method of attaining this wisdom, diligently to study the histories of other countries. You will there find all the arts that can possibly be practiced by cunning rulers or false patriots among yourselves, so fully delineated, that, changing names, the account would serve for your own times.

It is pretty well known on this continent that Ireland has with a regular consistency of injustice, been cruelly treated by ministers in the article of pensions; but there are some. alarming circumstances relating to that subject which I wish to have better known among us.

The revenue of the Crown there arises principally from the excise granted for pay of the army and defraying other public charges, in defence and preservation of the kingdom -from the tonnage and additional poundage granted 'for protecting the trade of the kingdom at sea, and augmenting the public revenue '-from the hearth money granted-as a public revenue, for a public charge and expences'. There are some other branches of the revenue, concerning which there is not any express appropriation of them for public service, but which were plainly so intended.

Of these branches of the revenue the Crown is only trustee for the public. They are unalienable. They are inapplicable to any other purposes but those for which they were established; and therefore are not legally chargeable with pensions.

There is another kind of revenue which is a private revenue. This is not limited to any public uses; but the Crown has the same property in it that any person has in his estate. This does not amount, at the most, to fifteen thousand pounds a year, probably not to seven, and is the only revenue that can be legally charged with pensions.

If ministers were accustomed to regard the rights or happiness of the people, the pensions in Ireland would not exceed the sum just mentioned: but long since have they exceeded that limit; and in December 1765 a motion was made in the House of Commons in that kingdom, to address His Majesty on the great increase of pensions on the Irish establishment, amounting to the sum of 158,685/. in the last two years.

From this conduct towards Ireland in open violation of law we may easily foresee what we may expect when a minister will have the whole revenue of America in his own hands to be disposed of at his own pleasure. For all the monies raised by the late act are to be applied by virtue of warrants under the sign manual, countersigned by the high treasurer or any

three of the commissioners of the Treasury'. The residue ' indeed is to be paid into the receipt of the exchequer, and to be disposed of by Parliament'. So that a minister will have nothing to do but to take care that there shall be no residue', and he is superior to all controul.

Besides the burden of pensions in Ireland, which have enormously encreased within these few years, almost all the offices in that poor kingdom have been since the commencement of the present century, and now are bestowed upon strangers. For tho' the merit of persons born there justly raises them to places of high trust when they go abroad, as all Europe can witness, yet he is an uncommonly lucky Irishman who can get a good post in his native country.

When I consider the manner in which that island has been uniformly depressed for so many years past with this pernicious particularity of their Parliament continuing as long as the Crown pleases, I am astonished to observe such a love of liberty still animating that loyal and generous nation; and nothing can rise higher my idea of the integrity and public spirit of a people who have preserved the sacred fire of freedom from being extinguished, tho' the altar on which it burnt has been overturned. .

LETTER XII

Let these truths be indelibly impressed on our mindsthat we cannot be happy without being free-that we cannot be free without being secure in our property-that we cannot be secure in our property if without our consent others may as by right take it away-that taxes imposed on us by Parliament do thus take it away-that duties laid for the sole purpose of raising money are taxes-that attempts to lay such duties should be instantly and firmly opposed that this opposition can never be effectual unless it is the united effort of these Provinces that therefore benevolence of temper towards each other and unanimity of councils are essential to the welfare of the whole-and lastly, that for this reason, every man amongst us who in any manner would encourage either dissension, diffidence, or indifference between these colonies is an enemy to himself and to his country.

To discharge this double duty to yourselves and to your posterity you have nothing to do but to call forth into use

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the good sense and spirit of which you are possessed. You have nothing to do but to conduct your affairs peaceablyprudently-firmly-jointly. By these means you will support the character of freemen without losing that of faithful subjects-a good character in any government-one of the best under a British Government. You will prove that Americans have that true magnanimity of soul that can resent injuries without falling into rage; and that tho' your devotion to Great Britain is the most affectionate, yet you can make proper distinctions and know what you owe to yourselves as well as to her. You will at the same time that you advance your interests advance your reputation. You will convince the world of the justice of your demands and the purity of your intentions. While all mankind must, with unceasing applauses, confess that you indeed deserve liberty, who so well understand it, so passionately love it, so temperately enjoy it, and so wisely, bravely and virtuously assert, maintain and defend it.

