Experience fully manifests; And when we further considered, that not one of those atrocious Murderers has been brought to Punishment in order to remove the Prejudices of the natives against the Government, nor that the usual Presents of Condolence has been made by this Province, to the Relatives, for the loss of their Brethren, we were greatly confirmed in our Opinion that these murders were one of the Causes of Indian Discontent. But we did not depend on those Reasons solely. We found, from the Examination of George Croghan, Esquire, Deputy Superintendant of Indian Affairs, that the Senecas had complained, among others, of those Murders, and we have been so happy, since, as to have our Opinion farther corroborated by another Authority, which we think your Honour will not dispute, as you have fully acknowledged it in your Message now before us. We mean from an impartial and full State of all the causes of Indian Discontent communicated, in a Letter, during this Session, to our Speaker, by the Honour able Sir William Johnson, His Majesty's Superintendant of Indian Affairs. In this Letter Sir William expressly mentioned the Barbarity exercised on the unhappy Conestoga Indians, as one of the Causes, among others, of the intended Indian Hostilities against the Colonies. And in another Part thereof he says The Murder of the Conestogos, still fresh in their Memory, gives them much Pain.' Thus your Honour may perceive that we have not taken it for granted' that the Murder of the Conestogo Indians 'is one Cause of Indian Complaint, But that we are supported by good Information, and on the very Authority which you so strongly recommend in your Message.

"In order, however, to divert us from examining into this Cause of Indian Complaint, and from pressing you to put the Laws in Execution against the Offenders, you inform us that the Six Nations, upon Sir William Johnson's laying before them and explaining to them this Affair, at your Request, in the Year 1764, were so far satisfied that they received Belts from Him on the Occasion, and suffered him to cover the Graves of their deceased Brethren.' And can your Honour believe that such uncommon Injuries can be attoned for, and the Resentment of the Indians so easily eradicated? Under these Circumstances we are at a loss to conjecture upon what Motives you act when you attempt to persuade us that the Barbarity exercised on the unhappy Conestoga Indians, was not 'One of the Causes of the Indian Discontent." would charitably hope that this Measure was not taken up rather with a view to cast a Veil over the inexcusable Conduct of the Magistracy under your Superintendance, and to avoid a speedy and diligent Inquisition after the Murderers, than to restore the lost Authority and Dignity of the Government. But indeed the badPolicy of treating such important Matters with Neglect, or very little Regard, appears now fatally evident, as it is too clear to be denied that those Murders, of which so little Notice has been taken, are one

We

of the Causes which threaten the Colonies with an Indian War; And we must say that the situation of the Province, in our Apprehension, is truly most deplorable, when the late Murders in the County of Cumberland can involve' you in such 'Difficulties' as to render it necessary to Postpone to a more proper Season,' a Matter of equal if not greater Importance to the Safety of the Colony. The proper Time for punishing Offenders is as soon as possible after the offence is committed; every neglect or delay does but encourage them and others to the Perpetration of the like or other Crimes. And as those offenders have too long already eluded the hands of Justice, no season' in our Opinion, can be more 'proper,' than that which demands their Conviction, to avert the impending Calamities of a general Rupture with the Indians.

You are further pleased to alledge that you are called upon by us in a manner the most extraordinary, to vindicate yourself, and as it were, arraigned by us for neglecting the Duties of your Station relative to Murders committed upwards of four Years ago.' We do not pretend to 'Dictate' or to have any Power over your Honour, but we conceive we have a Right, as the Representatives of the Freemen of this Province, to enquire into every Cause which threatens the Public Safety, to point out the Failures in the Administration of Justice, to advise and request you would enforce a due Execution of the Laws, and make Examples of the Delinquent Officers; and we think it is also our Right to know how far those reasonable Requests are complied with. And should we observe. any Omission or Neglect in a Governor, which is likely to bring the Authority of Government into Contempt, and thereby to endanger the Lives of His Majesty's Subjects, We cannot but think we ought, with Plainness, Firmness, and Resolution, to remonstrate against such Omissions or Neglects; For your Honour will be pleased to consider, that herein the Lives, Estates, and every thing the People of this Province hold dear and valuable, are intimately concerned, and if we were, as idle spectators, to see the Province we represent precipitating into a State of Anarchy with all its attendant mischiefs, we should be not only chargeable with a Breach of Duty to the Crown, but the People we represent.

But why your Honour mentions the time since those offences were committed, we cannot conceive. Was it to persuade us that the Punishment of Murder would be now out of 'Season'?These Criminals you acknowledge, have eluded the force of our Laws upwards of 'four years,' and yet, many of them remain in the Province and may be easily discovered and apprehended. As distressing as this consideration must be to every sober Inhabitant, it is greatly aggravated by the Number of Crimes of the same Nature since comitted. Will your Honour permit us to place them in one view before you, that the dangerous effects of delaying Justice in Government may fully appear and incite you to do your Duty? In the year 1763, the cruel Massacres of Twenty Indians,

