What Stuart is really trying to illustrate in this text, then, is the complete impossibility of the situation he was confronted with. In a way, this reflects the total underestimation of many different facets of the situation by the British government. They sent only a mid- or even low-ranking official to talk to the Native Americans, but the situation demanded a much larger (though likely still useless) delegation. The opening of this piece of text describes not only the large number of tribes and individual Native Americans present, but also carries the Native American's descriptions of the vast quantities of settlers and forts that are encroaching on their land (Stuart, 202). The problem is a very large one, yet for some reason the British seem too feel that the Native Americans should be easy to diplomatically contain -- all Stuart has to do is make a suggestion or two.

The falsity of this belief is perhaps one of the main reasons behind Stuart's writing o this document. It seems to be almost an excuse, as though he were saying "I tried, and look -- I really did the best I could, but those native Americans were just too righteously angry." He does not go quite so far as blaming the Revolutionary War on the Native Americans, but he certainly does not appear happy with their decision. The British were not happy either, as they...

In large part, then, this document could also be read as a way of Stuart covering himself. Not only was he describing the impossibility of this task, he also clearly demonstrates his disapproval with the Native Americans' decision, especially when it and the opposing British stance put "our lives and the lives of all the white people...in great danger" (Stuart, 204).
Because this is an official report and not a popularized publication, the question of how it cam to be printed is somewhat less mysterious. The reasons for this "publication," such as it is, are basically the same as the reasons for its being written in the first place. It demonstrates the utmost diplomatic skill on the part of the author, and in this way removes (or at least attempts to remove) all element of guilt for the Native Americans' premature decision to go to war from Henry Stuart. But despite this cynical view of the text, Stuart's words reveal a genuine respect for the Native Americans. He treated them and accepted them as full human beings, with governments that demanded the respect of diplomatic negotiations, not strong arming. This is a lesson that many of today's political leaders have yet to learn, and it is important that it is recognized in Staurt.