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1791 W D ? 6 4 Business, but considering ourselves as subjects of the united States
equally concerned with its Welfare with our fellow Citizens, & some of us many fold more affected in time of War, on account of our Conscientious Scruple against contributing for its support; but we are engaged to promote Peace, not so much on account of our Suffering as to prevent the shedding of Blood, much depends on conducting the present Treaty to the general Benefit of the whol Inhabitants & the good of the Indians, we are therefore to communicate for thy Consideration that as the public Business was not entered upon yesterday, owing as we are informed to the Indians Intoxication, we cannot but wish that every Endeavour might be used to prevent their being so unfitted for Business, we observe in the foregoing Part of thy Speech, the Repetition to the 6 Nations of the Speech made last Winter by the President of the united States to the Cornplanter, respecting their being compelled as he says to give up too much of their land, this appears by his Representation had been one cause of Occasioning Hostilities from the western Indian Nations, & had rendered his Situation so precarious as to endanger his Life from his own People, which led him to look up to God for Succour, our earnest Desire is that as the People in their present Situation are very liable to Jealousy which is often occasioned by the Misrepresentation of designing Men we therefore respectfully request the Commissioner's Influence to remove all Prejudices from among themselves & other friendly Indians, which we believe will be one great Means of bringing about a reconciliation with those Indians, who have waged War, not only with such as w?oh? the Indians Destruction, but for want of proper Distinction many of the Innocent inoffensive Inhabitants have been captivated and murdered, under the Consideration of those sore Grievances one of us has been ready at times to offer himself voluntarily to go into the Enemies Country to put those misled& mistaken People to rights and stop the effusion of Blood 7 mo. 6th 1791 Here I saw the Necessity of Friends attending Indian Treaties agreeably to the Custom of our worthy Ancestors, who were as Watchmen on the Side of Justice towards the Indians, who very much stand in Need