Page 317 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

CNLEBRATTON OF THE FOURTH OF JULY, 1854,
AT REIDSVILLE, NEW YORII.

Interesting Speech of JOHN W. QUINNEY, Chief of the Stock
bridge Tribe of Indians.

There was a large gathering of the people, numbering about
two thousand.
DENISON FISH ~resided, assisted by several Vice Presidents
and Secretaries. Dr. BOUGHTON delivered a short address, and
was followed by JOHN W. QUINNEY, an Indian of the Stock-
bridge tribe, and principal chief of the Nation. His address,
which we give below, is strongly marked by the peculiarities of
Indian eloquence.
The speech will be found interesting for its references to the
traditional memoirs of the origin of the Indian race, and their
taking possession of this country. It is to be lamented that
the proceedings of the last great council of the Muh-he-con-new
tribe, reduced to writing, as stated by Mr. QUINNEY, have not
been preserved. They would have formed the most authentic
and reliable memorial of the traditions of the Red Man ever
committed to paper.
The Stockbridge Indians once owned all the land on the
Hudson river. There is no record of their having sold any part
of the land constituting the manor of Rensselaerwyck. That
part of Mr. QUIXNEY'S speech which touches upon the manner
in which most of the land was purchased from the Indians, con-
tains too much truth. We presume that hardly one of the old
Indian conveyances was fairly and honorably made. The whole
of Saratoga county, and parts of Schenectady, Fulton and
Montgomery, were bought of two or three Indians, who had no
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