was your Nation, and I desired the Nation to Notify each other, in order that Harmony might be restored among you.

BROTHERS: If your Chiefs had attended we could have conconversed together upon our business Face to Face like men and have unbosomed ourselves to each other Freely and have explained the different Transactions that has taken place between us. I have done this now to you and I appeal to you whether anything that I have related is not Strictly True. Your chiefs at a great distance says that we want to defraud you-now we are face to face I call upon you to point out a Single Instance in which we have not acted fairly openly and honestly with you as Brothers should do with each other or in which we have failed to fulfil our agreements with you speak freely Brothers this is the best way to preserve Friendship because Brothers if you can convince us that we have done wrong in any Instance it is in our power to Correct it and we wish to do it.

BROTHERS: We never desired to buy your reserved Lands, it was our duty to Protect you in the enjoyment of them according to the covenant between us this we have always been ready to do, but your friend General Chapin said that you was discontented, that you wanted to sell or Lease your Lands and this Induced our Great Council to send men among you to confer with you on the Subject. He was one of them. He is now here present I call upon him to mention whether this is not True. Our Commissioners Sent Messages to you to meet them at a Council fire that they were about to kindle in your country, you did not listen to their Voice it seems you could not conveniently attend they could only Invite you, they could not Force you to it-they accordingly met your Brothers who live upon the Land, and conferd with them, this they did not consider as Injuring you, and I doubt not but that they would be able to explain their Conduct in the most satisfactory manner, if your Chiefs who were now Invited to attend here were present to hear them.

BROTHERS: I have now done I expect that you will answer me Freely and unreservedly this is the best way to preserve Friendship, it best becomes men and Warriors-We should keep Nothing disagreeable upon our minds we should disclose it all to each other.

Answer of the Little Cayuga Chief.

BROTHER: You requested us to mention the time and place where you have wronged us, and the particular Instances, as you consider yourself a Friend we will tell you.

What we mean is that we wanted your Commissioners to postpone the business last Year, as we were not ready, but they came on like Strong headed men, and Treated with Boys at Onondago. The annual payments are made to the Indians residing there also, who wrong the Majority of their Property, when we speak of you we only mean the Men you sent among us, we have buried the Bargain with the Onondagoes as well as those we made with your Young Men, we hope there will be a New Bargain made; to the satisfaction of the Nation.

The Governor replied,

BROTHERS: As to the annual payments you know they are by our agreement with you to be made at Fort Stanwix on a certain day, and it has always been done we pay them to those of your Nation who attend we cannot pay them to you if you do not attend to receive them, if you did you would get your full proportion, and if there is anything wrong in this it is your own fault and not ours.

BROTHERS: I shall now lay before our Great Council all that has passed between us, and mention to them the anxious desire you have expressed to me of having your business dispatched so that you may immediately return home and as soon as I receive their answer I will communicate it to you.

Indorsement.

Conferences with the Cayuga and Onondaga Indians. No.4.

1794.

EXHIBIT 255.

Israel Chapin to Governor Clinton.1

CANANDAIGUA, Sept. 27, 1794.

SIR, I have written to you several times in behalf of the Cayuga and Onondaga Indians. They appear anxious respecting their

1Assembly Papers, New York, Vol. 40, p. 243.