Litchfield enquirer., 1856-08-28
Penn's Treaty with tls lnalans.

anu tue ptiuciploS W Wufom cuu oW uot 1F low him to look upon thst gift as . warrant to dispossess the first propriet0rs of the land. He had accordingly appointed his commissioners, the preceding year, to treat with them tor the fair purchase of Q part of their lands, and for their joint possession of the remainder and the terms of the settlement being now nearly agreed upon, he proceeded, very soon after hls arrival, to conclude the settlement, and solennly to pledge his faith, and to ratify and confirm the treaty in sight both of the Indians and planters. For this purpose grand convocation of the tribes had been appointed near the spot where Philadelphia now stands and it was agreed that he and the presiding Sachems should meet and exchange faith, under the spreading branch es of a prodigious elm-tree, that grew on the banks of the river. On the day appointed, ac- cordingly, an nnumerable multitude of the In- diaus assembled in that neighbourhood and were seen, with their dark visages and brand ished arms, moving in vast swarms, in the depth of the woods which then oyershadowed tho whole of that now cultivated region.
 On the other hand, William Penn, with c moderate attendance of friends, advanced to meet them. He came of course unarmed--in his usual plain dress--without banners, or mace, or guard, or carriages and only distinguished
 
 s.k network (which it seems is still preserved by Mir. Kett, of Seething-hall near Norwich,) and by having in his hand roll of parchment, on which was expressed the confirmation of the treaty of purchase and amity. As soon as he drew near the spot where the Sachems were assembled, the whole multitude of Indians threw down their weapons, and seated themselves oa the ground in groups, each under his own chief tain and the presiding chief intimated to Wm. Penn, that the nations were ready to hear him.
 Having been thus called upon, he began: " The Great Spirit" he said, "who made him and them, who ruled the heaven and the earth, and who knew the innernost thoughts of man, knew that he and his friends had e hearty de- sire to live in peace and friendship with them, and to serve them to the utmost of their pow. CT. It was not their custom to use hostile weapons against their fellow-creatures, for which reason they had come unarmed. Their object was not to do injury and thus provoke the Great Spirit, but to do good. They were then met on the broad pathway of good faith and good wl so that no advantage was to be taken on either side, but all was to be openness, brotherhood and love-"
 After these and other words, he unrolled the parchment, and by means of the same inter- preter, conveyed to them, article by article, the conditions of the purchase, and the words of the compact then made for their eternal union. Among other things they were not to be mo- tested in their lawful pursuits even in the terri tory they had alienated, for it was to be in common to them and the English. They were to have the same liberty to do all things there in relating to the improvement of their grounds, and the providing of sustenance for their fami- lies, which the English had If any disputes should arise between the two, they should be settled by twelve persons, half of whom should be English and half Indians.
 He then paid them for the land, and made them many presents besides from the merchan. dize which had been spread before them. Hav- ing done tEis, he laid the roll of parchment on the ground, observing again, that the ground should be common to both people. He then added that he would not do as the Maryland CTS did, that is, call them Children or Brothers only for often parents were apt to whip their children too severely, and brothers sometimes would differ neither would he compare the friendship between him and them to chain, for the rain might sometimes rust it, or . tree might fall and break it but he should consider them as the same flesh and blood with the Christians, and the same as if one mans body were to be divided into two parts. He then 1 took up the parchment, and presented It to the Sachem who wore the horn in the ehaplet, and desired him and the other Sachems to preserve l it carefully for three generations, that their children might know what had passed between them, just as if he himself had remained with them to repeat it.
 The Indians in return, made long and state- ly harangues-of which, however, no more seems to have been remembered, but that they pledged themselves to live in love with William Penn and his children, as long as the sun and moou should endnren And thus end ed this famous treaty--of which Voltaire has remarked, with so much truth and severity, That it was the only one ever concluded be- tween savages and Christians that was not rat fed by an oath-and the only one that never was broken P
 l Such, indeed, was the spirit in which the ne- 1 gotation was entered into, and the correspoud- ing settlement conducted, that, for the space of more than seventy years, and so long indeed as the Quakers retained the chief power in the government, the peace and amity which had been thus solemnly promised and concluded. never was violated and largo and moi striking, though solitary example afforded. of the facility with which they who are really sin- cere and friendly in their own views. rnay liva in harmony even with those who are suunosed to be peculiarly fierce and faithless. 1. :. l We cannot bring ourselves to wish that thera were nothing but Quakers in the world. heeause ; sx T H e ES