:
Draper MSS., Spanish Documents, letter of Carondelet, July 9,1794.]
Moreover, the Spaniards, besides communicating with the British, sent
messages to the Indians at the Miami, urging them to attack the
Americans, and promising help; [Footnote: Canadian Archives, letter of
McKee, May 7, 1794.] a promise which they never fulfilled, save that in
a covert way they furnished the savages with arms and munitions of war.

Effect of Dorchester's Speech.
The Indians Greatly Encouraged.

The Canadians themselves were excited and alarmed by Dorchester's
speech, [Footnote: Canadian Archives, Joseph Chew to Thomas Aston
Coffin, Montreal, February 27, 1794.] copies of which were distributed
broadcast; for the general feeling was that it meant that war was about
to be declared between Great Britain and the United States. The Indians
took the same view, as to what the speech meant; but to them it gave
unmixed pleasure and encouragement. The British officials circulated it
everywhere among the tribes, reading it aloud to the gathered chiefs and
fighting men. "His Excellency Governor Simcoe has just now left my house
on his way to Detroit with Lord Dorchester's speech to the Seven
Nations," wrote Brant the Iroquois chief to the Secretary of Indian
Affairs for Canada, "and I have every reason to believe when it is
delivered that matters will take an immediate change to the Westward, as
it will undoubtedly give those Nations high spirits and enable them by a
perfect union to check General Wayne." [Footnote: Canadian Archives,
Brant to Chew, April 21, 1794.] In April, Lieutenant Colonel John
Butler, of the British army, addressed a great council of chiefs near
Buffalo, beginning, "I have now a speech to deliver to you from your
father Lord Dorchester, which is of the utmost consequence, therefore
desire you will pay strict attention to it." [Footnote: Canadian
Archives, Butler to Chew, April 27, 1794.] He then delivered the speech,
to the delight of the Indians, and continued: "You have heard the great
talk of our going to war with the United States, and by the speech of
your Father just now delivered to you, you cannot help seeing there is a
great prospect of it, I have therefore to recommend you to be all
unanimous as one man, and to call in all your people that may be
scattered about the Territories of the United States." McKee, the
British Indian agent among the Northwestern tribes who were at war with
the Americans, reported wit