8582. TREATY (British peace), Violations of.—[further continued].
Was this delay merely
innocent and unimportant as to us, setting aside
all considerations but of interest and safety?
1. It cut us off from the fur-trade, which before
the war had been always of great importance as
a branch of commerce, and as a source of remittance
for the payment of our debts to Great
Britain; for the injury of withholding our posts,
they added the obstruction of all passage along
the lakes and their communications. 2. It secluded
us from connection with the Northwestern
Indians, from all apportunity of keeping up
with them friendly and neighborly intercourse,
brought on us consequently, from their known
dispositions, constant and expensive war, in
which numbers of men, women, and children,
have been, and still are, daily falling victims
to the scalping knife, and to which there will be
no period, but in our possession of the posts
which command their country.—
To George Hammond. Washington ed. iii, 391.
Ford ed., vi, 33.
(Pa.,
17921792)gt;
