Speech of the Secretary of War, to the Chiefs and Warriors of the Putawatmies, Ottawa, and Chippewa Nations. Brothers, Your Father the President of the United States has heard what you have Said with great attention, and maturely deliberated upon your request. That he cause to be confirmed certain Sales of your Lands made by you to Individuals, previous to the Treaty of Greeneville, in order that the Purchasers may be enabled to occupy the Lands, and you become entitled to receive the Rents stipulated to be paid. You say that you mentioned these Grants to General Wayne, at the Treaty of Greeneville, and that you had assurances from him they would be provided for, and included in the Treaty. The Letters from General Wayne have been consulted, particularly the letter he sent with the original Treaty, in which he says, "That he met with many difficulties, and among others, that "certain persons kept the Ottawas, Wyandots, and Putawatmies, in the vici- "nity of Detroit, in a state of intoxication, for many weeks, whilst purchasing "their Lands, for the most trifling considerations." He says further, "That as soon as Egushewas, and the other In- "dian chiefs, were raised from a state of intoxication, and recovered their reason, they "came forward, and at a private audience prayed him to relieve them from their "disagreable situation, that they had given away all their Land to certain Peo- "ple, when in a state of intoxication." The General, it appears, would not permit any claim in the Treaty "which might be construed to confirm such Sales, or put the Land, out of the protection of the United States," for the use of the Indian Nations. Brothers, Brothers, — Your Father the President is convinced, and believes upon due reflection, you also will be convinced, that it is much better for your respective Nations, and for Indian Nations in general, that all sales of their Lands, should be made at public open Treaties, in the presence of an Agent, specially authorized by the Government of the United States. At such public Treaties, all the Indians would be noticed, and could meet, be heard, and would be secured by the public Agent, against the impositions they must be liable to, at private meetings. With the same views, the security of the Indians against impositions by designing purchasers, and to guard against the jealousies, and animosities, that might thereby be occasioned, we find that the British Government always exercised a power of superintending the Sales of Indian Lands, within their Limits. In 1763, after France by Treaty had ceded Canada, and other parts of the country, to Great Britain, the King by his Proclamation dated the 7^th of October 1763, reserved under the Sovereignty, protection, and Dominion of the Crown, for the use of the Indians, all the Lands not comprehended in the three Governments of Quebec, East and West Florida, and strictly forbad all his Subjects, from making any purchase or settlement whatsoever, or taking possession of any of the Lands, thus secured, without special licence first obtained — those who were settled upon these Lands were required to remove without delay; the Governors were prohibited from granting Warrants for the same, and it was forbidden that any private person should presume to purchase from the Indians, any of the Lands reserved to them, even within the bounds of a Province, but that if the Indians were desirous of selling, the purchase should be made in the name, and for the use of the Crown, at some public Meeting of the Indians, held for that purpose, by the Governor, or Commander in Chief of the Colony where the Land lies. Brothers, — Since the Establishment of the United States into a Sovereign and Independent Nation, and previous to the present Constitution and form of Government, many purchases made from the Indians by Citizens of the United States without licence, and not made at an authorized public Treaty, have been refused to be confirmed, and the practice and law has been, that no Individual could purchase or hold from an Indian Grant; even States did not open Treaties, or purchase from the Indians, without leave first obtained from Congress, and the purchase was always made in the presence of Commissioners authorized by Congress. The present form of Government for the United States, has expressly and exclusively vested in that Government all power to regulate and superintend such purchases of Indian Lands, and the Laws made since have pointed out the mode, which is by Treaty, authorized by the Government, and in the presence of a Commissioner appointed on the behalf of the United States. The meaning of all this is, that Great Britain did not allow any of her subjects to buy Lands of her Red Brethren, without her consent, and unless the purchase was authorized by her King or his Governors acting under him. For the same reason, and to prevent the Indians from being cheated by bad men, the United States do not permit any of their citizens to purchase land from their Red children, unless in the presence of one of their Commissioners. This is a wise regulation, and in favor of the Indians, who, if it were not adhered to, would be imposed upon, and in a little time have no Land to sell. Brothers, — You must now see, that the President, your Father, cannot in the mode you propose, comply with your request; it would be to oppose established and uniform practice, intended to guard the Indian Nations from imposition, and preserve peace with them. Brothers, — You can inform the nations who were displeased with the conduct of Isaac Williams, and wished him no longer to be continued in the appointment of Indian Interpreter, and temporary Deputy Superintendent, that he has resigned his appointment, and his Resignation been accepted by the President, so that he is to be considered, no longer, as acting under the Authority of the United States. Brothers, Brothers, — The Peans, a branch of the Miami Nation, have requested to be furnished with their portion of the Goods, under the Greenville Treaty, separately; — The treaty makes no provision for this, and it is impossible for your Father the President to know what their proportion is. You may inform them, if the whole Nation will consent to their Goods being put up separately, and agree upon the proportion, that then their request can, and will be complied with. Brothers, — You will represent to your respective Nations, on your return home, that their Father, the President of the United States, is extremely sorry, that for the reasons he has mentioned, he could not comply with their request, and that he flatters himself, their own reflections, will satisfy them of the propriety of his refusal. You will inform them that he has a sincere regard for them, and all his Red Children, and earnestly recommends it to them, to live in peace with each other, and should differences arise, to settle them by Talks, and Councils, relying upon the justice of the United States, and their intention to protect them in their rights to [undecipherable] You mention th[undecipherable] enemies of the United Sta[undecipherable] short time since, sent to you, a strange three col[undecipherable] flag, with a war bell, and [undecipherable] you to hostile acts, against the United States, bu[undecipherable] this invitation [undecipherable] This proof of your adhe- rence to the Treaty of G[undecipherable] is highly satisfactory[.] Your Father [undecipherable] devoted [undecipherable] to render your Str[undecipherable] home, as comfortable as possible, and to make [undecipherable] presents to you, and your [undecipherable] He sends to all his Red Children b[undecipherable] Love and Affection[.] Given at the Office of [undecipherable] War Department, this Twenty fourth day of [undecipherable] ber, one thousand seven hundred and Ninety C[undecipherable] [undecipherable]mes McHenry Se[undecipherable]ry of war [seal]