THOMAS] ENGLISH POLICY TOWARD THE INDIANS F)55 



indicated :i Disposition to do them all possible justico upon this head of Comiilaint 

 tlian those hostilities which had produced such horrid scenes of devastation 

 ceased, and the Six Nations and their Dependents became at once from the most 

 inveterate Enemies our fast and faithfull Friends. 



That their steady aud intrepid Conduct upon the Expedition under General Am- 

 herst for the Reduction of Canada is a striking example of this truth, and they now, 

 trusting to our good Faith, impatiently wait for that event which by puttiii" an 

 End to the War shall not only ascertain the British Empire in America but enable 

 Your Majesty to renew those Compacts by which their property in their Lands shall 

 be ascertained and such a system of Reformation introduced with respect to our 

 Interests and Commerce with them as shall at the same time that it redresses their 

 Complaints and establishes their Rights give equal Security and Stability to the 

 rights and Interests of all Your JIajesty's American Subjects. 



That under these Circumstances and in this scitnation the granting Lands hitherto 

 unsettled and establishing Colonies upon the Frontiers before the claims of the 

 Indians are ascertained appears to be a measure of the most dangerous tendency, 

 and is more particularly so in the preseut case, as these settlements now proposed 

 to be made, especially those upon the Mohawk River are in that part of the Country 

 of the Possession of which the Indians are the most jealous having at different times 

 expressed iu the strongest terms their Resolution to oppose all settlements thereon 

 as a manifest violation of their Rights. 



This condition of affairs was no doubt due largely to the lack of 

 any settled aud well-defined policy on the part of the government iu 

 its dealings with the Indians in regard to their lands. This subject, 

 as hitherto stated, seems to have been relegated, at least to a large 

 extent, to the colonists or grantees of the royal charters; and although 

 complaints from the Indians, or from others in their behalf, were fre- 

 quently made directly to governmental authorities, it does not appear 

 that the latter were aroused thereby to the necessity of adopting some 

 policy on this subject. It was not until the war with France and the 

 expedition against Canada that the government felt compelled to deal 

 directly with this subject. 



We find the Lords of Trade, in 1756, inquiring through Mr Pownalls 

 of Governor Hardy what should be the proper and general system for 

 the management of Indian affairs. 



The reply of this official was to the effect that, with respect to the 

 Six Nations, the governor of the province should have the chief direc- 

 tion of their affairs and that no steps should be taken with them with- 

 out consulting him, as he had always directed the transactions with 

 them; but he suggested that "some proper person under this direction 

 should have the management and conduct of Indian affairs." He 

 recommended for this purpose Su- William Johnson, who had previously 

 been commissioned for the same purpose by General Braddock. 



This suggestion was adopted, though Sir William Johnson refused to 

 accept a new conmiission, preferring to act under that received from 

 General Braddock, which was broader in its scope, and referred to 

 tribes other than the Six Nations. This was permitted. 



On December 2, 1761, the Lords of Trade submitted to the King a 

 draft of instructions to the governors of the colonies, which were 



