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To the great Chief the Little Turtle, and the other great Chiefs, now with him from the Miamis, Pottowattama and Wea
Brothers,
I am authorised by your father the President of the United States, to assure you that it gives him great pleasure to see you at the great Council fire of the sixteen States, and to have an opportunity of taking by the hand the great and wise men of so many of the Nations of his red Children.
Brothers,
Your Father the President is happy to find that the great Spirit who made all the white and red people had produced in them a desire to be like one people and to live together like brothers in peace and friendship, and your Father the President, most sincerely hopes that the same friendly dispositions will continue and increace in strength in all parts of the United States, as long as the Great Lakes & Rivers remain.
Brothers,
You Father the President has fully considered and digested all that you said to him; he was highly pleased with the opin and friendly manner on which you communicated to him your sentiments, and the feelings and wishes of his red children, &ca he has authorised me to give you the following answer.
Brothers,
When the Treaty between the white people and the red was made at Greenville it was undoubtedly the intention of both parties, to live together in future as friends and Brothers, and that every part of the Treaty should be honestly and faithfully complied with on both sides, and you may rest assured, that it is the real wish and intention of the great Council and your Father the President that every part of the Treaty should be honestly and faithfully complied with on the part of the
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United States, & they have no doubt but you and our other red brethern feel an equal desire to fullfill every article on your part.
Brothers,
Your Father the President is convinced that by some accident or neglect the goods which his red Children were entitled to by the Treaty; have not all been punctually delivered in good order, and he is willing to make good to his red children all real deficiencies, and in future such measures will be taken, as will insure the delivery of whole of the articles in July or the first of August annually in good order at Fort Wayne and Detroit.
Brothers,
What you said to your Father the President respecting the lands at St. Vinsuns on the Wabash has been attended to and proper instructions will be given to your good friend Governor Harri[son] for having the whole business fairly settled was to prevent any uneasine[ss] hereafter, and measures will likewise be taken for having the lines run and marked round each of the tracts of land reserved for the use of th[e] United States by the Treaty of Greenville.
Brothers,
Your Father the President, was much pleased with what you said to him respecting strong drink; he rejoices to find that you wish to ha[ve] no more of that poison introduced among his red children which has done them so much mischief; he will consult with the great Council of the si[x]teen States, which is now siting, on the subject of guarding you again against this great evil, and also on that of establishing trading hous[es] in your Country sufficient to supply your wants.
Brothers,
Your Father the President will order ploughs and h[oes] to be furnished at Fort Wayne for supplying his red children in t[he] manner you have requested, and a Blacksmith will also be placed th[ere?] to mind your axes hoes and Guns, it is the wish of your father the P[res-]ident that two or three of his young red children should be selected, a[nd]
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placed with the Blacksmith to learn of him how to mend axes hoes and Guns, so that in a few years you may have workmen of your own in your towns. Your Father will likewise give directions for having a convenient building erected at Fort Wayne, in which his red children may be accommodated when they meet to receive their goods.
Brothers,
You are hereby authorised to assure all the red people of the several Nations to which you belong that they may at all times depend on the friendship and fatherly protection of your father the President, while their conduct continues to be friendly fair and honest towards each other and towards their white brethren, and it is the wish of your Father the President that when you shall be prepared to set out on your journey home that you may be protected by the great Spirit on your way and that you may return in safety to your own fire sides, and find all your families and friends in good health.
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Given at the War Office City
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Pottawottama, Father, Listen to your children, your children are happy that the Great Spirit has given them permission to speak with you this day.
Father, your children have travelled a great distance, and are happy to meet you at the great Council of the sixteen fires.
Father, your children have something to communicate which they think of importance, both to your children the Red People and to you, as the Great Spirit made both, your children hope that no accident will happen to destroy the friendship and good understanding, which exists between them and their Brothers the white people.
Father, our Brother Chief the Little Turtle will communicate to you our wishes and desires.
Little Turtle, Father you have heard the observasions of my Brother Chief Pottawottama. It gives us great pleasure that the Great Spirit who made us both has permitted us to take you by the han[d] at the Great Council of the sixteen fires.
Father, we have confidence, in our Interpreter, he is a great advantage both to us and to you, as through him we have the means of communicating with, and perfectly understanding each other.
Father, it has again fell to my lot to make known to you the wish of your children. I was in hopes that my brethren the Great Chiefs would have spoken for themselves, but by their desire I have undertaken to speak for them.
Father, A Treaty was made six years since at Greenville between the President of the United States and your children the People.
Father, I with some of my Brethren made certain objections [at?] that Treaty, but finally thought it best is should be signed, an[d] we wish to adhere to it, and hope our white brethren will do so.
My Father, at that Treaty it was understood that the whi[te] people would be the fathers friends and protectors of the red Peo[ple] ? that they would use their best endeavours to maintain friendsh[ip]
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