THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Speech of the
Shawanese &c.
(Scioto Plains, July, 1771)
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McKee, Alexander in: "Speech . . . Transmitted by Mr. Alexander McKee to Sir William Johnson Bart. with Mr. McKee's Remarks and Observations,"The Papers of Sir William Johnson, vol. 12, pp. 914-917. |
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INDORSED:1 |
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Boston 30th,
July 1771- |
SPEECH OF THE SHAWNEES
Contemporary Copy2
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[Scioto Plains July 1771] |
Speech of the Shawanese &c. Transmitted by Mr. Alexander Mc.Kee to Sir William Johnson Bart. with Mr. Mc. Kee's Remarks, and Observations.-
Brethren.-
At our parting, it was mutually agreed between us that, no idle Stories should be listned to on either Side. Many, we understand have been reported to you, and we hope you have not believed them. We do assure you we have done everything in our Power since we came Home, to promote Good, agreeable to your Advice, and we hope you have done the same.- We sent you a Message a few days ago Requesting the Traders to be sent back, who we understand are frightned away by evil Reports.- We promise to take Care of them; let what will happen, they need not be Affraid.-
Brethren.-
We beg your most serious Attention to what we Say to you on this Belt.- During our Stay last winter at Fort Pit, we had several Meetings with you, and the Commanding Officer; when we flattered ourselves, every thing which tended to preserve Peace, and Tranquility, was settled, which we hoped would be (page 915) punctually Observed on both Sides.- Our chief Complaint was, that your Traders brought too great Quantities of Rum amongst us, which has been the Cause of the Death of many of our dearest Friends, and Relations, as well as the Reason of our foolish Young Men Abusing your Traders; though, they, themselves are to blame for all the Mischief it produces, it gives us great Uneasiness, and we expected you would have done something to put a Stop to it before this.- As to our parts, the Measure we intended to take, was to Stave all that was brought amongst us; but we fear this would not answer the end we expected, for we find in the Execution, Mischief must undoubtedly happen, & probably draw on what we are endeavoring to Avoid.- Brethren, you have Laws and Government amongst you.- it is You that make the Liquor, and to you we must look to Stop it; We find it is out of our Power to do it.- But You are wise, & have that constantly before you, to Assist you in being so; therefore beg you will Consider it a Matter of too much Consequence to be longer neglected.- If you can do nothing, we must Address ourselves to Sir William Johns, and the rest of our great men, in whose power it certainly must be to remove this Grievance.- It has been a Subject we have spoke to you long upon, without your Seeming to listen to us. We desire to hear from you as soon as possible, as the Time draws near for the Traders to be Coming out; and if no Method can be fallen upon to prevent their bringing Rum into the Country, the Consequence must be dreadful; All the Western Nations fear it is as well as us, and we all know well that it is in your great Men's Power to Stop it, and make us happy, if they thought it worth their Trouble.- We desire this Belt, and Speech may be sent to Sir William Johnson, and the great War Captain by a Messenger on Purpose, that it may not be denied hereafter, when Mischief happens, that we, as Chiefs have done our duties in giving you proper, and timely Notice.-
Extract of Mr. Mc. Kee's Letter Containing his Thoughts, and Observations made during his Journey, &c.
During my Stay there, I made it my Business to talk to the Principal Chiefs, and Warriors, as well as Men of any Note amongst the different Tribes, on the Subject of the Plot discovered, that they had formed against the English.- This I did in the most Serious Manner, when I shewed them the folly of endeavoring to pick a Quarrel with the English, who were their only friends, and who had always Supplied them with every necessary they wanted by an Open, and free Trade through their Country, and had always Pittied their Necessities likewise, and made them handsome Present, whenever they met together in Council to Renew their Friendship.- All this they acknowledged, and indeed made no Scruple of Acknowledging the Design that had been formed against the Kings Subjects.- The Shawanese layed the whole blame upon the Six Nations, and the other Nations upon them for Carrying the Six Nation Belts through the Country to all Nations.-
I told them they must be Convinced by Thomas Kings3 Speeches, which had been Sent to them before their Plot was discovered, that the Six Nations had not Intended any such thing, to which, they, One, and all, (as I spoke to them Seperately) declared that they had the Belts from the Senecas, who had always been the Mouth of the Six Nations, and from whom they have always received the Speeches of that Confederacy; and that this was not the first time they had been deceived by them.- that now they would send off two Chiefs to Chenussio to know the truth, whether the former Speeches sent them from thence, was the Sence of all the Six Nations or those sent by Thomas King, that when they knew the Reality of this matter, they would then know how to Conduct themselves.- By all I could learn, the Shawanese [were] have been the Acting Persons, and I believe, it will admit of no doubt that they were employed by the Senecas.- As to the other Western Tribes, it does not appear to me that (page 917) they seem any way affraid of the Six Nations, but on the contrary rather appear desirous, and bent upon Michief, and I further believe it would have happened before now, had not this Plot been discovered, and Thomas King made such Speeches as he did, for which he undoubtedly is entitled to Merit.- The Discovery, and his Councils, have put a Stop to their Designs for the present, and thrown them into great Confusion;- the Shawanese in particular who always have had a great deal to say with the Western Nations, now plainly See that they can no longer carry a Ballance in Council between the Western & Northern Indians. The Western Nations having united together after they had heard Thomas King's Speeches to defend themselves against the Six Nations, or any other People- The Wabash Indians Speak Very bold, charge the English with Neglecting them, and their Councils, tho' they never Struck them during the late War,- and boast, the French, their old fathers were Building Forts round all their Villages to Secure them from any Enemy whatsoever, and told the Shawanese (who informed me) that when they left home there were Parties of their People Setting off to War against the English at Fort Chartre.- The Twighties seem to be the best disposed People towards the English, of all the Wabash Indians,- and the Delawares seem to have had but little Share in all the Plots, and Designs formed against the English.- but had the Plan succeeded, no doubt, but those Nations would have acted against us.-
The large Quantities of Spirituous Liquors Carried into the Indian Countrys by the English Traders is most certainly a General Complaint with all Nations, as you will See by their Speech on a large white Belt, which they have given me in Charge to request you wou'd send it to Sir William Johnson by a Special Messenger.-
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INDORSED: |
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Speech of the
Shawanese &c. |
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1 (2, Govr. Hutchinson's Letter) In Sir William's hand.
2 (1, Speech) In William L. Clements Library; inclosed in Johnson to Gage September 19, 1771. An account of the circumstances of the meeting and of the delivery of this speech are included in the letter. Johnson Papers, 8:258-62.
3 (2, Speech) An Oneida Chief who was sent as a deputy to these Indians by Croghan. After the conference he with others was escorted by the Catawba Indians to Charleston, S. C., where he died Sept. 5, 1771. See account of his activity in Johnson to Hillsborough, April 4, 1772, Doc. Hist. N. Y., 2:989-93, and Doc. Rel. Col. Hist. N. Y., 8:290-93.
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