that the Iroquois,
the Wyandots and the Delawares, suddenly became divested of every
species of property in their lands, on the ground that they had
forfeited them by waging war against the United States, was to declare
that which could never be defended in a court of conscience and equity.
But in the first hot moments succeeding the Revolution, and before men's
minds had time to cool, that was practically the principle upon which
the continental congress had proceeded.

By consulting the records of the old congress of date October 15th,
1783, it is found that a committee composed of Mr. Duane, Mr. Peters,
Mr. Carroll, Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Arthur Lee, to whom had been referred
the whole question of Indian affairs, had reported in substance as
follows: That while the Indian tribes were "disposed to a pacification,"
that they were not in "a temper to relinquish their territorial claims
without further struggles;" that if the tribes were expelled from their
lands, they would probably retreat to Canada, where they would meet with
"a welcome reception from the British government;" that this accession
of power on the part of Canada would make her a formidable rival in
case of future trouble, and secure to her people the profits of the fur
trade; "that although motives of policy as well as clemency ought to
incline Congress to listen to the prayers of the hostile Indians for
peace, yet in the opinion of the committee it is just and necessary that
lines of property should be ascertained and established between the
United States and them, which will be convenient to the respective
tribes, and commensurate to the public wants, because the faith of the
United States stands pledged to grant portions of the uncultivated lands
as a bounty to their army, and in reward of their courage and fidelity,
and the public finances do not admit of any considerable expenditure to
extinguish the Indian claims upon such lands;" that owing to the rapid
increase in population it was necessary to provide for the settlement of
the territories of the United States; that the public creditors were
looking to the public lands as the basis for a fund to discharge the
public debt. The committee went further. They reported with some
particularity that the Indians had been the aggressors in the late war,
"without even a pretense of provocation;" that they had violated the
convention of neutrality made with Congress at Albany in 1775, had
brought utter ruin to