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Gachradodow-Six Nations June 30th,1744
Gachradodow's Speech
At a council, held at Lancaster, June 30th, 1744, when the Governor observed that certain lands belonged to the great King.
Gachradodow, of the Six Nations, thus spoke -- Great Assaragoa[*] -- The world at the first was made on the other side of the great water, different from what it is on this side, as may be known from the different colours of our skins and of our flesh; and that which you call justice may not be so among us; you have your laws and outlaws, and so have we. The great King might send you over to conquer the Indians;
but it looks to us that God did not approve it; if he had, he would not have placed the sea where it is, as the limits between us and you.
Brother Assaragoa, -- Though great things are well remembered among us, yet we don't remember that we were ever conquered by the great King, or that we have been employed by that great King to conquer others; if it was so, it is beyond our memory. We do remember we were employed by Maryland to conquer the Conestogoes, and that the second time we were at war with them, we carried them all off.
Brother Assaragoa, -- You charge us with not acting agreeably to our peace with the Catawbas. We will repeat to you truly what was done; the Governor of New-York at Albany, in behalf of Assaragoa, gave us several belts of wampum from the Cherokees and Catawbas, and we agreed to a peace, if those nations would send some of their great men to us to confirm it face to face, and that they would trade with us; and desired that they would appoint a time to meet at Albany for that purpose, but they never came.
Brother Assaragoa, -- We then desired a letter might be sent to the Catawbas and Cherokees, to desire them to come down and confirm the peace. It was long before an answer came, but we met the Cherokees and confirmed the peace, and sent some of our people to take care of them until they returned to their own country. The Catawbas refused to come, and sent us word that we were but women, and that they were men, and double men; and that they would make women of us, and would be always at war with us; they are a deceitful people; and brother Assaragoa is deceived by them; we don't blame him for it, but are sorry he is so deceived.
Brother Assaragoa, -- We have confirmed the peace with the Cherokees, but not with the Catawbas; they have been treacherous and know it, so that the war must continue till one of us is destroyed; thus we think proper to tell you, that you may not be troubled at what we do to the Catawbas.
Brother Assaragoa, -- We will now speak to the point between
us. It is always a custom among brethren and strangers to use each other kindly; you have some very ill natured people living there; so we desire the persons in power may know that we are to have reasonable victuals when we want.
You know very well when the white people came first here, they were poor; but now they have got lands and are by them become rich, and we are now poor; what little we have had for the land goes soon away, but the land lasts for ever. You told us you had brought with you a chest of goods, and that you have the key in your pockets; but we have never seen the chest, nor the goods that are in it; it may be small and the goods may be few; we want to see them and are desirous to come to some conclusion. We have been sleeping here these two days past, and have not done any thing to the purpose.
At a council, held at Lancaster, June 30th, 1744, when the Governor observed that certain lands belonged to the great King.
Gachradodow, of the Six Nations, thus spoke -- Great Assaragoa[*] -- The world at the first was made on the other side of the great water, different from what it is on this side, as may be known from the different colours of our skins and of our flesh; and that which you call justice may not be so among us; you have your laws and outlaws, and so have we. The great King might send you over to conquer the Indians;
but it looks to us that God did not approve it; if he had, he would not have placed the sea where it is, as the limits between us and you.
Brother Assaragoa, -- Though great things are well remembered among us, yet we don't remember that we were ever conquered by the great King, or that we have been employed by that great King to conquer others; if it was so, it is beyond our memory. We do remember we were employed by Maryland to conquer the Conestogoes, and that the second time we were at war with them, we carried them all off.
Brother Assaragoa, -- You charge us with not acting agreeably to our peace with the Catawbas. We will repeat to you truly what was done; the Governor of New-York at Albany, in behalf of Assaragoa, gave us several belts of wampum from the Cherokees and Catawbas, and we agreed to a peace, if those nations would send some of their great men to us to confirm it face to face, and that they would trade with us; and desired that they would appoint a time to meet at Albany for that purpose, but they never came.
Brother Assaragoa, -- We then desired a letter might be sent to the Catawbas and Cherokees, to desire them to come down and confirm the peace. It was long before an answer came, but we met the Cherokees and confirmed the peace, and sent some of our people to take care of them until they returned to their own country. The Catawbas refused to come, and sent us word that we were but women, and that they were men, and double men; and that they would make women of us, and would be always at war with us; they are a deceitful people; and brother Assaragoa is deceived by them; we don't blame him for it, but are sorry he is so deceived.
Brother Assaragoa, -- We have confirmed the peace with the Cherokees, but not with the Catawbas; they have been treacherous and know it, so that the war must continue till one of us is destroyed; thus we think proper to tell you, that you may not be troubled at what we do to the Catawbas.
Brother Assaragoa, -- We will now speak to the point between
us. It is always a custom among brethren and strangers to use each other kindly; you have some very ill natured people living there; so we desire the persons in power may know that we are to have reasonable victuals when we want.
You know very well when the white people came first here, they were poor; but now they have got lands and are by them become rich, and we are now poor; what little we have had for the land goes soon away, but the land lasts for ever. You told us you had brought with you a chest of goods, and that you have the key in your pockets; but we have never seen the chest, nor the goods that are in it; it may be small and the goods may be few; we want to see them and are desirous to come to some conclusion. We have been sleeping here these two days past, and have not done any thing to the purpose.
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