FourthofJulyAddress atReidsville,NewYork
byJohnQuinney(Mahican,1854)
From Great Documents in American Indian History,Editedby Moquin,WayneandCharlesVanDoren(1973)
ItmayappeartothosewhomIhavethehonortoaddressasingulartasteforme,anIndian,to takeaninterestinthetriumphaldaysofapeoplewhooccupy,byconquestorhaveusurped,the possessionsofmyfathersandhavelaidandcarefullypreservedatrainofterriblemiseriestoend whenmyraceceasedtoexist.
ButthankstothefortunatecircumstancesofmylifeIhavebeentaughtintheschoolsandbeen abletoreadyourhistoriesandaccountsofEuropeans,yourselvesandtheRedMan;which instructmethatwhileyourrejoicingstodayarecommemorativeofthefreebirthofthisgiant nation,theysimplyconveytomymindtherecollectionofatransferofthemiserableweakness anddependence,ofmyracefromonegreatpowertoanother.
Myfriends,Iamgettingoldandhavewitnessedformanyyearsyourincreaseinwealthand powerwhilethesteadyconsumingdeclineofmytribeadmonishesmethattheirextinctionis inevitable.Theyknowitthemselvesandthereflectionteachesthemhumilityandresignation, directingtheirattentiontotheexistenceofthosehappyhuntinggroundswhichtheGreatFather haspreparedforallhisredchildren.
Inthisspirit,myfriends,asaMuh-he-con-new,andnowstandinguponthesoilwhichoncewas andnowoughttobethepropertyofthistribe,Ihavethoughtforonceandcertainlythelasttime IwouldshakeyoubythehandandaskyoutolistenforalittlewhiletowhatIhavetosay.
Abouttheyear1645,whenKingBenthelastofthehereditarychiefsoftheMuh-he-con-new nationwasinhisprime,grandcouncilwasconvenedoftheMuh-he-con-newtribeforthe purposeofconveyingfromtheoldtotheyoungmenaknowledgeofthepast.
Councilsforthisobjectespeciallyhadbeenheld.Hereforthespaceoftwomoons,thestoresof memoryweredispensed;correctionsandcomparisonsmadeandtheresultscommittedtofaithful breaststobetransmittedagaintosucceedingposterity.
Manyyearsafter,anotherandlastcouncilofthiskindwasheld;andthetraditionsreducedto writing,bytwoofouryoungmenwhohadbeentaughttoreadandwriteintheschoolofthe Rev.JohnSargentofStockbridge,Mass.Theywereobtainedinsomewaybyawhitemanfor
publication,whosoonafterdying,alltraceofthembecamelost.Thetraditionsofthetribe, however,havemainlybeenpreserved,ofwhichIgiveyousubstantially,thefollowing:
Agreatpeoplefromthenorthwestcrossedoverthesaltwater,andafterlongandweary pilgrimage,plantingmanycoloniesontheirtrack,tookpossessionofandbuilttheirfiresupon theAtlanticcoast,extendingfromtheDelawareonthesouthtothePenobscottonthenorth. Theybecameintheprocessoftimedifferenttribesandinterests;all,however,speakingone commondialect.
ThisgreatConfederacy,Pequots,Penobscot,andmanyothers(Delawares,Mohegans,Manses, Narragansetts)helditscouncilfiresonceayeartodeliberateonthegeneralwelfare.
Patriarchaldelegatesfromeachtribeattended,assistedbythepriestsandthewisemen,who communicatedthewillandinvokedtheblessingoftheGreatandGoodSpirit.Thepoliciesand decisionsofthiscouncilwereeverywhererespected,andinviolablyobserved.Thuscontentment smiledupontheirexistenceandtheywerehappy.
Theirreligion,communicatedbypriestandprophet,wassimpleandtrue.Themannerofworship isimperfectlytransmitted;buttheirreverenceforaGreatSpirit,theobservanceoffeastseach year,theofferingofbeastsinthanksgivingandatonementisclearlyexpressed.
Theybelievedthesoultobeimmortal—intheexistenceofahappylandbeyondtheview, inhabitedbythosewhoseliveshadbeenblameless.Whileforthewickedhadbeenreserveda regionofmiserycoveredwiththornsandthistles,wherecomfortandpleasurewereunknown. Timewasdividedintoyearsandseasons;twelvemoonsforayear,anumberofyearsbysomany winters.
Thetribetowhichyourspeakerbelongsandofwhichthereweremanybands,occupiedand possessedthecountryfromtheseashoreatManhattantoLakeChamplain.Havingfoundtheebb andflowofthetide,theysaid:"ThisisMuh-he-con-new,""Likeourwaterswhicharenever still.”Fromthisexpressionandbythisnametheywereafterwardsknown,untiltheremovalto Stockbridgeintheyear1630.
HousatonicRiverIndians,Mohegans,Manhattans,wereallnamesofbandsindifferent localities,butboundtogetherasonefamilybybloodanddescent.
Ataremoteperiod,beforetheadventoftheEuropeantheirwisemenforetoldthecomingofa strangeracefromthesunrise,asnumerousastheleavesuponthetrees,whowouldeventually crowdthemfromtheirfairlandpossessions.Butapprehensionwasmitigatedbytheknowledge andbeliefatthattimeentertained,thattheyoriginallywerenotthere,andafteraperiodofyears theywouldreturntothewestfromwhichtheyhadcome.AndtheymoreoversaidallRedMen aresprungfromacommonancestor,madebytheGreatSpiritfromredclay,whowillunitetheir
strengthtoavertacommoncalamity.Thistraditionisconfirmedbythecommonbelief,which prevailsinourdaywithalltheIndiantribes;fortheyrecognizeoneanotherbytheircolor,as brothersandacknowledgeoneGreatCreator.
