Page:The Red Man and the White Man in North America.djvu/634

614 at this manifestation in mature Indians. But it seems to run in the blood of their little children. Two inferences seem naturally to follow from the fact: first, that any hopeful work in the civilization of the Indians must satisfy itself with effecting its results with the third generation from the present full-grown stock; and, second, that we must be content with accepting fragments, degrees, and stages of full civilization, as all that we are likely ever to realize in those of Indian blood.

A good illustrative case of Indian diplomacy in meeting that of civilization is found in the full reports given to us of a Council held on several successive days in July, 1742, at Philadelphia, for the cession of territory, between the representative chiefs of the Six Nations and the officers of Penn's Proprietary Government, — George Thomas, being lieutenant-governor.

Six years previous, the chiefs in council had agreed to release their claim to a certain extent of territory on both sides of the Susquehanna River, within the province, for a stipulated amount of Indian goods. The contract was then completed as regards the lands on the eastern side of the river, and half of the goods were paid over, as the chiefs declined at that time to receive the other portion for the lands on the western side. The goods were in the store-house of the proprietor awaiting them on another visit. This was made on the date above mentioned, when the rest of the contract was to be ratified. The proceedings were deliberate and protracted. Pains were taken to write down the almost unpronounceable names — as lavish in vowels as Russian and Polish names are in consonants — of some hundred of the Indian representatives. The list of the goods was read, including forty-five guns, powder, lead, blankets, hats, coats, hatchets, knives, various small articles, and twenty-five gallons of rum. The leading Indian speaker, Canassateego, chief of the Onondagoes, said of the goods proffered: —