To this speech the Six Nations gave the following animated and decisive answer:—"All the world knows we conquered the several nations living on Sasquehanna, Cohongoranto [i.e. Powtomack] and on the back of the great mountains in Virginia;—the Conoy-uck-suck-roona, Cock-now-was-roonan, Tohoa-irough-roonan, and Connutskin-ough-roonaw feel the effects of our conquests; being now a part of our nations, and their lands at our disposal. We know very well, it hath often been said by the Virginians, that the King of England and the people of that colony conquered the people who lived there; but it is not true. We will allow, they conquered the Sachdagughronaw, and drove back the Tuskaroras [the first resided near the branches of James's River in Virginia, and the latter on these branches] and that they have, on that account, a right to some parts of Virginia; but as to what lies beyond the mountains, we conquered the nations residing there, and that land, if the Virginians ever get a good right to it, it must be by us."
In the year 1750, the French seized four English traders, who were trading with the Six Nations, Shawanesse and Delawares, on the waters of the Ohio, and sent them prisoners to Quebeck, and from thence to France.
In 1754, the French took a formal possession of the river Ohio, and built forts at Venango,—at the confluence of the Ohio and Monongehela, and at the mouth of the Cherokee River.
In 1755, General Braddock was sent to America with an army, to remove the French from their possessions over the Allegany mountains, and on the river Ohio; and on his arrival at Alexandria, held a council of war with the Governors of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and the Massachusets Bay;—And as these gentlemen well knew, that the country claimed by the French, over the Allegany mountains, and South-westerly to the river Mississippi, was the unquestionable property of the six Nations, and not of the Cherokees, or any other tribe of Indians,—the General gave instructions to Sir William Johnson, to call together the Indians of the Six Nations, and lay before them their before-mentioned grant to the King in 1726,—wherein they had put all their hunting lands under his Majesty's protection; to be guaranteed to them, and to their use:—And as General Braddock's instructions are clearly declaratory of the right of the Six Nations to the lands under consideration, we shall here transcribe the conclusive words of them,—"And it appearing that the French have, from time to time, by fraud and violence, built strong forts within the limits of the said lands, contrary to the covenant chain of the said deed and treaties, you are, in my name, to assure the said nations, that I am come by his Majesty's order, to destroy all the said forts, and to build such others, as shall protect and secure the said lands to them, their heirs and successors for ever, according to the intent and spirit of the said treaty; and I do therefore call upon them to take up the hatchet, and come and take possession of their own lands."
That General Braddock and the American Governors, were not singular in their opinion, as to the right of the Six Nations to the land over the Allegany mountains, and on both sides of the river Ohio, quite to the Mississippi,—is evident, from the memorials which passed between the British and French Courts in 1755.
In a memorial delivered by the King's Ministers on the 7th June 1755, to the Duke Mirepoix, relative to the pretensions of France to the above-mentioned lands, they very justly observed—"As to the exposition, which is made in the French memorial of the 15th article of the treaty of Utrecht, the Court of Great Britain does not think it can have any foundation, either by the words or the intention of this treaty.
1st, "The Court of Great Britain cannot allow of this article, relating only to the persons of the Savages, and not their country: The words of this treaty are clear and precise, that is to say, the Five Nations or Cantons, are subject to the dominion of Great Britain,—which, by the received exposition of all treaties, must relate to the country, as well to the persons of the inhabitants;—it is what France has acknowledged in the most solemn manner;—She has well weighed the importance of this acknowledgement, at the time of signing this treaty, and Great Britain can never give it up. The countries possessed by these Indians, are very well known, and are not at all so undetermined, as it is pretended in the memorial: they possess and make them over, as other proprietors do, in all other places."
5th, "Whatever pretext might be alledged by France, in considering these countries as the appurtenances of Canada; it is a certain truth, that they have belonged, and (as they have not been given up, or made over to the English) belong still to the same Indian nations; which, by the 15th article of the treaty of Utrecht, France agreed not to molest,—Nullo in posterum impedimento, aut molestia afficiant."
"Notwithstanding all that has been advanced in this article, the Court of Great Britain cannot agree to France having the least title to the river Ohio, and the territory in question." [N.B. This was all the country, from the Allegany mountains to the Ohio, and down the same, and on both sides thereof to the river Mississippi.]
"Even that of possession is not, nor can it be alledged on this occasion; since France cannot pretend to have had any such before the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, nor since, unless it be that of certain forts, unjustly erected lately on the lands which evidently, belong to the Five Nations, or which these have made over to the Crown of Great Britain or its subjects, as may be proved by treaties and acts of the greatest authority.—What the Court of Great Britain maintained, and what it insists upon, is, That the Five Nations of the Iroquois, acknowledged by France, are, by origin, or by right of conquest the lawful proprietors of the river Ohio, and the territory in question: And as to the territory, which has been yielded and made over by these people to Great Britain (which cannot but be owned must be the most just and lawful manner of making an acquisition of this sort) she reclaims it, as belonging to her, having continued cultivating it for above 20 years past, and having made settlements in several parts of it, from the sources even of the Ohio to Pichawillanes, in the center of the territory between the Ohio and the Wabache."