Benjamin Franklin, Pennsylvania, and the First Nations: The Treaties of 1736-62

October 1745

^ A N A C C O U N T O F T H E T R E A T Y Held at the CITY of Albany, in the Province of­NEW-YORK, By His EXCELLENCY the Governor of that PROVINCE, And the HONOURABLE the COMMISSIONERS for the Provinces OF MASSACHUSETTS,­­ CONNECTICUT, AND PENNSYLV ANIA, WITH THE INDIANS OF THE SIX NATIONS, In OCTOBER, 1745. P H I L A D E LP H I A : Printed by B. FRANKLIN, at the NEW-PRINTING-OFFICE, near the Market, MDCCXLVI. AN ACCOUNT OF THE TREATY, &c. TO THE HONOURABLE GEORGE THOMAS, Esq; With the King’s Royal Approbation ,Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, under the Honourable JOHN PENN, THOMAS PENN, and RICHARD PENN, Esqs; true and absolute Proprietors of the said Province and Counties. May it please the GOVERNOR, Having been honoured with a Commission, authorizing us, the Subscribers, 124 october 1745 in Conjunction with the Governors of the Neighbouring Colonies, or their Delegates , or separately, to treat with the Indians of the Six United Nations at Albany, in October last; we think it our Duty to tender an Account of our Conduct therein; which be pleased to receive as follows. The next Day after the Receipt of the Commission,that is,on the Twenty-seventh Day of September last, we set out for Albany, where we arrived on the Third of October following. On the Fourth of October, the Day appointed to treat with the Indians, pursuant to the Instructions given us, we waited on the Governor of New-York, acquainted him with ourAppointment,and shewed him the Commission by which we were impowered to treat. The Governor desired his Secretary might take a Copy of it; to which we consented .The Indians of Fiveof theSixUnited Nations,inNumberabout FourHundred and Sixty, arrived the same Day, none of them Senecas; it being, as we were inform’d, a Time of great Sickness and Mortality among them, which prevented their Coming. But the Commissioners from the Massachusetts not being come, the Treaty was deferred until theirArrival.Two Days after,being the Sixth of October in the Evening, we received a Message from the Governor of New-York, by his Secretary, desiring to know of us at what Time we would confer with a Committee of his Council, either alone, or with the Commissioners of the other Colonies, all then arrived, viz. For the Massachusetts, Jacob Wendal, Esq; a Member of the Council, John Stoddart, Samuel Wells, Thomas Hutchinson, Esqs; Members of Assembly For Connecticut Colony, —­—­Wolcot, Esq; Lieutenant Governor, And Col.—­—­Stanley. We agreed to return our Answer to his Message in the Morning. Accordingly in the Morning we returned our Answer by James Read, that we would meet the Committee of Council at a Quarter after Ten that Day, and chose to have our first Conference with them only. About the Time appointed we went; but the Commissioners from the other Colonies coming into the Room soon after, deprived us of the separate Conference proposed. Being all thus met, the Gentlemen of the Council, to wit, Daniel Horsmanden, and Joseph Murray, Esqs; let us know, they were appointed by the Governor of New-York, a Committee to confer with us concerning the Treaty which was to ensue;that their Governor desired to be inform’d of our Sentiments, whether we were inclinable to speak to the Indians of the United Nations separately, or whether we thought a joint Speech to be delivered on Behalf of all the Colonies, might be best, either being indifferent to him. The Commissioners from New-England declared their Opinions for a joint Speech, as what would show our Union, and consequently, have the greater Weight with the Indians. On the Part of Pennsylvania it was objected, that we had divers Matters in Charge which related to our own Government only, which would be improper in such a joint Speech; and perhaps it might be the Case of other of the october 1745 125 Colonies: That such a joint Speech would require much Time in forming; and with Difficulty, if at all likely to be agreed on. But it was replied, this would be best judged of when the Heads of such joint Speech were read; and the Committee of Council producing what they had prepared to this Purpose, it was agreed to be read. On Reading...