Indian Council at rapids of Miami River response to Federal Commissioners' speech of 31 July: Page #2

Indian Council at rapids of Miami River response to Federal Commissioners' speech of 31 July: Page #2

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to come and make peace. And after reciting (?) the periods at which you say Treaties were held at Fort [indecipherable], Fort McIntosh and Miami, all which treaties according to your own acknowledgements were for the sole purpose of making peace, You then say "Brothers, The Commissioners who conducted these treaties, in behalf of the United States, sent the papers containing them to the General Council of the States who supposing them satisfactory to the nations treated with, proceeded to dispose of the lands thereby ceded." Brothers. This is telling us plainly what we always understood to be the case, and it agrees with the declarations of those few who attended those treaties. Viz: That they went to meet your Commissioners to make peace but [indecipherable] fear were obliged to sign any paper that was laid before them and it has since appeared that deeds of [indecipherable] were signed by them instead of treaties of peace. Brothers. You then say " After some time it appeared that a number of people in your nation were dissatisfied with the treaties of Fort McIntosh and Miami: therefore the Council of the United States appointed Givernor St Clair their Commissioner with full power for the purpose of removing all causes of controversy, relating to trade and settlng boundaries between the Indian nations in the northern department and the United States. We accordingly sent messages inviting all the nations concerned to meet him at a Council fire he kindled at the falls of Muskingum. While he was waiting for them, some mischief happened at that place and the fire was put out, so he kindled a Council fire at Fort Harmar (?), where near six hundred Indians of different nations attended. The six nations then received and confirmed the treaty of Fort [indecipherable] and