Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-06-26


Harriet listened with sparkling eye and glow.
ing cheek to the great story of his death. l
was by, two years afterward, AM saw Mr. De-
lancy weep while he tried to comfort cousin
Stewart at his daughters funeral - Household
Words.
Penn's Treaty with the Indians.
The country assigned to him by the royal
charter was yet full of its original inhabitants
and the principles Of William Penn did not al
low him to look upon that gift as u warrant to
dleposscss the first proprietors of the land. He
had accordingly appointed his commissioners,
the preceding year, to treat with them for the
fair purchase ofa 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 his arrival, to con-
clude the settlement, and solemnly to pledge his
faith, and to ratily 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 spreaeing branches
ofa prodigious elm tree, that grew on the banks
of the river. On the day appointed, accord
ingly, an innumerable multitude of tho Indians
assembled in that ncig ghbourhood; and were seen,
| with thnr 1a rk l,,,, Eel,
moving, in vast swarms, in the depth of the
woods which then overshadowed the whole of
that new cultivated region.
On the other hand, William Penn, with a
moderate attendance Of friends, advanced to
meet them. lie came of course unarmed-in
his usual plain drcss--without banners, or mace,
or guard, or carriages and only distinguished
from his compano"s by wearing blue sash OF
silk net work (Which it seems is preserved by
MIR. Kctt, of Settling hall, near Norwich and
by having in his hand a roll of parchment, on
which was engrossed the confirmation of the trea-
ty OF purchase and amity. As soon as he drew
near the spot where the Sachems were assembled
the who'll, multitude of Indians threw dowr
their weapons, and seated themselves on the
ground in groups, each under his own chioltain
and tho presiding chief intimatcd to William
Penn, that the nations were ready to hear him.
Having been thus called upon. ho began
"The Great Spirit" he said, who made hin
and them, who made the heaven and the earth
and who knay tha ,nnnrnoSt thourbto of mann
knew that he and his friends had hearty desire
to live in peace and friendship with them, and
to serve them to the utmost of their power. II
was not their custom to use hostile weapons
against their fellow creatures, for which reason
they had come unarmcd. Their object WAS moi
to do injury and thus provoke the Great Spirit
but to do good. They were then met on tho
broad pathway of good faith and good will, sc
that no advantage was to be taken on either side
but all was to be opcnncss, brotherhood ant
love.
After these and other words, he unroled th
parchment, and by means Of the same intcrprc
ter, conveyed to them, article by article, TIN
VI puiCllhSC, diIu bIlC NUCuS Vi
compact then made for their eternal union
, Among other things they were not to be moles
ted in their lawful pursuits even in the tcrritor
they had alienatcd, for it was to be common t
them and the English. They were to have tn
same liberty to do all things therein relating t
the improvement Of their grounds and the provi
e e., ! HI, ,,L ! 1,
English had lfany disputes should arise be
tween tho two, they should be settled by twely
persons, half of whom should be English an
half Indians.
Y He then paid them for the land, and mac
9 them many presents besides from the merchar
t die which had been spread before them. IIa
t ing done this, he laid the roll of parchment @
@ the ground, observing again, that the grour
: should be common to both people. lie the
added, that he would not do as the Maryande
@ did, that is, call them Children or Brothers only
:, for often parents were apt to whip their chidrc
S too severely, and brothes sometimes would differ
l. neither would he compare the friendship b
II tween him and them to d chain, for the raj
IS fall and might sometimes rust it, or tree migl
is break it; but he should consider them as Il
|, same flesh and blood with tho Christians al
n the same as if one mans body were to be divide
into two parts. He then took up the pare
If mcnt, and presented it to the Sachem who wo
e the horn in the chapei, and desired him and Il
i other Sachems to preserve it carefully for thr
d generations that their children might knc
O. what had passed between them, just as if
g himself had remained with them to repeat it,
g The Indians, in return, made long and state
A. harrangues-of which, hover, no more seems
" have been renemberd, but that " they pledg
in themselves to live in love with William Pc
Sc ann his children, as long as the sun and mo
to should endure" And thus ended this famo
ID trety-of which Yoltairo has remarked, with
" much severity, +" That it was the only one ey
r, concluded between savages and Christians tt
e, was not ratified by an oath-and the only Q
r. that never was broken -
IS. Such, indeed, was the spirit in which the /
rt gotiation was entered into, and the correspond
$; settlement conducted, that for the space of mt
n than seventy years, and SO long indeed as t
on Quakers retained the chief power in the goyel
tn ment, the peace and amity which had been tn
rs, solemnly promised and concluded, never "
so violated and large and most striking, thou
er solitary example afforded, of the facility wi
which they who arc really sincere and frien,