Knox, Henry (1750-1806) [Report on relations between the United States and Native Americans]

[draft]

The measures adopted by the general government, relative to the Indian tribes within the lands of the United States, are replete with moderation justice and humanity. Philosophers and the [inserted: intelligent] [struck: Philantropic [sic]] part of [struck: mankind] [inserted: [illegible]] will approve the wisdom of such conduct [struck: and] while its opposers will [consist] [struck: entil] entirely of [struck: the ignorant] people of [struck: an opposite] [inserted: different] description.
Instead of an oppressive system having for its object the extirption of a race of men more sinned against, than sinning, it appears to be the design of the general government, to impart [2] impart to the Indians, who were the original lords of the soil, all the blessing of Life of which their situation will admit, and to lead them by degrees to a more settled and civilized mode of existence
Having the consideration of Civilizing the Indians which by many is deemed impracticable the politcy [sic] of observing a liberal and humane conduct towards them cannot be well denied
It may be safely affirmed that the expence of [struck: cil] concilating and attaching [inserted: all] the [inserted: neighboring] Indians to the interests of the United States for a period of [struck: fifty years one hundred years] [inserted: fifty years], would not be so great, as the expences of one campaign against [3] [struck: any of the In] either the Creeks or Choctaws
At the commencement of the present [consilation], the affairs upon the south western frontiers presented a gloomy aspect -
The state of Georgia had been involved for a number of years in serious hostilities with the Creek nation of Indians. In this contest the state of Georgia had been greatly distressed, its frontier inhabitants compelled to abandon their plantations, and [guns] were [mounted] [illegible] in the City of Savannah itself to prevent a surprize -
[4] Congress early took this subject into consideration, and voted the sum of 20000 Dollars for the purpose of [struck: holding] [inserted: defraying the expences of negociations or] [treaties] with the Indian tribes - [struck: and Commissioners and] Three commissioners were [inserted: accordingly] appointed for the purpose of holdg a treaty with the Creek nation in September [inserted: 1789], [struck: the creeks being] [inserted: who were] about to assemble at that time by virtue of [struck: a former] [inserted: a previous] arrangement made under the directions of the old Congress
Although these commissioners were characters of high reputation and repaired to the place [struck: of [treaty] [inserted and struck: assembled] [inserted: appointed] in due season, yet they failed of effectg a treaty at that time owig to [struck: caf] [causations] [inserted: are] [5] [inserted: are here] unnecessary to be detailed -
But although [inserted: illegible] no treaty was concluded, an informal truce was agreed to until the spring of the year 1790.
The issue of this business placed the United States in a new and critical situation - Before it seemed a [strikeout] [contest] [strikeout] arising out of disputes between Georgia and the Creeks relative to local [illegible] [claims]. But the [United] States having interposed [struck: in the business was [bound] to proceed] [inserted: they] became interested therein and responsible for all consequences
The treaty had been broken off rather abruptly on the part of the Creeks and under circumstances [6] which indicated aversion to an intimate connection with the US. [struck: Were] [inserted: Had] the Creeks [struck: to have] committed hostilities either before and after the expiration of the truce, it would have been difficult to have [found] the [candor] of an [execuse] [strikeout] for the United States [inserted: not] entering into an immediate war with [inserted: that] nation
While on the one hand a war, in which neither honor or profit has to be avoided if possible so on the other the United States were bound to protect [strikeout] all their citizens [frm] Violence -
In order therefore to prevent the former, and to establish the later, measures [inserted: honorable [to the] government] were devised [7] and executed with great [strikeout] ability to induce the chiefs of the Creeks to repair to the [residence] of the general government as the only means by which [struck: it] they could avoid the ruin impending [over] their nation
The treaty with the Creeks at New York the 7th of August 1790 was the consequence of the visit of the chiefs. This treaty has been [reprobatled] [sic] by land jobbers, interested individuals and some of the Inhabitants of Georgia -
But the enlightened Citizens of America highly approve [8] of [struck: a] [inserted: the] treaty, as the ground work of attaching the creeks and the whole body of southern Indians to the interests of the US, [struck: and] upon [struck: such] principles [struck: US are appointed by all [inserted: the] disinterested part of mankind of] [inserted and struck: [universal] [illegible] to the] [inserted: entitled to the approbation of] the disinterested part of mankind -
