[G Washington Present Speech to the [undecipherable]] Chiefs and Warriors, Representatives of the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanoes, Ottawas, Chippewas, Potawatomies, Miamis Eel River, Weas, Kickapoos, Piankeshaws and Kaskaskias. My Children. I have heard and considered what you have said to me through the Secretary of War and I am pleased to see you at the seat of Government & to receive you as friends. You have asked my advice and I will give it to you freely upon such matters as appear to me to be essential to your welfare. In the treaty which you have entered into with my great Warrior General Wayne and which has been ratified by the Senate of the United States, you have made certain grants and promised certain things that I make no doubt you will comply with. On the other hand the United States have promised in the same treaty certain things to you which they mean to perform. The United States who love justice have agreed to pay to you and your Children forever a yearly sum of money in goods for a certain parcel of your land. By the same treaty, the Indian Nations mentioned therein have bound themselves not to sell any of their land, except to the United States. This is a wise part of the treaty inasmuch as it prevents your people from being cheated out of large tracts of Country by designing men who would sit pay them what the land was worth whilst what they might receive for it could be of no use to their posterity. This is not the case when the United States buy your land. They are careful that the Children of those who sell it shall enjoy as much advantage from the sale as their fathers did. Thus the treaty secures to each Indian Nation their land against purchases by Individuals, whilst the laws of the United States have in addition to that treaty, provided a punishment for persons who shall attempt to buy it contrary thereto. Let your Nations therefore pay a due respect and attention to this part of the treaty and they will have nothing to apprehend for their land. It may be proper to say something to you relative to the distribution of the goods agreed to be paid to you annually for the land ceded by the Treaty. It is right that the goods, apportioned to each Nation, should be delivered to such persons only as the Nation may appoint to receive it. To prevent frauds therefore and ensure a fair distribution among yourselves, it is recommended that each Nation should fix every year upon the persons whom it wishes should receive its quota; and that they should instruct their Interpreters to inform the Agent who is to deliver the goods of the names of the persons so chosen. I shall now give you some advice respecting the conduct of your people, the observance of which, I consider of importance to their tranquility and peace. There are among the Indians as among the Whites, Individuals who will steal their Neighbours property, when they find the opportunity in preference to acquiring property to themselves by honest means. Bad white men, for example will go into the Indian country and steal horses; and bad Indians, in like manner, will go into the settlement of the Whites and steal their horses. If the Indian Nations wish to deserve the friendship of the United States and to prevent the white settlers on the frontiers from retaliation on their property, the chiefs and Warriors of their respective Nations must use their endeavours to punish such Offenders and restore to the whites to some Officer of the United States the property they may have stolen. As for the Government it will use its utmost endeavours to restore to every Indian any property of his which may have been stolen by Citizens of the United States and will moreover punish those who violate the laws that have been made to prevent such practices, whenever the fact can be proved upon them. But it is not enough, that the United States should furnish your nations with an annual quantity of goods; that you should not sell your lands for that which could be of no advantage to your posterity; that you should prevent bad Indians from stealing from the white frontier people, and that you should live in friendship with the United States. More than all this is required to render your condition comfortable. Your lands are good. Upon them you may raise houses and large flocks of cattle, by the sale of which you may procure the conveniences and necessaries of life in greater abundance and with less trouble than you do at present. You may also by a little more industry raise more corn and other Grains as well for your families as for the support of your stock in Winter. I hope the Nations will maturely reflect upon this subject and adopt what cannot fail to make them happier. when the Government shall be informed that they have taken this wise course and are sincerely desirous to be aided in it, they may rely upon receiving all necessary assistance. In order that my Children of the different Nations should be informed of this advice, I request that you will explain to them what you have heard me say. I shall also, to the end that it may remain among them and not be forgotten by their Children, request my beloved Secretary of War to send a copy of this talk to each Nation to be explained to them by their respective Interpreters. Should you have any thing particular to say before you leave the seat of Government you will address it to the Secretary of War, who is instructed by me upon all matters relating to the Indian Nations and who will furnish such of you as have acquired the title of Chiefs or Warriors with a Testimonial of the same import as that delivered up by Blue Jacket, as a proof of my esteem and friendship. I now sincerely wish you a good Journey and that you may find your Brothers and families well on your Return, and that the Great Spirit above may long preserve your Nations in peace with each other and with the United States. Given at Philadelphia this twenty ninth day of November 1796 and in the twenty first year of the Independence of the United States of America. [undecipherable]