110 AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



The proclamation referred to was as follows : 



"By THE IIoxouRABLE PATRICK GoRDON, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor 

 of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent and 



Sussex, upon Delaware. 



"A PROCLAMATION. 



"Whereas, by the especial favour of Divine Providence and its bless- 

 ings on the endeavors of our late honorable Proprietor, and the first 

 adventurers with him in the settlement of this colony, the inhabitants 

 thereof have hitherto enjoyed a continued course of peace and tran- 

 quility, secured from all hostilities, either by invasion or insurrection : 

 to which nothing under the Divine hand has more effectually contributed 

 than the prudent care that was then taken by the Proprietor, to enter 

 into a firm alliance and sincere friendship with all the Indian natives, at 

 that time a numerous people. And Whereas, by the several treaties 

 then made, it was specially provided and agreed, that the said natives 

 should be considered in all dealings, and converse with them as our 

 friends and brethren without distinction; and by the like care in the 

 government, the same treaties have from time to time been continued 

 and confirmed, and by the sober and prudent conduct of the ancient 

 settlers and their successors, the first established friendship has been 

 hitherto without any interruption supported and maintained, to the great 

 benefit, as well as honor and reputation of this Government and its Euro- 

 pean inhabitants, as also of the said natives, who have not to this time 

 been guilty of any failure or breach on their parts of the said treaties. 

 But Whereas, by reason of some rude insults from a few strange In- 

 dians, who had ranged amongst our inhabitants, some actions tending to 

 hostilities ensued; whereupon the people assembled themselves in com- 

 panies, under an apprehension that those robbers might be followed by 

 much greater numbers. And since these motions, a most barbarous 

 murder has been committed by some furious men on the bodies of three 

 harmless and quiet natives, our friends ; for which the malefactors have 

 been happily seized and are in safe custody, in order to be tried and 

 suffer condign punishment. Now, for prevention of all further other 

 breaches of the established friendship between us and the said natives, I 

 do, by virtue of the powers and authorities to me derived from the 

 King's sacred Majesty, and the Honble the Proprietors and Governors in 

 chief of this province and adjacent counties, hereby strictly charge and 

 command all and singular his Majesty's subjects, the Europeans of what- 

 soever nation they be, who reside in the said province or counties, that 

 on no pretence they abuse any Indian native of the Nations around 

 us, viz: the Dela wares, Conestogoes, Ganawese, Sh wamese, Mingoes 

 or those of the Five Nations, or any other con g and demean- 

 ing themselves peaceably amongst us, but that on all jccasions thev 



