They thanked us for our love, and sent us good talks, and renewed their promise to be one people forever.

Brothers and Friends, open a Kind ear! We will now tell you of the quarrel betwixt the Counsellors of King George and the inhabitants and Colonies of America.

Many of his Counsellors are proud and wicked men. They persuade the King to break the covenant chain, and not to send us any more good Talks. A considerable number have prevailed upon him to enter into a new covenant against us, and have torn asunder and cast behind their backs the good old covenant which their ancestors and ours entered into, and took strong hold of.

They now tell us they will slip their hand into our pocket without asking, as though it were their own; and at their pleasure they will take from us our Charters, or written Civil Constitution, which we love as our lives; also our plantations, our houses and goods, whenever they please, without asking our leave; that our vessels may go to this island in the sea, but to this or that particular island we shall not trade any more; and in case of our non-compliance with these new orders, they shut up our harbours.

Brothers, this is our present situation; thus have many of the King’s Counsellors and servants dealt with us. If we submit, or comply with their demands, you can easily perceive to what state we will be reduced. If our people labour on the field, they will not know who shall enjoy the crop. If they hunt in the woods, it will be uncertain who shall taste of the meat, or have the skins. If they build houses, they will not know whether they may sit round the fire, with their wives and children. They cannot be sure whether they shall be permitted to eat, drink, and wear the fruits of their own labour and industry.

Brothers and Friends of the SIX NATIONS, attend! We upon this island have often spoke and entreated the King and his servants the Counsellors, that peace and harmony might still continue between us; that we cannot part with or lose our hold of the old covenant chain which united our fathers and theirs; that we want to brighten this chain, and keep the way open as our fathers did; that we want to live with them as brothers, labour, trade, travel abroad, eat and drink in peace. We have often asked them to love us, and live in such friendship with us as their fathers did with ours.

We told them again that we judged we were exceedingly injured, that they might as well kill us, as take away our property and the necessaries of life. We have asked why they treat us thus? What has become of our repeated addresses and supplications to them? Who hath shut the ears of the King to the cries of his children in America? No soft answer, no pleasant voice from beyond the water has yet sounded in our ears.

Brothers, thus stands the matter betwixt old England and America. You Indians know how things are proportioned in a family—between the father and the son—the child carries a little pack. England we regard as the father; this island may be compared to the son.

The father has a numerous family—both at home and upon this island. He appoints a great number of servants to assist him in the government of his family. In process of time, some of his servants grow proud and ill-natured; they were displeased to see the boy so alert and walk so nimbly with his pack. They tell the father, and advise him to enlarge the child’s pack; they prevail; the pack is increased; the child takes it up again—as he thought it might be the father’s pleasure—speaks but few words—those very small—for he was loth to offend the father. Those proud and wicked servants, finding they had prevailed, laughed to see the boy sweat and stagger under his increased load. By and by, they apply to the father to double the boy’s pack, because they heard him complain; and without any reason, said they, he is a cross child; correct him if he complains any more. The boy entreats the father; addresses the great servants in a decent manner, that the pack might be lightened; he could not go any farther; humbly asks, if the old fathers, in any of their records, had described such a pack for the child; after all the tears and entreaties of the child, the pack is redoubled; the child stands a little while staggering under the weight, ready to fall every moment, However, he entreats the father once more, though so faint he could only lisp out his last humble supplication; waits a while; no voice returns. The child concludes the father could not hear; those proud servants had intercepted his supplications, or stopped the ears of the father. He therefore gives one struggle and throws off the pack, and says he cannot take it up again; such a weight would crush him down and kill him, and he can but die if he refuses.

Upon this, those servants are very wroth; and tell the father many false stories respecting the child; they bring a great cudgel to the father, asking him to take it in his hand and strike the child.

This may serve to illustrate the present condition of the King’s American subjects or children.

Amidst these oppressions we now and then hear a mollifying and reviving voice from some of the King’s wise Counsellors, who are our friends, and feel for our distresses; when they heard our complaints and our cries, they applied to the King; also told those wicked servants, that this child in America was not a cross boy, it had sufficient reason for crying, and if the cause of its complaint was neglected, it would soon assume the voice of a man, plead for justice like a man, and defend its rights and support the old covenant chain of the fathers.

Brothers, listen! Notwithstanding all our entreaties, we have but little hope the King will send us any more good Talks, by reason of his evil Counsellors; they have persuaded him to send an army of soldiers and many ships-of-war, to rob and destroy us. They have shut up many of our harbours, seized and taken into possession many of our vessels; the soldiers have struck the blow; killed some of our people; the blood now runs of the American children. They have also burned our houses and Towns, and taken much of our goods.

Brothers! We are now necessitated to rise, and forced to fight, or give up our Civil Constitution, run away, and leave our farms and houses behind us. This must not be. Since the King’s wicked Counsellors will not open their ears, and consider our just complaints, and the cause of our weeping, and hath given the blow, we are determined to drive away the King’s Soldiers, and to kill and destroy all those wicked men we find in arms against the peace of the twelve United Colonies upon this island. We think our cause is just; therefore hope God will be on our side. We do not take up the hatchet and struggle for honour and conquest; but to maintain our Civil Constitution and religious privileges, the very same for which our forefathers left their native land and came to this Country.

Brothers and Friends! We desire you will hear and receive what we have now told you, and that you will open a good ear and listen to what we are now going to say. This is a family quarrel between us and Old England. You Indians are not concerned in it. We don’t wish you to take up the hatchet against the King’s Troops. We desire you to remain at home, and not join on either side, but keep the hatchet buried deep. In the name and behalf of all our people, we ask and desire you to love peace and maintain it, and to love and sympathize with us in our troubles; that the path may be kept open with all our people and yours, to pass and repass, without molestation.

Brothers! We live upon the same ground with you. The same island is our common birthplace. We desire to sit down under the same tree of peace with you; let us water its roots and cherish its growth, till the large leaves and flourishing branches shall extend to the setting sun, and reach the skies.

Brothers, observe well! What is it we have asked of you? Nothing but peace, notwithstanding our present disturbed situation; and if application should be made to you by any of the King’s unwise and wicked Ministers to join on their side, we only advise you to deliberate with great caution, and in your wisdom look forward to the consequences of a compliance. For, if the King’s Troops take away our property, and destroy us, who are of the same blood with themselves, what can you, who are Indians, expect from them afterwards?

Therefore, we say, Brothers, take care; hold fast to your covenant chain. You now know our disposition towards you, the Six Nations of Indians, and your allies. Let this our good Talk remain at Onondaga, your central Council-House, We depend upon you to send and acquaint