HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



17 



dispatched to see if he breathed. Finding that he lived, 

 Ho-see-noke was directed to arouse him by his merry heart, 

 to whisper kind words in his ear, and call him from his 

 reverie. After much ceremony and persuasion, he recovered 

 so far as to converse, and after several messages had passed 

 between the assembled chiefs and himself, he arose and 

 desired food. He was afterwards conducted to the presence 

 of the council, when all eyes were turned towards the only 

 man who could with precision foretell their future destiny. 

 Various schemes were proposed to repel the enemy. Hi-a- 

 wat-ha listened in silence till the speeches of all were con- 

 cluded. He then spoke. After briefly alluding to his own 

 calamity, he referred to the threatened invasion, and pro- 

 posed that they should reflect for a day on the speeches that 

 had been made. After the expiration of the time, they 

 again met, when the wise man thus addressed them : 



" Friends and Brothers : You have come, many of you, 

 a great distance from your homes ; you have convened for 

 one common purpose, to promote one common interest, and 

 that is to provide for our common safety. To oppose these 

 hordes of northern foes by tribes, singly and alone, would 

 prove our certain destruction. We can make no progress 

 in that way ; we must unite ourselves into one common 

 band of brothers. Our warriors united would surely repel 

 these rude invaders, and drive them from our borders. Let 

 this be done and we are safe. 



" You, the Mohawks, sitting under the shadow of the 

 ' Great Tree,' whose roots sink deep into the earth, and 

 whose branches spread over a vast country, shall be the first 

 nation, because you are warlike and mighty. 



" You, Oneidas, a people who recline your bodies against 

 the 'Everlasting Stone,' that cannot be moved, shall be the 

 second nation, because you give wise counsel. 



" You, Onondagas, who have your habitation at the 

 ' Great Mountain,' and are overshadowed by its crags, 

 shall be the third nation, because you are greatly gifted in 

 ^speech and mighty in war. 



" You, Cayugas, a people whose habitation is the ' Dark 

 Forest,' and whose home is everywhere, shall be the fourth 

 nation, because of your superior cunning in hunting. 



" And you, Senecas, a people who live in the open 

 country, and possess much wisdom, shall be the fifth nation, 

 because you understand better the art of raising corn and 

 beans, and making cabins. 



" You five great and powerful nations must unite and 

 have but one common interest, and no foe shall be able to 

 disturb or subdue you." 



Immediately upon this was formed the celebrated league 

 of the Five Nations. Such was the name given them by 

 the English. The French called them the Iroquois, the 

 Dutch name for them was Maquas, while they called them- 

 selves Mingoes ; all meaning " united people." They were 

 known to the English as the Five Nations till the adoption 

 of the Tuscaroras, in 1712, after which they were called 

 the Six Nations. 



The Onondagas occupied the central position in the 

 " Long House," — a term by which they denoted their pos- 

 sessions from the Hudson to the Lakes. They kept the 

 sacred council-fires at Onondaga, and the key of the council- 

 house, where all the chief councils of the Five Nations were 

 3 



held. The Mohawks held the east door, and the Senecas 

 the west door. The confederacy was governed by heredi- 

 tary chiefs, whose claims were subjected to the decisions of 

 a national council. Thus the aristocratic principle was 

 brought into subjection to the democratic. When the 

 hereditary chief demanded office, if found unworthy, he 

 must give place to the next in order. In council they were 

 a pure republic, the veto of one chief being sufficient to 

 defeat a measure.* Cach canton or tribe was independent; 

 its quota of men was freely voted in war, or refused, with- 

 out complaint from other cantons. Thus was guaranteed 

 to each tribe its independence and security, and to each 

 warrior his equal rights, while general power was conceded 

 to the confederacy in all national matters. Canassatego, 

 one of the chiefs, said to the Commissioners of Pennsylvania, 

 Virginia, and Maryland : " Our wise forefathers established 

 union and amity between the Five Nations. This has 

 made us formidable. This has idven. us srreat wei<i;ht and 

 authority with our neighboring nations. We are a power- 

 ful confederacy, and by observing the same methods our 

 forefathers have taken you will acquire fresh strength and 

 power ; therefore I counsel you, whatever befalls you, never 

 fall out with one another." 



At the formation of the confederacy, the famous A-TO- 

 TAR-HO presided : unequaled in war and arts, his fame had 

 spread abroad and exalted the Onondaga tribe to a pre-em- 

 inent position. His name was, "like that of King Arthur 

 of the Round Table, or those of the Paladins of Charle- 

 magne, used as an exemplar of glory and honor,"* and be- 

 came the title of office of the presiding chief. The right 

 of the Onondagas to furnish a presiding officer for the league 

 was conceded, and is still possessed by them. To the Mo- 

 hawks was awarded the Te-ka-ra-ho-ga, or chief war-captain. 

 The great council has always consisted of six members, each 

 nation having one except the Senecas, who were allowed two, 

 in consideration of their great numerical strength. Its powers 

 were merely advisory, aiming to arrive at harmonious results 

 by interchange of opinion without formal vote. No penalties 

 could be inflicted or power exerted beyond that of opinion. A 

 unanimous decision was first required. This once obtained, 

 its authority was absolute ; each tribe acting through its 

 representative, who was first informed as to its views. 

 These decisions were, in fact, clothed with all the power of 

 the most popular expression of the whole confederacy. 



" A government like this gave to the orator, who by his 

 eloquence could sway his people, a vast influence ; and we 

 find that many men of note have appeared among them, 

 since they came in contact with more learned races of men, 

 who were abundantly qualified to conduct their negotia- 

 tions, and have reflected as much renown on their nation 

 as their bravest warriors.""}" De Witt Clinton says of the 

 speech of Garangula to the French general, De la Barre, 

 " I believe it impossible to find in all the eflusions of an- 

 cient or modern oratory a speech more appropriate or con- 

 vincing. Under the veil of respectful profession it conveys 

 the most biting irony, and while it abounds with rich and 

 splendid imagery, it contains the most solid reasoning. I 

 place it in the same rank with the celebrated speech of 

 Logan." 



* Schoolcraft. 



t Hon. George Geddes. 



