54 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



88 When the proposition to establish the Great Peace is made 

 to a foreign nation it shall be done in mutual council. The foreign 

 nation is to be persuaded by reason and urged to come into the 

 Great Peace. If the Five Nations fail to obtain the consent of the 

 nation at the first council a second council shall be held and upon 

 a second failure a third council shall be held and this third council 

 shall end the peaceful methods of persuasion. At the third council 

 the War Chief of the Five Nations shall address the Chief of the 

 foreign nation and request him three times to accept the Great 

 Peace. If refusal steadfastly follows the War Chief shall let the 

 bunch of white lake shells drop from his outstretched hand to the 

 ground and shall bound quickly forward and club the offending 

 chief to death. War shall thereby be declared and the War Chief 

 shall have his warriors at his back to meet any emergency. War 

 must continue until the contest is won by the Five Nations (X-79, 

 SPW). 



89 When the Lords of the Five Nations propose to meet in con- 

 ference with a foreign nation with proposals for an acceptance of 

 the Great Peace, a large band of warriors shall conceal themselves 

 in a secure place safe from the espionage of the foreign nation but 

 as near at hand as possible. Two warriors shall accompany the 

 Union Lord who carries the proposals and these warriors shall be 

 especially cunning. Should the Lord be attacked, these warriors 

 shall hasten back to the army of warriors with the news of the 

 calamity which fell through the treachery of the foreign nation. 

 (XI-80, SPW). 



90 When the Five Nations' Council declares war any Lord of 

 the Confederacy may enlist with the warriors by temporarily re- 

 nouncing his sacred Lordship title which he holds through the elec- 

 tion of his women relatives. The title then reverts to them and 

 they may bestow it upon another temporarily until the war is over 

 when the Lord, if living, may resume his title and seat in the 

 Council. (XII-82, SPW). 



91 A certain wampum belt of black beads shall be the emblem of 

 the authority of the Five War Chiefs to take up the weapons of 

 war and with their men to resist invasion. This shall be called a 

 war in defense of the territory. (XIV-83, SPW). 



Treason or secession of a nation 



92 If a nation, part of a nation, or more than one nation within 

 the Five Nations should in any way endeavor to destroy the Great 

 Peace by neglect or violating its laws and resolve to dissolve the 



