but only to drive the French away. They said, they knew better; for that they were informed so by our greatest traders; and some Justices of the Peace had told them the same, and the French, said they, tell us much the same thing,—"that the English intend to destroy us, and take our lands;" but the land is ours, and not theirs; therefore, we say, if you will be at peace with us, we will send the French home. It is you that have begun the war, and it is necessary that you hold fast, and be not discouraged, in the work of peace. We love you more than you love us; for when we take any prisoners from you, we treat them as our own children. We are poor, and yet we clothe them as well as we can, though you see our children are as naked as at the first. By this you may see that our hearts are better than yours. It is plain that you white people are the cause of this war; why do not you and the French fight in the old country, and on the sea? Why do you come to fight on our land? This makes every body believe, you want to take the land from us by force, and settle it.[1]
I told them, "Brothers, as for my part, I have not one
foot of land, nor do I desire to have any; and if I had any
land, I had rather give it to you, than take any from you.
Yes, brothers, if I die, you will get a little more land from
me; for I shall then no longer walk on that ground,
which God has made. We told you that you should keep
————
- ↑ The Indians, having plenty of land, are no niggards of it. They sometimes give large tracts to their friends freely; and when they fell it, they make most generous bargains. But some fraudulent purchases, in which they were grossly imposed on, and ſome violent intrusions, imprudently and wickedly made without purchase, have rendered them jealous that we intend finally to take all from them by force. We should endeavour to recover our credit with them by fair purchases and honest payments; and then there is no doubt but they will readily fell us, at reasonable rates, as much, from time to time, as we can possibly have occasion for.—[C. T.?]
