A white woman
had told the Indians to repent; [Footnote: Referring to Jemima Wilkinson.]
they wished in turn to call upon the white people to repent; they needed
to repent as much as the Indians; and they hoped the white people would
repent and not wrong the Indians any more.
The commissioner thanked them for their speech, saying he had a high
respect for the women, and would be happy to hear from them whenever they
had anything to say.
After several days had passed without coming to anything decisive in
regard to the main object of the council; Colonel Pickering called their
attention to the fact of their grievances, saying they had been together
sometime and talked them over and had found but two rusty places in the
chain of friendship, one of which they had already brightened. But the
other spot they thought was too deep to be cleared up. It related to their
lands. He then showed them maps which clearly pointed out the limits
agreed upon in their treaties, and by a distinct statement of the
negotiations and treaties that had been made at different times with them,
and afterward confirmed, proving that the claims of the United States were
just, he declared himself ready to stipulate concerning their grievances,
that they should still have the privilege of hunting upon the lands they
had ceded, and that their settlements thereon should remain undisturbed.
He further assured them that the United States would increase their
annuity from fifteen hundred to four thousand five hundred dollars, to say
nothing about the presents he had brought them amounting to ten thousand
dollars.
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