400 FRENCH AND ENGLISH RIVALRY. [1694 



every attempt to control their action. Then 

 Fletcher, the governor, called a general council 

 at the same place, and told them that they should 

 not hold councils with the French, or that, if they 

 did so, they should hold them at Albany in pres- 

 ence of the English. Again they asserted their 

 rights as an independent people. " Corlaer," said 

 their speaker, " has held councils with our enemies, 

 and why should not we hold councils with his ? " 

 Yet they were strong in assurances of friendship, 

 and declared themselves " one head, one heart, one 

 blood, and one soul, with the English." Their 

 speaker continued : " Our only reason for sending 

 deputies to the French is that we are brought so 

 low, and none of our neighbors help us, but leave 

 us to bear all the burden of the war. Our brothers 

 of New England, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and 

 Virginia, all of their own accord took hold of the 

 covenant chain, and called themselves our allies ; 

 but they have done nothing to help us, and we 

 cannot fight the French alone, because they are 

 always receiving soldiers from beyond the Great 

 Lake. Speak from your heart, brother : will you 

 and your neighbors join with us, and make strong 

 war against the French ? If you will, we will break 

 off all treaties, and fight them as hotly as ever ; but, 

 if you will not help us, we must make peace." 



Nothing could be more just than these reproaches ; 

 and, if the English governor had answered by a 

 vigorous attack on the French forts south of the 

 St. Lawrence, the Iroquois warriors would have 

 raised the hatchet again with one accord. But 