chiefly of the Six Nations, were perpetrated at Conestogo and Lancaster. In the same year a Delaware Chief met with the same Fate between Sherman's Valley and Juniata. In 1765, a Chief of the Six Nations was murdered near Bedford. In the year 1766, a principal Warrior of the Delawares was killed between Red-Stone Creek and Cheat River; and three Delaware Chiefs were Robbed and Murdered near Fort Pitt by two Inhabitants of this Province. An Indian was lately murthered in Northampton County; besides the late Barbarity committed by Frederick Stump and his servant on ten Indians on Middle Creek. And not one of those Murderers have been brought to Punishment. The last mentioned have indeed been apprehended thro' the virtuous Activity of Cap William Patterson, aided by a few of his neighbors, without any Authority from the Magistracy. But, when taken into Custody by the Sheriff, under the Chief Justices' Warrant, and ready to be brought by a Guard to this City for Examination, did not two of the inferiour Magistrates insolently presume to supersede the Power of that Warrant, and commit the Prisoners by their own Authority to the County Goal, and one of them to discharge the Guard raised by the Sheriff, thereby affording an Opportunity to the lawless part of the County of rescuing them. This Rescue has since taken place by a Number of Armed Men; And not a single Offender apprehended that we have heard of, tho many of them are well known and residing in the County. Where can these things terminate but in Tumults and a Total Abolition of the Powers of Government? For, can we reasonably expect that those avowed violators of the Faith of Treaties and the Laws of God and their Country will stop here, and not exercise the same Acts of inhumanity on the good People of the Province? Their Numbers and Connections are continually encreasing by the Perpetration of new Offences, and fresh Difficulties occurring with them to oppose the Execution of the Laws, while the Powers of Government, which ought in all good Policy to check the growth of Crimes in their Bud, are either not exercised at all, or with so little Effect as to incite neither Fear or Respect.

"But our pressing these Matters on your Honour, you are pleased to Term 'no less unkind and Indecent towards you, than imprudent with respect to our present Pursuit, for Reasons which must occur to us on cool and dispassionate Reflection, though they are altogether improper to be made public at this particular Juncture.' We trust, that after so full an Explanation of our Motives as is mentioned in this Message, you will readily alter your Sentiments with respect to the Indecency of our Conduct. And as to the 'imprudence' of the Measure, though we have coolly and dispassionately' sought for the Reasons which you say 'must occur to us,' we assure you we are at a Loss to discover them, unless they arise from an Apprehension in your Honour that it is impracticable under the present debilitated Administration of Government, to Punish the Authors of Crimes committed at different Periods.

"You are pleased to tell us that you 'contented yourself with returning a short Answer to our first Message, letting us know what Steps you had taken to discover and bring to Justice those who had been concerned in the Lancaster 'Murders.' Your Answer was indeed short, but truly alarming to Us. The very extraordinary Declaration made in that Message, that, 'in your Station you conceived nothing more can be done without doing an Act of Violence to the Constitution,' afforded us a Melancholy Prospect of future Insecurity. And, as it seems nothing more can be done in Your Opinion, by the Supream Magistrate of Pennsylvania, towards bringing the most Capital Offenders to Justice, 'than writing a few Letters to the Inferiour Officers (who have contumaciously disobeyed them), and issuing a Proclamation, which has been treated with the utmost Indignity, every Impartial Person must be convinced that the Powers of Government, vested in thee feeble Hands of a Proprietary Governor, are too weak to support Order in the Province, or give Safety to the People.

"JOSEPH GALLOWAY, Speaker."

This Afternoon an Express brought a Letter from a Chief of the Indians at the Great Island, to Captain William Patterson, in Answer to his Message sent them the 22d of last month, and is as follows, Viz1:

"Loving Brother:

"February 17th, 1768.

"I received your Speech by Gershom Hicks, and have sent one of my Relations to you with a String of Wampum, and the following Answer:

"Loving Brother:

"I am glad to hear from you; I understand that you are very much grieved, and that the Tears run from your Eyes. With both my Hands I now wipe away those Tears; and, as I don't doubt but your Heart is disturbed, I remove all the Sorrow from it, and make it as easy as before; I will now sit down and Smoak my Pipe. I have taken fast hold of the Chain of Friendship, and when I give it a Pull, if I find my Brothers, the English, have let it go, it will then be Time for me to let go, too, and take care of my family. There are four of my Relations Murdered by Stump, and all I desire is, that he may suffer for his wicked Action; I shall then think that Your People have the same Goodness in their Hearts as formerly, and intend to keep it there. As it was the Evil Spirit who caused Stump to commit this bad Action, I blame none of my Brothers, the English, but him.

"I desire that the People of Juniata may sit still on their Places, and not put themselves to any Hardships by leaving their

Habitations, whenever Danger is coming, they shall know it before

"I am your Loving Brother,

it comes on them.

"SHAWANA BEN.

"To Captain WILLIAM PATTERSON."

At a Council held at Philadelphia on Wednesday 24th Feb 1768.

PRESENT:

The Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &cL

William Logan,
James Tilghman, Esquires.
S

The Governor having considered the Necessity of taking immediate Measures for the removal of the Settlers on the Indian Lands, pursuant to the Law lately passed for that Purpose, and desired that a Proclamation might be prepared agreeable thereto, the Draught of one was laid before the Board and approved, and 250 Copies thereof were ordered to be Printed without delay.

In was then agreed that the Reverend Mr. John Steel, John Allison, Christopher Lemes, Esquires, and Captain James Potter, of Cumberland County, should be requested to go to the Mongahela, Youghiogeny, and other Places Westward of the Allegheny Mountains, where any Settlements are made within this Province, and to set up a Number of the Said Proclamations in the most public Places of those Settlements, and to Read and explain the same to the People, and to use their best endeavours to induce them to pay due Obedience thereto. A Letter of Instructions was accordingly drawn up and approved, and the same was directed to be sent by. Express to those Gentlemen, together with a Number of the Proclamations, and Sixty Pounds in Cash towards defraying the Expences of their Journey. The Proclamation and Letter follow in these Words, viz" :

"By the Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New-Castle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware.

"A PROCLAMATION.

"WHEREAS, by an Act of General Assembly of this Province, passed in this present year, it is, among other things, provided and enacted, that if any Person or Persons, settled upon any Lands within the Boundaries of this Province, not purchased of the Indians by the Proprietaries thereof, shall neglect or refuse to remove themselves and Families off and from the same Lands, within the VOL. IX.-31.