The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-02-18


&c SKETCH OF A TERRIBLY
wANTOS MURDER.
When the English first entered Pennsyl-
vania, messages from the Conestoga Indians
met them, bidding them welcome and bring
ing them gifts of corn and venisOn and skins.
The whole tribe entered into a treaty of
friendship with William Penn, which was to
last cas- long as the sun should shine, or the
waters run into the rivers
The records of Pennsylvania history in the
beginning of the 18th century contain fire.
quent mention of the tribe. In 1705 the
governor sent the secretary of his council,
with delegation of ten men, to hold an in
terview with them at Conestoga, for purpos-
es of mutual understanding and confidence.
And in that same year, Thomas Chalkley,
famous Quaker preacher, while sojourning
among the Maryland Quakers, was suddenly
seized with so great-a concern to visit these
Indians that hs laid the matter before the
elders at the nottingham meeting andr the
idea being promoted" by the elders, he set
off with an interpreter and party of four
teen to make the journey. He says:
owe travelled through the woods about ff-
ty miles. carving our provisions with us ; and
our food on the grass, and refreshed.ourselves
and horses, and then went on cheerfuily
and with good will and with much love tor
the poor Indians, and when we came, they
received us kindly, treating us civilly in their
way We treated about having n meeting
with them in a religious way; upon which
they called council. in which they were very
grave, and spoke, one after another, without
great heat or Earring. Some Of the most eS-
teemed of the women speak in their cOun-
cils.''
When asked why they suffered the women
to speak, they replied that ''some women
were wiser than some men,"
1t is said that they had not for many years
done anything without the advice OF GER
tain aged and grave woman, who was al
ways present at their councils. The inter
prefer said that she was an empress, and
that they gave much heed to what size said.
This wise queen of Conestoga looked with
great favor on the Quakers, the interpreter
said. because they ''did not come to buy OF
sell or get gain ;" but came Gin love and re-
spect" to them, "and desired their well-do-
ing, both here and hereafter" Two nations
at this time were represented in thiS Cones
toga band-the Senacas and the ShawaneSe.
The next year the governor himself, anX-
ious to preserve their inalienable good will
and prevent them from being seduced by
emissaries from the French, went himself to
visit them. On this occasion one of the chiefs
made a speech, still preserved in the Old re-
cords, which contains this passage
Father, we love quiet; we suffer the
mouse 10 play when the woods are rustled
by the wind we fear not when the leaves
are disturbed in ambush we are not uneasy
when a cloud obscures the brilliant sun ouI
eyes feel dim but when the rays appear
they give great heat to the body and joy to
the heart. Treachery darkens the chain OF
friendship nut the truth makes 1t brighter
than ever This is the peace we desire. "
few years later, a Swedish missionary
visited them and preached them sermon
on original sin and the necessity of a media
tor. When he had finished, an Indian chief
arose and replied to him both discourses
being given through an interpreter. The
Swede is said to have been so impressed with
the Indians reasoning that after returning
to Sweden, he wrote out his own sermon and
the Indians reply in the best Latin at his
command, and dedicated the documents to
the University of Upsal, respectfully re-
guessing them to furnish him with some ar
guments strong enough to confute the strong
reasoning of the savage. Said the chief
"Our forefathers were under strong per
suaSiOn Gas we are) that those who act wei
in this life will be rewarded in the next ac
cording to the degrees of their virtues. And
on the other hand, that those who behave
wickedly here will undergo such punishment
hereafter as is proportioDate to the crime:
they were guityof. This has been constant
/ ly and invariably received and acknowledged
/ for truth through every successive gener
alton of our ancestors. 1t could not, then
have take its rise from fable; for human fic
tion, however aTtfuIly and plausibly contriy
I ed, can never gain credit long among people
where free inquiry is allowed, which wa
( never denied by our ancestors
/ Now we desire to propose some questions
Does he believe that our fOrefathers, mel
/ eminent for their pie.y, constant and warn
in their pursuit OF virtue, hoping thereby t
merit eternal happiness, were all damned
Does lie think We who are Jealous lmltatOr
in good works, and Influenced by the SAM
motives as we are, endeayOTing with th'
greatest circumspection to read the path o
inter gritty, are in state of damnatiOn? l
that he his sentiment, il is surely as impiO@
( as it is bold and daring.
| Let US suppose that some heinous crime
were committed by some Of our ancestors
like to that we are told of another race o
I people. In such a case God would surel
punish the criminal, but would never inYoly
us that are innocent in the guilt. Those VIII
think otherwise must make the Almighty
/ very whimsical eyil-natured being
Once more. Are the Christians more vii
/ SuOuS, or, rather, are tney not more NlCiou
than we are . If so, how came 1t to pass tia
they are the objects OF Gods benehcence
while we are neglected Does he daily cor
fer his fayCrs without reason and with 5
much partiality In a word, we find tn
Christians much more depraved in their mo
ais than we are and we judge from the
doctrine by the badness of the lives. ~
1t is quite plain that the Indian chief
speech has been very much Latinized in tn
good Swede's hands but if the words eve
approached being a true presentation of VIII;
he said, it is wonderful, indeed.
In 1921 his exceIIency, Sir William Keit
bart, governor of the province of Pennsy
vana. went with an escort of eighty hors
men to Conestoga, and spent several days
making a treaty with the FIVE nations, "tl
Indians of Conestoga and their friends"
was entertained at Captain Civility's ca
in" When he left them, he desired the
to give his Every kind love and the love
his people to your kings and to all their pc
pIe. He invited them to visit him in Phil
delphia, saying 1--WE can provide better f
you and make you more welcome. Peep
always receive their friends best at the
, own homes" He thell took out a coronati'
: medal of the king, and presented it to t
Indian, in these words
"That our children when we are dead hi
not forget these things, but keep this trea
between us in perpetual remembrance,
here deliver to you picture in gold, bes
ing the image of my great master, the XII
: of ali the English. And when you retu
I home, charge You to deliver this peace
= fering inthe hands of the first man or grei
e est chief of all the Five Nations, whom
II