[24] [Corn] Planter to his Brothers the Commissioners & other Gentlemen attending — We have kindled this Counsel fire at the request of M^r Morris we have heard what has taken place in your conversa- tions with our Sachems, day after day our Sachems covered this Council fire, but M^r Morris told us it was not unless covered, that he meant to lay the Concerns before the War- riors & Women. And now as the Concern is referd to Warriors & Women I will now remind you of a few, made to us by the U S at the close of the War. Their Commissioners told at that time they had got Sharp & that if we would listen to the Voice of Peace, they would take us under their Protection — further they told us that if [underline: they] would comply with their request that they would make our Sachems [undecipherable] from [undecipherable] & Punish- ment to them even if they were surrounded by White peo- ple & notwithstanding should be undisturbed. they also told us at that time & ever since, that if we would only lend our selves to making Peace with the hostile Indians toward the [undecipherable: Sitting?] of the Sun, that they should always keep us in remembrance & as for my Part, since the conclusion of the War I have always exerted my self to procure peace & have always told my People, that we would look up to General Washington as our Father as he was the Governor of the 13 fires. We have always accepted his advice & are happy to find it You have grown a great People & have now 15 fires — U S has Always has Always told us that the little & Marked out to us, will be very Valuable to us in our ^Children if we would listen to the Voice of Peace — & We Warriors are going to See What this Value is, by this Counsel fire lighted up here. One thing we are Sorry to find that the President has consented to [undecipherable: cede?] also of all our Land at this Counsel fire. if he had [undecipherable] the matter [undecipherable] to us ourselves it would have been more to our advantage [.] Satisfactory to us we wish to act [undecipherable] confidence in the Concerns, under this relaxation we here that the President M^r Chapin & all the Gentlemen [undecipherable] [undecipherable] with [undecipherable] us, as there are many of our Brethren & Other Nations residing by our consent on those Lands and that in every town there is the bones of our Ancestors which [undecipherable] makes us very [undecipherable] of our Land & Each of you all with [26] will consent to leave the Matter entirely to us. we will then conclude a Bargain with M^r Morris. We Warriors are very much dysatisfied with the present ambition of our Sachems. it appears to us that M^r Morris in Consequence is also getting proud & obstinate: but now as the Concern is referd to the Warriors & Women we desire he will lay aside all Obstinacy & pride aside — Now [undecipherable] M^r Morris will only consent to leave the Matter [undecipherable] to us, [undecipherable] all the advantages of this Bargain We hope M^r Morris will take this Matter into his Serious Consideration & Consult the Book of the great Spirit & that if he can find any thing therein that directs [undecipherable] on Indians then we Will Submit to [undecipherable] In [undecipherable] this Book if he should find any thing directing White People to Intrude on Indians we with the [undecipherable] tell us of it. [B]ig Tree Sep 9. 1797