The pilot. [volume] (Baltimore [Md.]) 1840-1840, 1840-04-15

ISrHGI
was authorised to say that the opposition un6n-
inousIy declined the proposition"
After tile fist offer Of life leases, the COM
missioner produced his amended treaty, for the
assent of the council, and out OF eighty-one
Chiefs of the Seneca tribe, who had been oper-
ated upon, in every possible manner, by the
briberv of life leases, free Of rent, TOR all ~ho
choose to stay embracing the Wh0te tribe, he
was only able to obtain in open council as re-
ouired to do by the resolution OF the Se1ale,
sirieen SIGNATURES of assent TO the amended trea-
tv. and in addition to these sixteen, he obtained
afterwards, not in council, but at his Private
Lodp;nps the assent of thirteen more, and at
Their oicn residence the signatures OF t'Co 9TH
ers making in all thirty one out OF eighty one
Chiefs belonging to the Seneca tribe"
What now is the course of the Hon. VIM.
Gillett, an indeiatigable commissioner? "Find-
inp he could not obtain the assent OF a major
ity ofthe chiefs, be informed The agent Of the
gre-esntioners, mot the Indians 'citk Whom he
,caS aegotiating,) "that he should adjourn the
council, as there ned TO be no more dis
posed to sign the assent" on adiourning, the
council (says he,) did,what thought due to
them and The purchaser" ''li there are not
signatures sufficient to meet your appreciation,
and it should turn out that the legal title IS in
HE purchasers, then the condition of the Sene-
cas- would be deporable. "They would be
w thout home &C." Well might the Hon.
Senate exclaim
ooh, Senecas! Senecas! What insanity
IF YOU do not assent to the treaty, you will be
without a home-without even your Green
Bav lands, which you refuse to sell us. How
cruel and hard hearted you are in refusing TO
crafty the human, and benevolent, and Indian
Iouing and and God serving pre- emptionerst'
The commissioner reports the result OF his
movements To the Secretary OF War, and very
Significantly concludes, by informing that func-
tionary, that all the expenses had been deiray-
ed by the United States; but thinks il any
further expenses are to be incurred, that the
pre-emptioners should pay their part Of at
awe ought to have said The achote oil it. as
would be for their private benefit.
We are referred now to another source Tor
some very important light, which our comms-
sioner has most wlfully and culpably omitted to
throw upon this subject. In the report OF Gone
raj Dearborn to Governor Everett of Massachu-
Sets he observes 'that at the last council, one of
the chiefs Of the opposition, rose and stated, that
they wished the council might be kept open, al
tel those had signed the treaty who were present,
as Mey DESIRED TO execute, in the presence of the
commissioner of the United States, and the SUI
lion of their dissent" The commissioner refus-
ed TO be present at the execution of the protest,
and after he retired, it was signed in the pre-
sence of and atteSted by Geceral Dearborn who
afterwards transmitted ii, according to the re-
quest of the Senecas, to Governor Everett. This
protest contained the names OF sIty Chiefs out OF
the eighty one. and was duly "signed, sealed ex-
ecued, Witnessed and delivered" in open council
We are thus brought 10 the period of the first
mission of Mr.. Gillet, and the unsuccessful eff
fort on the part of the Land Company, aided by
the official influence of that individual, and the
| means of the government, to induce the Indians
to assent to the treaty The subject is, however,
not yet abandoned Labor oneniG 0tRctt was the
motto of the pre-emptioners, and they determln-
ed on another attack. We accordingly find the
Hon. Mr. Gilet and General Dearborn again on
the field of action; with instructions to the form
err to obtain the assent of a majority of all the
Seneca chiefs, but with the intimation from the
Secretary of War, that "as he had heretofore
met the requirement Of the Senate, by full ex-
plantations to the Indians in council, he Nigh
proceed, to obtain the assent OF such as had not
heretofore givcn ii ap."
These instructions constitute the false step
in the negotiations, and the attempt to comply
with the resolution of the Senate, of the 18th
June, 1888, (Which required the assent to be
given in open council, 'by hunting up Indians
out of council, in the woods, or any where,
wheresoever they might be found" is fully and
Indignantly exposed by Mr.. Sewer. We find
also, that General Dearborn himself did not ap-
prove such a measure, and in order to over
come his scruples, Mr.. Gillet is again instruc-
ted by the Secretary of War to hold another
council, at his discretion, if General Dearborn
desired it. Another council, however, never
was held, but the Commissioner reports that
she had oisited such places on the reservations
as he was desired to do by any of the chiefs. :"
In direct violation of the resolution Of the Sen
ate, and of a public pledge to the Indians, that
he had not closed the previous council, but had
adjourned it to the 18th November, the com
missioner received eight more signatures at his
room IN Bufalo-one at his former lodgings at
Buffao creek, and one at the residence of the
sub-sgent! These ten thus obtained, added to
the thirty-one before received, made forty-one,
which is majority of one; and it is then in
sisted that the treaty had been assented to; if
not according to the resolution of the Senate,
according to the instructions of the War De.
partment!
OF the ten additional assents, we are inform
ed by Mr. Crawford, in his letter to the Secre-
tary of War, upon the subject of the last re-
port Of the Commissioner, that t.uo signatures
,oere made by attorney, which accounts for the
important fact, that several of the Chiefs
whose signatures appear to the treaty, deny
ever signing or asserting to it, or ofauthorizing
anv other persop tn do so for them