The supreme executive [inserted: of the US] has also taken measures to secure the Choctaws and Chickasaws in the attachment to the United States by [asking] them of the full [performance] of the treaties of Hopewell
[struck: The Chick] and a treaty is to be held by Governor Blount [strikeout] of the [territory] of the US South of the Ohio [9] during the present with the Cherokees
Indeed there is the fairest prospect of not only making a permanent peace with the all Southern nations of Indians but of attaching them in such a manner to the interests of the US as to command their active [serving] if necessary -
The Yazous company so called, who have purchased of the state of Georgia the [pre emption], to almost the entire lands of the Choctaws Chickasaws and part of the Cherokees, are dwindlg [sic] away - and the boasted places of Mr O. Fallon and his associates and partners [10] are far from being realized - The general government [struck: of the United States] will never be so lost to sentiments of justice and virtue as to suffer a number of Land [struck: speculators], [inserted: to dispossess the [Indians] of their country] against [struck: law treaty to] existg Laws & treaties, [struck: and the principles of justice], and thereby placing the US in a war with those powerful [struck: tribes indi] tribes who [strikeout] [inserted: are otherwise] zealously disposed to [strikeout] [inserted: be firm and] [illegible] [strikeout] friends -
The [inserted: warriors of the] creek nation of Indians are estimated at 6000 [struck: men] The Choctaws at 5000 the chickasaws at 1300, and the Cherokees at 2500 amountg in all to nearly 15000 warriors [11] The friendship of such powerful tribes ever upon principles of policy [struck: are] is well worth [struck: of] cultivating, [strikeout] the value of this friendship is to be estimated by the expence of their [illegible] - independent of the [disgrace] attendant upon the injustice of attempting to deprive them of their lands against the [illegible] of the US stipulated by [solemn] treaties -
It were [illegible] to the [westward] that in turng our [energy] to the regions, north west of the Ohio that some [struck: pleasant] prospects of peace [struck: presented] appeared -
The general governt [12] took early [struck: and decided] measures for this purpose - [Treaties] had been formed under the old government with the six nations the Wyandots and Delawares and some of the more Western Indians - But the Wabash Indians always declined to attend at the [struck: treaties] [inserted: negociations of those treaties] notwithstanding they were invited thereto -
[struck line]
But in [order] if possi[text loss] to [bring] those deluded people to the just sense of their [illegible] the [President] of the US directed that they should [13] be invited anew, to treat of peace and that the consequences of their refusal and persisting in [hostilities] should be fully placed before them [inserted: and at the same time the people of Kentucky were prohibited from making [illegible] into the indian country.] This [strikeout] [inserted: invitation] was executed early in the last year, to all the tribes inhabiting the river Wabash, from [past] Vincennes up to the Miami Village - The [strikeout] invitation was [inserted: not only] refused [inserted and struck: but] [inserted: by the Indians but] then hostilities were renewed with greater violence than ever
The campaign therefore of the last year was a measure of necessity - the indians had [14] had been invading our frontiers and had killed [many] hundreds innocent men women and children - [struck: They were inv invited by the government to treat of peace which they refused with circumstances of insult and indigence, and acted more outrageously than before]
It became just, and highly proper to manifest the power of the US over these [struck: deluded [devolved] [inserted and struck: unhappy] Indians] [inserted: strikeout] [inserted: blood thirsty [strikeout] tribes] - That the expedition did not entirely succeed is to be much regretted [strikeout] [inserted: but it] It is unnecessary [struck: at this time to try] [inserted: in this place] [struck: to enq] to inquire into the causes of its failure
[15] [struck paragraph: The arrangements making will in all probability be fully adequate to the business of convincing the Indians that they have more to hope from the mercy of the US than for their weakness]
Notwithstanding the provocations of such Indians [struck: eff] every effort will be made [struck: to bring] open their eyes to their true situation, and if [struck: possibly] possible to induce them to peace without [the] necessity of an active campaign against them - But if the measures taken [16] taken for this purpose should be in vain, the meekness of christianity, will satisfy the government in taking effectual measures to prevent the murder of its peaceable citizens
And the arrangements [struck: which are] made, and which are in train of execution will in all probability, be [struck: fully] [inserted: each] adequate to [struck: business] the full conviction of [illegible] indians that they have abundantly more to hope for than mercy, than to expect from the weakness of the US.