At the close of this interview, which appeared to be solemn, one of the Friends present communicated some sentiments on the subject of religion, and the nature of true worship to the Great Spirit—stating that it might be performed while engaged in their fields, on the road, or while sitting with their families by their firesides. This they appeared fully to comprehend; and the chief warrior replied, “it was his religion, and the only one with which he was acquainted.”
This short though sincere confession of faith, from a native Indian, was a corroborating evidence that they were not destitute of the divine principle operating in the heart of man, which teaches him what constitutes the true worship of God, and requires not the aid of men or books to accomplish it, but is performed according to Christ’s testimony “in spirit and in truth,” arising from the sincere homage of a devout heart.
It appeared that the Indians at this place were also divided into parties, which prevented that free intercourse and conference with each other, which in former councils, were manifest, in forming their replies to Friends—and without a design to impeach the sincere natives of any religious sect of professing Christians, I may here state, from the observations made, and the information received on this visit, that the introduction of these, under the character of missionaries, on their land at Buffalo, where the chief councils of the nation are held, had created great uneasiness among them, and was a prominent cause of their present difficulties, and conflicting opinions. Some of the Indians had attached themselves to the missionary system, and joined in their modes of worship, singing, &c. and these were looked upon as converted to the Christian faith. Hence the others, who were opposed to the missionary plans, were branded with the epithet of pagans, a term hateful to Indians, and which they did not fully understand. Thus a spirit of jealousy was excited between the parties, and a fear entertained by some, that the introduction of missionaries on their land was designed to obtain a permanent possession, and eventually to dispossess them of it.
At the appointed time to meet them again in council, Friends attended, when the Indians of each party made replies to the former communication of Friends, which, for novelty of opinions, and to show the dilemma in which the Indians were involved, the reader will indulge me to give at considerable length.
The chief warrior’s son, on behalf of the one part, opened the council in the following manner.
“Brothers, the Great Spirit has blessed us, and enabled us once more to meet in council, with our brothers, the Quakers. We feel thankful that the Great Spirit has preserved our friends in health who have come to see us.
“Brothers, we want you not to be displeased, if we of this party open our minds to you. We are going to tell you our situation. Some of us pay attention and observe the sabbath day—others do not. We wish you now, brothers, to give us suitable advice, and make our difficulties straight, as you understand how to remove difficulties.
“Brothers, you know the cause of our difficulties. You know the reason we are divided. The young men who sit here (pointing to four or five who sat near him,) think different from the old ones. Our old men observe the sabbath, or First day. We are not prepared for it. We wish you to tell us which is best. Whether to do as our old men do, or follow our old customs.
“Brothers, we have heard from the Quakers, that it is a bad thing for a nation to divide, and you wished us to be of one mind as one man—and now we want you to tell us which is the best plan for us to pursue—whether white people’s customs, or our old ones. On the other hand, you have been well acquainted, from old time, with our ancient customs. We meet three times in the year to worship the Great Spirit; and we want you now to put us right about it, and give us your advice on this subject, whether we shall keep the sabbath, or continue to adhere to our former practice of worshipping the Great Spirit.