Page:Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison Vol. 1.djvu/98

60 Indian Tribes, and the Governor of the Territory having received Instructions and authority from the President to suppress the sale of ardent Spirits to the Indians within the Territory, The Governor Issued his proclamation strictly Enjoining upon all traders and other persons, to forbear in future to sell any ardent spirits or Intoxicating Liquors to any Indian or Indians whatever; Such Traders as may heretofore [have] taken Liquors into the Indian Country are allowed to remove the same after which period it shall be considered as an Infraction of the Regulations for the Government of the Indian Department, if any such ardent spirits are found in their possession and their Bonds will be forfeited accordingly.

 October, 1802

Dawson, Harrison, 45 The white man and the Indian were drinking together at a tavern, a quarrel ensued, and the Indian was taken off by another white man to a distant house till he would become sober. The man with whom the Indian disputed, after providing himself with a cudgel, proceeded to the house where the Indian was, and forced open the door of the room in which he lay, and beat him to death with the cudgel. He was apprehended, but there were strong doubts that a jury could not be procured that would convict him, although the evidence was indisputable; such was the delusion under which the white inhabitants labored with respect to the crime of murdering an Indian. (Extract)



November 22, 1802 Executive Journal, 7 Petitions having been presented to the Governor by a Considerable number of the Citizens of the Territory praying that a proclamation should Issue from the Executive authority for Calling a General Convention for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of repealing the sixth article