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.
Ottawa Conference
(June 21, 1707)
In: Michigan Historical
Collections, XXXIII, pp. 324-326.
|
|
|
col. II: |
|
|
pp. |
|
col. I: |
in a short time. I have replied to M. de la Mothe that if I had two bodies, I would willingly divide myself into two parts to go and see him; but that, as I had but one, and had been summoned by my father, I was going to learn his will.
_____________
WORDS OF THE OUTTAVOIS ON THE 21st OF JUNE WITH THE ANSWERS.
|
Words of the Outtavois from Michilimakina to the Governor-General on the 21st of June, 1707. |
|
Observations of M. de La Mothe. |
Jean le Blan speaks.
My father, my father, I come to you again. The Comte de Frontenac always told our forefathers that we were his children.
Though they are dead, yet I speak to you as if they were present. We are your children, my father, we come to you.
By a necklace.
|
I am deeply grieved, my father, that I am unable to make amends for what I have done. I am the interpreter of our people, I lend them my voice. I have nothing to offer you but my body. I am in despair that I am not able to repair the wrong I have done. |
|
A bad reason; these are nothing but words, mere idle talk. |
I follow the footsteps of our ancestors, I follow their footsteps, my father. They were always obedient; I will be so too. I have indeed committed a great fault; but can it not be atoned for?
|
My father, my father, I am in despair at what has happened. You have demanded of me the head of that bear that is up there. It is he who is to blame; it is true that it is he; but I cannot promise you this reparation. |
|
That is a refusal, pure and simple, of the demand which M. de Vaudreuil made. They call Le Pezant, the great chief, by the name of the Bear. |
|
If I were to say to my father- "I will give you the head of the great bear up there"- it would be impossible for me (page 325, II) to keep my word with him, and I should be grieved to have lied to him. I dare not promise you, my father, to do what you ask of me, for this great bear is allied to all the tribes of the upper country. |
|
A second refusal of the same demand. |
|
It is not that I should fear him, if it were he only; nor that any or us love him, for it is he who is guilty. But as he has allies round all the lakes I fear, my father, the consequences of this affair, and that all his allies may not only prevent me from bringing it here to you, but may also do to me what I would do to him. |
|
If he is thus allied he will in that way, be the more formidable; but when his head is cut off he will create no more disturbances. That must be insisted on. |
My consolation, my father, is that he is an old man and cannot go very far; and when he is dead we shall have absolutely no more wrong-doing. But, meanwhile, we promise you not to listen to him any more; and, if we can mollify your anger, we give you our word that he shall certainly not make us do any wrong again.
|
My father, my father, we are your children, we are all French. It is a terrible thing if we must perish for his sake. |
|
No; but they must put him to death to save themselves. That is the opinion of M. de la Mothe. |
|
That is the first fault we have committed; it is the first wrong-doing that the Outtavois can be reproached with. They have always been friends to the French. Why, my father, are we to perish for him? |
|
This is an astonishing thing. But why does he not confess what induced them to do this act? They dare not; they know they have their pardon. |
All of us who are here, my father, are chiefs and men of importance; we are resolved to do your will. Pardon us, you who are our father; we promise you that you shall never be displeased with us, and that we will never have any other will than yours.
Endorsed-
Index letter C.
Reply of the Governor-General to the savages from Michilimakina on the 22nd of June, 1707.
I have seen the reply you gave me yesterday. I am willing to believe that you are unable to give me up the head of Le Pezant as I asked of you.
I must however have blood to content me. The death of a missionary cannot be paid for except by blood.
I have pity on you.
As all the tribes knew of your wrong doing, and are in suspense awaiting the reparation I may exact for it, it is necessary that all the tribes should learn how repentant you have been for your faults, how submissive you were to do my will. It was at Detroit that you offended against me; it was there that you killed the Recollet father and my soldier. It is there that I wish you to give me reparation, and for that purpose it is my will that you take to M. de la Mothe the two slaves that you have offered to me here.
But in order that I may be sure of your obedience, and that all the tribes may be witnesses of it also,
You must not go back by the great river, at least not all of you; Jean Leblanc and some of you must go by way of the lakes with the slaves. I will give him letters to M. de la Mothe, and some Frenchmen for their security.
