[FN] See Appendix, No. XIV.
But the old Chief, did not remain passive under his persecutions. He took an early occasion to meet a council of the faction of his own nation who were opposing him, and to upbraid them in no very measured terms for their ingratitude. His address was written out in full, in the Mohawk dialect, and was afterward circulated in the form of an appeal to his nation. [FN] After a spirited review of his life, and the services he had rendered them from the commencement of the war of the Revolution, the appeal proceeded:—
[FN] This document was never translated by Captain Brant. Portions of the manuscript are illegible; but all that can be read has been translated for the use of the author.
. . . "It astonishes me, therefore, after all that I have done for you, to hear almost all of you, young and old, joining your voices with Colonel Claus, and saying of me that I have embezzled your property, and such like hard speeches, which you know are false,—while you never so much as think of mentioning the many important services I have rendered you, the many privations I have suffered on your account, and the journies I have undertaken for your benefit—for the time and expenses of which you have never paid me one penny. . . . At Philadelphia the Americans spoke in a very friendly manner to me, and made me large offers of presents for myself and family if I would prevent any farther attacks from the Indians. But I positively refused to accept of any thing from them, lest I should injure your good name as the Six Nation Indians. And again, I knew that the King would not suffer me to be in want; and had I accepted anything at this time, it might have been thought that I had been bribed, and become a traitor, which, when made public, would have been disgraceful to me, and injurious to you as my people. I thought I could depend on our white brethren, the King's subjects, should I at any time need their assistance. . . . There was the Grand River Tract, upon which I might have had a farm, and lived on its produce. These considerations were more than sufficient to deter me from receiving the valuable presents offered for my acceptance. . . . I think the only way I could satisfy you, would be for me to pay out of my own purse for every item that has to be expended for your public uses. My only crime is, that I want to make you a happy people, and for you to be enabled to call your land your own forever; and not leaving it doubtful whether it is yours or not. I say you would be well pleased if every thing could be done for the general good of the Six Nations, without parting with a foot of land to pay for contingencies. Colonel Claus asks you where your money is gone to? He never asks where the proceeds of sales of your lands are gone to, else you might tell him that it is gone to assist in building his splendid house. Whenever I have had occasion to use any of your money, I have never touched any but the interest, and have left the principal entire. But your friend Claus has devoted principal and interest together; and yet you come to my house complaining. . . . I ask again, what do you find in my conduct to disapprove of? If you can point any thing out, I should like to hear it. Or, will you say that every thing that I have done has been for your injury and not for your benefit?"
"I say I cannot find, in all that I have done, that anything has tended to your injury, or the injury of the King's cause. Yet you speak of me as one who is your enemy—as one who does what he can to injure you; and I have no doubt that you, who are hearing me, feel so toward me in your hearts, although I have reiterated in your hearing many instances where what I did tended to raise your name as well as my own; and in other instances, when I might have been enriched, I have refused receiving for fear of your name being tarnished. Still, you would almost brand me with the name of thief, although not one of you have ever subscribed a penny to pay my expenses when I have traveled on your public business."
The original manuscript of this address is much broken, especially in that portion of it containing a review of his services in connexion with the wars of the north-western Indians with the United States. The following fragments of sentences upon that subject, only, have been translated:—
. . . "Every man of us thought, that by fighting for the King, we should ensure to ourselves and children a good inheritance. . . . At another time, at the last council we held, when the Americans were talking with the Indians, I spoke to Otsinarenta, and said, 'if the Americans fail in . . . I should like to go and surprise Wayne when he least expects it.'"