Twohundredandfiftywintersago,thisprophecywasverifiedandtheMuh-he-con-newforthe firsttimebeheldthepaleface.Theirnumberwassmall,buttheircanoeswerebig.
IntheselectandexclusivecirclesofyourrichmenofthepresentdayIshouldencounterthegaze ofcuriosity,butnotsuchasoverwhelmedthesensesoftheAborigines,myancestors.Our visitorswerewhiteandmustbesick.Theyaskedforrestandkindness;wegavethemboth.They werestrangers,andwetookthemin;nakedandweclothedthem.
Thefirstimpressionofastonishmentandpitywassucceededbyaweandadmirationofsuperior intelligenceandaddress.
ApassionforinformationandimprovementpossessedtheIndians.Aresidencewas given—territoryoffered—andcovenantsoffriendshipexchanged.
Yourwrittenaccountsofeventsatthisperiodarefamiliartoyou,myfriends.Yourchildrenread themeverydayintheirschoolbooks;buttheydonotread—nomindatthistimecanconceive, andnopenrecord,theterriblestoryofrecompenseforkindness,whichfortwohundredyears hasbeenpaidthesimple,guilelessMuh-he-con-new.
Ihaveseenmuchmyself—1havebeenconnectedwithmore—andItellyouIknowall.The traditionofthewisemenisfigurativelytruethatourhomeatlastwillbefoundinthewest;for anothertraditioninformsusthatfarbeyondthesettingsun,uponthesmilinghappylands,we shallbegatheredwithourfathers,andbeatrest.
Promisesandprofessionswerefreelygivenandruthlesslyandintentionallybroken.Tokindle yourfireswassoughtasaprivilege;andyetatthatmomentyouweretransmittingtoyourkings intelligenceofourpossessions,"byrightofdiscovery,"anddemandingassistancetoassertyour hold.
Wherearethe25,000innumber,andthe4,000warriors,whoconstitutedthepowerand populationofthegreatMuh-he-con'newnationin1604?
Theyhavebeenvictimstoviceanddisease,whichthewhitemenimported.Smallpox,measles andfirewaterhavedonetheworkofannihilation.Divisionsandfeudswereinsidiouslypromoted betweentheseveralbands.Theywereinducedtothineachother'srankswithoutjustcause;and subsequentlyweredefeatedanddisorganizedindetail.
Itiscurious,thehistoryofmytribe,initsdecline,inthelasttwocenturiesandahalf.Nothing thatdeservedthenameofpurchasewasmade.Fromvariouscauses,theywereinducedto
abandontheirterritoryatintervalsandretirefartherinland.Deedsweregivenindifferentlytothe governmentbyindividuals,forwhichlittleornocompensationwaspaid.
TheIndianswereinformed,inmanyinstances,thattheyweresellingonepieceoflandwhen theywereconveyinganotherandmuchlargerlimits.Shouldaparticularband,forpurposesof huntingorfishing,foratimeleaveitsusualplaceofresidence,thelandwassaidtobe abandoned,andtheIndianclaimextinguished.Tolegalizeandconfirmtitlesthusacquired,laws andedictsweresubsequentlypassed,andtheselawsweresaidthentobe,andarenowcalled, justice.
Oh,whatmockerytoconfoundjusticewithlaw!Willyoulooksteadilyattheintrigues,bargains, corruptionsandlogrollingsofyourpresentlegislatures,andseeanytraceofjustice?Andby whattestshallbetriedtheactsofthecolonialcourtsandcouncils?
Letitnotsurpriseyou,myfriends,whenIsaythatthespotuponwhichIstandhasneverbeen rightlypurchasedorobtained.Andbyjustice,humanandDivine,isthepropertyoftheremnant ofthegreatpeoplefromwhomIamdescended.Theyleftitinthetorturesofstarvationandto improvetheirmiserableexistence;butacessionwasnevermade,andtheirtitlewasnever extinguished.
TheIndianissaidtobethewardofthewhiteman,andthenegrohisslave.Hasiteveroccurred toyou,myfriend,thatwhilethenegroisincreasingandincreasedbyeveryappliance,theIndian islefttorotanddiebeforetheinhumanitiesofthismodelrepublic?
Youhaveyourtearsandgroansandmobsandriotsfortheindividualsoftheformer,whileyour indifferenceofpurposeandvacillationofpolicyishurryingtoextinctionwholecommunitiesof thelatter
Whatarethetreatiesofthegeneralgovernment?Howoftenandwhenhasitsplightedfaithbeen kept?Indianoccupationisforevernextyear,oroneremovalfollowsanother,orbythenext commissioner,morewisethanhispredecessor,repurchased,andthusyoursympathiesand justiceareevincedinspeedilyfulfillingtheterribledestiniesofourrace.
Myfriends,yourHolyBook,theBible,teachesusthatindividualoffensesarepunishedinan existence—whentimeshallbenomore—andtheannalsoftheearthareequallyinstructivethat nationalwrongsareavenged,andnationalcrimesatonedforinthisworldtowhichalonethe conformationofexistenceadaptsthem.Theseeventsareaboveourcomprehension,andfora wisepurpose;formyselfandformytribeIaskforjustice—Ibelieveitwillsoonerorlateroccur, andmaytheGreatSpiritenablemetodieinhope