But, whatever arrangement M. de la Mothe may find for setting right the mischief you have done, and satisfying the tribes against whom you have offended, as well as against me, I shall give him orders not to include this Pezant in the pardon he extends to you in my name, if he does extend it, or in the arrangement he may make between you and the other tribes, for I do not pretend that Le Pezant will ever be included in the pardon I shall be willing to accord to your transgression. There, Jean le Blanc, is the door open to you; consider whether you wish to make use of it. I return you the necklace you gave me the day before yesterday. When you have done what I order you to do, and M. de la Mothe has hit upon expedients with you for obtaining pardon for your fault, and for settling matters between you and the tribes you have attacked, bring me back this necklace by the lakes or by the great river; these two roads shall be open to you. Then I will myself ratify the pardon which has been extended to you in my name, and I will forget your fault. But if all of you Outtavois of Michilimakina do not give me this proof of your obedience, you will have everything to fear from my just resentment.
I do not speak to Companissé here, for Father Marest tells me that he intends to bring me slaves to satisfy his brothers, the Iroquois, and that he would have come down but for that; only I charge you, Brochet, to tell him from me that I count upon his word.
I have remarked the complaints you make against the Hurons. It is not they who have killed you, it is you yourselves. If the Outtavois had not attacked the Miamis, as you did, without cause and even without any apparent reason, the Hurons would still be your allies, the Recollet father would be alive, you would still be in plenty at Detroit, and would not be in want, as you are. Monsieur de la Mothe, according to what you have told me, invited you, Jean le Blanc, to go and see him. Take ad- (page 326, I) vantage of the kindly feelings he has for you.
Although you have offended me in the most sensitive place, and have plunged your dagger in my breast, you see that I have pity on you still, giving you the means of settling the trouble you have caused. Take advantage of my pity, ye Outtavois. I am giving my orders to M. de la Mothe. Remember, all of you who are here present, Outtavois, Kiskakous, Sinagos, you of the Land tribe, and of La Fourche, remember all of you the promise you gave me yesterday, never to recognize Le Pezant again in anything, and to look upon him in future as a member withered and severed from your body. Remember that you have promised me to cause no further trouble and never to give me the least cause for displeasure.
Outtavois, the blood of Frenchmen is sacred; remember well all I have said.
_________
WORDS
OF JEAN LEBLANC TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, ON
THE 23rd OF JUNE, 1707.
|
Observations of M. de la Mothe. |
|
My Father, I am sorry that M. de Bourmond is not here before you, to tell you his reasons, as I am doing mine. I think he is ashamed since he has not come, as I have, to tell you his reasons. |
|
If he had not been assured pretty strongly, he would have feared to come; in fact he knew M. de la Mothe was not so compassionate as M. de Vaudreuil. |
|
My father, my father, I beg you to consent to hear me; and you, interpreters, take great care to forget nothing, and to explain properly what I say. Last year I said to Father Marest, when I arrived at Michilimakina, that I had thought I should die at my father's door; but when I saw little Renaud come, I told him that I had no fear any longer, since my father called me, and that I would go and offer him my body. |
|
This is the road from Missilimakina to Montreal. This is pleasant hearing to M. de Vaudreuil for it has come to his point of view, which was to remove the Outavois from Detroit. |
|
My father, I see that my flesh is not to your taste. I go to obey your will; I am going to find Monsieur de la Mothe, and to die near my brother the Recollet father. My father, as I am an obedient child, I am going to Detroit; I have already told you that I gave my body up to you. I am going to Detroit, and thence I will go to Michilimakina to make smooth the old road. I will |
Return
to TOC, p. 7
Continue
to next part of Miami Collection
[return to Miami
Collection Menu]
[return to Glenn A. Black Laboratory
of Archaeology List of Publications]
[return to Glenn A. Black
Laboratory of Archaeology Home]
Last updated: 31 October 2000
URL: http://www.gbl.indiana.edu/home.html
Comments: webmaster@www.gbl.indiana.edu
Copyright 1996, Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology and The Trustees of Indiana University