The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1920-03-26
,PENN'S INDIAN TREATY.

On the banks of the ShackmaXon
Greek near Philadelphia, William
Penn made the only treaty with the
Indians that was broken, and
was never regretted by either party
concerned. This was in the late fall
of 1852. The treaty was contracted
beneath the widespread branches OF a
huge elm tree. "Under the shelter
of the forest, now leafess by the
frosts of autumn" says Bancroft,
penn proclaimed to the men OF the
Algonquin race the same simple mes
sage of peace and love that George
Fox had professed before Cromwell.
After Pen delivered his concilia-
tory message to the chiefs, who were
attired in their full Indian costume,
the children of the forest were touch
ed by the sacred doctrine which the
Quaker King avowed. They received
the presents of Penn in sincerity, and
in hearty friendship they gave the
belt of wampum. 1--WE will live"
they said, "in love with William Penn
and his children as long as the moon
and the sun shall endure"
Penn won the hearts of the In:
dams by his easy confidence and ia
miliar speech. He walked alone with
Them in the forest. He sat with them
on the ground to watch the young
men dance. He joined in their
feasts and ate their roasted hOminy
and acorns. Naturally it was for
them to form a union the result OF
which would mean peace to both
sides.
The date of this meeting was DC
tober ID, 1882. When the Indians
and Penn and his party were all seat
ed underneath the elm, old King Ia
manend announced that the natives
were prepared to hear and consider
the words of Penn when the latter
arose and addressed them.
He and his children, he went on to
say, never fired the rifle, neve trust
ed to the sword; they met with the
red men on the broad path of good
faith and good will. They meant no
harm and had no fear. He read the
treaty of friendship and explained It's
clauses. 1t recited that from that day
the children of Onas and the nations
of the Lenni Lenape should be Tree
and open in their dealings and should
be as brothers to each other.
the door of the white mans CABIN
should be open to the red men, n
thew in turn should admit, in all n
| friendliness the white men to their
wigwams.
"That the children of Onas should
| not believe any false reports OF the
Lenni Lenape, nor the Lenni Lenape
of the children of Onas, but should
come and see for themselves, and that
if any son of Onas were to DO any
harm to any red skin, or any red SKIN
were to do harm to a son OF mas
the sufferer should not offer to right
| himself but should complain to the
| chiefs and to Onas that justice might
he declared by twelve honest men and
the wrong buried in the pit with
no bottom"
After Penn had finished ms ao-
dress he laid the scroll on the ground.
'rhe sachems received his proposals
for themselves and for their children.
No oaths, no seals, no mummerles'
were used; the treaty was ratlfied on
, both sides with yea,-and unlike SO
many treaties which are sworn and
sealed, was kept.
The word Onas was a name gwen
to Penn by the Indians and signlnes
Quill or pen, and this patronymic was
extended to all his successors IN the
executive of Pennsylvania down TO
a quite late period. His famliiar
name among the Delawares was MI
nnon. and for his sake, while the
savages in every section OF the coun,
trv. smarting under a thousand
wrongs, were waging undying war
against every other person OF Eng
llish descent, the peaceful garb OF the
members of the Society OF Frlends
continued to be a passport n a pai-
ladium.-N.a o. States.