Certe ego libertatem, quae mihi a parente meo tradita est, experiar; Verum id frustra an ob rem faciam, in vestra manu situm est, quirites. For my part I am resolved to contend for the liberty delivered down to me by my ancestors; but whether I shall do it effectually or not, depends on you, my countrymen. How little soever one is able to write, yet when the liberties of one's country are threatened, it is still more difficult to be silent.' A FARMER.

FINIS

INDIAN DIPLOMACY

Proceedings of a General Congress of the Six Nations, etc.; the Chiefs of Coghnawagey and of the Seven Confederate Nations of Canada and the Deputys sent from the Cherokee Nation to treat of Peace with the former before Sir William Johnson, Baronet, at Johnson Hall in March 1768.1

THE Cherokee Deputy's arrived the 29 December 1767, on which Sir William sent Belts and Messages to the Six Nations, etc., who did not arrive until the 2nd of March by reason of the inclemency of the weather and other impediments.

1 Public Record Office, London, C.O. 5, 69, pp. 329-48. Printed in full in Documents relative to the Colonial History of New York, viii. 38-53.

AT A CONGRESS with the above mentioned Nations at Johnson Hall, March 4, 1768,

PRESENT

Sir William Johnson, Baronet.

Sir John Johnson, Knight.

Daniel Claus Esquires, Deputy Agents for Indian
Affairs.

Guy Johnson

Lieut. Frazier.

Mr. Michaell Byrne, Commissary of Indian Affairs.

Mr. Robert Adems.

Mr. Daniell Denniston.

John Butler, Esq. Interpreters for the Six Nations and
Mr. Perthies
Canada Indians.

Mr. John Walls, Cherokee Interpreter.

Being all seated, Sir William open'd the Congress as follows

BRETHEREN OF THE SIX NATIONS AND CANADA CONFEDERACY :-I give you all a most cordial welcome to this place, where I wish our mutual proceedings may be conducted with the strictest candour and sincerity.

It is with no small concern that I am to condole with you on account of the late act of cruelty exercised on some of your friends within the Province of Pensilvania. Whatever might have been the provocation given to that bad man who was the author of the deaths of ten of your Confederacy, you may rest assured that all His Majesties subjects hold that act in the greatest abhorence, and that he will certainly be punished with the death he so justly deserves whenever he is apprehended. On this disagreeable subject I am particularly authorised to speak to you by the Governor and people of the Province where that act was perpetrated, which you shall hear in due time. At present I am on the part of His Majesty and all his subjects to assure you that he and they are much concerned at it, that it is hoped you are all satisfied of its being the private act of a profligate individual and his accomplice without the knowledge or consent of any others, and that every possible means is making use of for apprehending him in order to bring him to the punishment which the crime deserves. I do therefore, on the part of His Majesty and all

his subjects, with this 3 strings of Wampum wipe away and dry up the tears which you have shed upon this occasion, clearing your sight that you may be enabled to look chearfully upon us,-With this string I clear the passage of your throats that you may speak to us freely and without any difficulty, and with this, I wipe away the blood of the slain from about your habitations that the same may appear no more to offend your eyes. Gave 3 strings of Wampum.

BROTHERS,--With this Belt I take the hatchet out of your heads, with which you were struck by that villain who was regardless of the friendship subsisting between us, and I request you to remember that he and his accomplice only were guilty in that point, and that notwithstanding the order of our Government and the goodness of our laws, we must expect to have some bad men amongst us, whose conduct and inclinations may differ widely from that of the rest of the people. Gave a large Black Belt.

BROTHERS,─With this Belt I pull up the largest pine tree by the roots, under which I bury the axe that gave you the blow, placeing the tree over it in its former position so that the axe may no more be found.

Gave a large White Belt with Black figures. BROTHERS,―This is the first opportunity my son (Sir John) has had for shaking you by the hand since his arrival from England, where he was not unmindfull of your affairs, he will now say something to you upon the occasion.

Then Sir John (after shaking hands with the Chiefs) said :BROTHERS,-I am happy at finding you all here in health at this time and sincerely wish that your proceedings may be conducted to the public satisfaction. It is with pleasure I can inform you that I have had an opportunity of hearing His Majesty's favourable opinion of all good Indians, and his steady resolution to redress your grievances, and do you strict justice, to this end your affairs are now under consideration, and the boundary line between the white inhabitants and you, which is considered so necessary for the preservation of your hunting grounds, will speedily be settled.

BROTHERS, I heartily thank you for your frequent enquirys after me during my absence in England, and I shall be at all times glad to convince you of my sincerity and good wishes for your several Confederacies.

Gave a White Belt with Black figures.