Detroit 7 mo 15th 1793
To the Indians
Assembled at the Rapids of the Miami
Brothers,
We who send you this Letter are of the
People called Quakers, and have left our homes and Families
in Pensylvania & New Jersy and taken this long Journey to
see you purely from motives of Love and good Will, and
to endeavour to promote peace. We have been now five
Weeks at Detroit waiting for the opening of the Treaty at
Sandusky, where we expected to have seen you all, but as
we have heard a number of your People are gone to Niagara
to meet the Commissioners, we do not know but the business
may be so concluded there, as that they may come no further
Brothers,
We have brought with us [...]an Address
to you from our Brothers at Home, which we are very
desirous of presenting to you with our own hands, if an
opportunity can be had. It is also in our Hearts to
acquaint you that we consider all Men as the Children
of one common Father, and think it our duty to Love all
as Brothers. We believe it displeases the Great & Good Spirit
when Men injure and kill one another, therefore we en-
endeavour to do Justice but when any despute arises, we leave it to be settled by disinterested & impartial
persons and never go to war on any occasion
[...]We have
been made very sorrowful on account of the War and
Bloodshed between the United States and our Indian Brethren,
and want much to see you, that we may open our
hearts more fully than we can do by writing, for
we
[Page] we are fully convinced that by looking up to the Great Spirit
for Counsel, all differences may be settled without fighting
and killing one another, which we think is very cruel, and
attended with many distressing circumstances both to you
and the White People. Our Society have experienced for
more than One hundred Years great advantage and
satisfaction in living peacably with all Men, and are
very desirous you may enjoy the same benefits, and
to that and were made willing to expose themselves,
encounter hardships and spend our substance to promote
peace and Love between you, and the Government of
the United States.
We Pray the Good Spirit that He may put an end
to the ravages of War and unite all Men as Brothers, that
being bound together by one great Chain of Love and
Friendship that cannot be broken, we may all seek
the happiness of each other in this Life, and be prepared
for the enjoyment of everlasting happiness in the Life
which is to come
