Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. II
That not a Season had passed Since the late peace without the murder of Some of their people by the Inhabitants, That by withdrawing those who had the inspection of the Trade &<^ Frauds & abuses would be more common than ever ; That no business could be Transacted without Interpreters at the posts & that they could not do without Smiths, to mend their arms and other implements used in Hunting That they were well
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assured that a War was near at hand, & that thoy were courted to engage in it, which tho' contrary to the Sense of their Cluefs might probably be agreed to by to many of the Warriors, If those affairs which gave them So much uneasiness were not adjusted for they saAV there was no provision made for their redress, I then explained to them what I had in Gen^ made known before to the Confederacy, Touching the present System for Indian affairs. That they would find the Colonies heartily disposed to make what Establishments were necessary and to prevent frauds or Injustice of every kind, but that they ought to make allowance for the importance of these matters as they required Some time to be put on a proper footing & that those whose Interests & Trade were So materially Connected with them would certainly pursue the wisest measures for promoting peace & Commerce. They answered that I had told them So before. That they well knew how Slow our people here were, & that altho' Some of the Old people of every nation were still disposed to believe all this. They found the Majority of the rest particularly of the other Confederacies were not. They gave me a long State of the Politicks of the other Nations, on which they observed that the fact was the Indians expected to meet the same treatment from us w^hich they had done from the French, That the latter repeatedly told them they would not.