[Page 1 is an archival placeholder noting illegible text — not part of the document.] [Here a large Belt was returned which accompanied the Wapee from General Knox — }] [right margin, rotated: Copy of [undecipherable] to Henry [undecipherable] on [undecipherable]] 21 April 1794 Reply of the Six Nations of Indians assembled in Council at Buffalo Creek the 21^th April 1794 to a Speech from General Knox Secretary of War for the United States — delivered by General Chapin on the 10^th February last — as Interpreted by Jasper Parish one of the Interpreters for the United States — Clear Sky, an Onondaga Sachem Spoke as follows — General Chapin We are happy to see that you are arrived safe at our Council fire, and that it has pleased the Great Spirit above to preserve you in good health — We are also happy in seeing you Colonel Butler, as the representative of the English — Captain Brant then arose, and spoke: Brother — You of the United States listen to what we are now going to say to you — likewise you the representative of the English — Brothers — We are happy to see you Colonel Butler and you General Chapin sitting side by side, with the intention of hearing what we have to say — we wish that no business should be transacted by us the Six Nations unless it be done openly and above board — Brother You of the United States make your mind easy on account of the long time your President has been under consideration — when we received — there we showed to you as it was a business of the utmost importance, of course would require a serious reflection and length of time to be considered, which we have now done — Brother The answer you brought us from Congress is not agreeable to our expectation. this is the reason we have so long delayed answering it. the business would have been done with expedition, had the United States in any wise approved of our proposals. We Should then have been able to have accepted your invitation and would have collected our officials, and repaired to the Venango, the place proposed by Congress for meeting us — Brother We are sorry that it is out of our power now to attend, were we even to go — Your Commission would conduct all business as they should think proper. this has been too much the case at every Treaty held with you — Brother At the first meeting you had with us [after the conclusion of the war between you and Great Britain] at Fort Stanwix — your Commissioners settling every things as they thought would best suit them and be most condusive to their own Interest they pointed out a division line and at once confirmed the same without inviting to hear our opinion of it, and whether it would be approved of or not — holding out that our Country was ceded to them by the King of England. This language confounded the minds of our Chiefs and deterred them from making any reply — They still saying that we did not consent to these proposals, that their warriors were at their back and that they will know we should receive no protection whatever from the King of England. Such has been the language held out by your Commissioners at every Treaty held with us at Fort Macintosh, at Rocky River, and in short at every place we have ever met you to transact business — Brother Such has been your proceedings with us from time to time, such the ideas held out to us, owing to which Peace has not been established, but much mischief been done to the Southward as you well know — Brother Ever since the conclusion of your war with the English we the Six Nations have exerted ourselves to keep Peace, we looked upon it that it would be for the interest of you the United States as well as for ours — The confederate Nations was advised by us to request a conference with you, in order that steps might be taken to bring about a peace, between the States and the Western Brethren — This request was made and Congress appointed Muskingum as the place, which from its central situation we agreed to, as there proposed a Boundary Line, but your Governor St Clair did not think proper to agree to it — The Wyandots, some Delawares and a few others, not authorized by our Confederacy to transact any business, went at his time and confirmed a line as claimed by you, although no part of those lands was their property, nor the property of any individuals but a common to all Indian Nations — Brother — This was fully explained at our council held at Lower Sanduskie [long previous to the last recited transactions] for the purpose of forming our Confederacy and adopting such rules as would be beneficial to all Indian Nations — our attendance to the westward therefore has been frequent to arrange Matters for the mutual welfare of all the Nations of our own Color, umbrage has been taken at this [attendance] by the United States who supposed we went thither to take an active part in the war, with our Brethren against them, but this has never been the case — Brothers You must be fully convinced from our steady perseverance, that we are very desirous of a true being established, but your Commissioners must have seen during the last Summer — the exertions of the Six Nations have made towards accomplishing this desirable object, but now the western nations rather doubted us as to our Sincerity, after we even knew their Sentiments on this war we were still not discouraged but proceeded as we before had done, in what to us appeared reasonable and right — Last fall we pointed out steps to be taken by Congress and sent them forward by you — which we expected would have proved satisfactory, but to our great disappointment did not — had even a Line been taken then we Should then have been more than ever exerted our selves, in order that our offer should be confirmed by our confederacy, and strictly adhered to, from our offers being rejected we are again placed in a similar [strikethrough: Situation] to what we were when we first entered on the business — Brother You must recollect the number of Chiefs who have waited on Congress at divers times, they have pointed out means to be taken, and held out the same Language uniformly at one time also another which was that you should in part withdraw your Boundary Line and give up our Lands. had you done this Peace would have taken place — Brother We have been very long patient for a long time past, we have done every thing we consistently could, with the welfare of our Nations in General not withstanding the many advantages that has been taken of us by individuals making purchases of our Lands, whose fraudulent conduct towards us Congress has never thought proper to enquire into, that we might be rectified and our minds made easy, our patience is now worn out, you see the difficulty we labour under and that it is impossible for us to rise from our seats, to attend your Council agreeable to the invitation we have received — the Boundary Line we pointed out to you is a just one, and with which you might be well satisfied, without claiming any of our lands west of that line — the Trifle that has been paid by Congress, can be no object in comparison to what it would be — Brother We are of the same opinion with the People of the United States, you call your selves free and independent, we as the ancient inhabitants of this Country and sovereign of the soil say that we are equally as free as you, for any other nation or Nations under the sun — This Country was gave to us by the Great Spirit above, we wish to enjoy in peace and that we may have an open passage along the Lake within the line we pointed out — Brother The great exertions we have made for this number of years in endeavouring to accomplish Peace between you and our Western Nations which we have unfortunately not been able to bring about, our patience is now exhausted and we are discouraged from persevering any longer — Therefore throw ourselves under the protection of the Great Spirit above who we hope will order all things for the best — we tell you our patience is [strikethrough: exhausted] exhausted All we wish for Peace, and when ever persons duly authorised, come here with full powers to proclaiming the pleasing sound we shall be ready to pay attention. —