Letter to Western Indians from the Meeting for Sufferings

Philadelphia the 19th day of the 4th month, 1793
To the Indians living on the North western and
western borders of the United States, and all others to whom
this writing may come.
Brothers,
Hearken to the speech which your friends, called Quakers,
assembled in Philadelphia, from several parts of Pennsylvania and
and New Jersey Y. now send to you, by their brethren John Parrish,
William Savery, John Elliot, Jacob Lindley, Joseph Moore, and
William Hartshorme.
Brothers
When our grandfathers came with Onas over the great waters,
to settle in this land, more than one hundred years ago, they kindled a
large Council fire with your grandfathers, and sat together round it, in
much good will and friendship; smoking the Calumet pipe together,
and they told your grandfathers, that they were men of peace, and desire
to live among you in peace and love, and that their children might also
be careful always to live in the same love one with another, as brothers
of one family.
This Council fire was kept burning with a clear flame
many years, which gave a good light all around the Country; and the
chain of friendship, which was made at the same time, was kept clean
from rust by our fathers, and your fathers; until about forty years ago
an evil spirit whispered bad stories in the ears of some of your people,
and of some of the white people; so that the light of the ancient council fire
was almost full out, and the old chain of friendship was made dull, and
rusty,
Brothers,
Our Grandfathers told your grandfathers that the great and
good Spirit, who made them, and all people, with a design that they might
live on the earth for a few years in love, and good will one towards another,
had placed his law in the hearts of all men, and if they carefully attended to
its inward voice, it would keep them in love and friendship, and teach them
to shun and avoid every thing that would occasion them to trouble and
hurt one another.
Brothers,
Do you not find, that after you have been angry, & quarrelsome,
and done any bad action that you are made uneasy and sorrowful, and that
when you are sober and serious, and do good actions, that your minds feel
[Page]pleasant easy and confortable? It is the Law from the good
Spirit, who is all love, and placed it in your hearts, that gives you
such peace and comfort when you do well, but when you do evil things,
it reproves you, and makes you feel uneasy and sad.
Brothers,
We wish you to consider and remember, that the Great
Spirit, sees and knows all the thought of your hearts, and the hearts of
all mankind, and all their actions; and when their bodies die, such men
of all colours, and all nations, who have loved, served, and obeyed the holy
law of the good Spirit, placed in their hearts, he will receive their Sould,
which are never to die, and they will live with him in joy and peace for
ever; but the souls of bad men, who have lived wickedly in this world
must live, after their bodies die, with the bad spirit, in a State of distress
and misery.
Brothers,
We make profession of the same principle with our Grandfathers,
which teaches us to love you and all men, and in that love we feel our minds
drawn to send you this Speech, with a gread desire for your good; and we
were made glad, when we heard that the sober good people among you were
disposed to promote peace, and brighten the old chain of friendship with
the white people of the United States; and that many of you have a desire
that you may be instructed in tilling the ground, to live after the mirror
of the white people, which we believe you will find to be more comfortable
for you and your families, than to live only by hunting; and we think it will
be also good for your yound people to be learn't to read and write, and that
sober, honest, good men should be sent among you for teachers.
Brothers,
We have often told some of your chiefs, when we have had
the opportunity of taking them by the hand in this City, that we are not concerned
in the management of the affairs of the Government, which are under the direction of
the president of the United States, and his councellors; but that we should at
all times be willing to do any thing in our power to promote love and peace.
Brothers,
We greatly desire that the Commissioners who are now sent by
the president, and your councellors and chiefs, may look up to the great Spirit
for his wisdom and help; that you may all be made wise and strong, to
light up the council fire, and brighten the chain of old friendship; that all
things may be settled to satisfaction, and all logs taken out of the road, and
a lasting peace established; so that there may be no more difference and war
between your people and the Inhabitants of these States.
And we desire you may receive our friends, by whom we
[Page] send this writing in love, as brothers who are disposed to encourage
you in all good things. And in the ancient love which our Grand
fathers and yours felt for each other, we salute you, wishing your
happiness in this life, and in that which is to come, and remain,
Your Friends and Brothers,
• Isaac Lane.
• James Moon.
• Richard Lawrence.
• Charles West.
• James Pemberton.
• Samuel Smith (Bucks).
• John Pemberton.
• David Bacon.
• George Churchman.
• Thomas Lightfoot.
• Robert Holliday.
• John Simpson.
• Simon Meredith.
• Nathan Coope.
• Warner Mifflin.
• Nicholas Waln.
• Joseph Bringhurst.
• John Drinker.
• David Evans.
• Thomas Walmsby.
• Benjamin Mason.
• Samuel Smith.
• Samuel Clark.
• Owen Biddle.
• Daniel Offley.
• Mark Miller.
• Oliver Paxson.
• John Field.
• Caleb Carmalt.
• Stephen Mendenhall.
• Jesse Foulke.
• Thomas Morris.
• William Wilson.
• Joseph Shotwell.
• John Pierce junior.
• Abraham Cadwalader.
• Thomas George.
• Thomas Gaskill.
• John Roberts.
• Jonathan Evans junior.
• David Cumming.
• John Wistar.
• James Emlen.
• John Bosse[?].
Note: Examined & compared with the Original, and certified to be
a true Copy--by John Drinker