business are forbidden.
Father In that Treaty we agreed that no compulsion should
be used by either
of the parties. But now I.J. Schermerhorn
has already used as it were force in taking our men to the
West clandestinely. Furthermore we believe that comm-
unications have been dispatched to you purporting to be the
voice of the Six Nations
acted upon in our Councils.
Father-- We sincerely hope that all such (if any there may be)
may not be
considered or treated as the sentiments of the Six
Nations
pecting the removal of our people west of the Mississippi
We have resolved to adhere to our present locations to remain
and lay our bones by the side of our forefathers.
We believe we can continue at home and be at
peace with our neighbours. We
have disposed of our lands
again and again until our seats are reduced so
that they
are now but just sufficient for our children to live on.
We
are now surrounded on every side by the White People.
We love them and
suffer no inconvenience from them; but
on the Contrary, we desire from them
great and permanent
assistance. They are kind and generous hearted people,
they treat us kindly.
We believe that we have fulfilled our obligations to each other
and to the
treaty of Peace and Friendship which we made.
We have been born and
educated in the same land, we have
grown up together in brotherly love; We
have acquired a
knowledge of the arts of civilization and of agriculture in
a
great measure from them: We have now many amongst us
who have built
large barns, and who have good waggons
and other useful implements of
agriculture. We have also
built school and Council houses and convenient
Churches:
We have several saw mills and a grain mill amongst us.
Our
people have made rapid advances already and are still
progressing in wealth
and industry.
The moral condition of our people has been visibly
improving beyond our
expectation for the last forty years:
True we have also immoral and
imprincipled men amongst
us: But this is common with all nations. There is
therefore
no sufficient reason for the whole nation to be removed
on
their account.
Father--One more, We have heard your liberal offers
in connection with your
instructions to your agent read
to us by Judge
Stryker
But with all the light thus thrown upon the subject we cannot
see sufficient reasons for accepting them. We believe that
our comforts here are better than the Western territory can
offer us. We know that from the sincerity of their hearts
our people do not wish to accept, and it would be heart
rending for us and our people to be induced to do so con-
trary to our voices and feelings.
Father We have been repeatedly assured by all the Presidents
and even by
your predecessor, that the right of choice
should be left entirely free.
That we may go or stay
as we choose. We believe our new father will follow
the steps of the wide and good Presidents who have gone
before: We
suppose that the people have elected a good
and philanthropic man for their
chief magistrated
We therefore hope sincerely, that you will suffer no
improper
means to be used for seducing our people to acquiesee
in the
proposition made by our agent.
Father, Permit us now in closind this letter to commend
your health and
soundness of spirit to the care of the great
Spirit of Heaven.
Six Nations
of October 1837. In presence of
Jonathan Hoyt
Moses Bristol