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

excitement among the Indians. "They knew
that the Green Bay lands were hut pretert
and not the real object Of the commissioners
They understood all this.-They knew the OBJ
iect OF the treaty was to get from them, Tor the
land company, their New York lands. To o.
vercome these scrupes, and to reconcile them
to the measure, The agents Of the land compa-
ny went TO work, and we will see IN what
manner.
We find that during the year 1887, 'and un
der the very nose Of our commissioner, Ger
tain Heman B. Potter, an agent OF the land
company, entered into written contracts win
John Snow, Seneca chief, Samuel Gordon
Seneca Indian of the Cattaraugas reservation,
and six others, by which he agreed on the part
of the presumption proprletorS to pay 10 eight
leading and influential chiefs, the sum Of $2I,-
900 in cash, besides executing leases, some for
life, some for term of years, some during oc-
cupancy, and one grant in fee simple, as re-
wards or brides, for serving the company JAIN
fuLly. In what? In using their influence an
council and TN con- deutiaL interviews ruth The
other Indians, so as TO effect q treaty a0'th the
government for their Green Bay lands, and so
as TO effect a release and REIMBURSEMENT Of The
Indian title to the proprietsrs Of their reserOed
lands in the state Of New York; and in case Of
success IN these double negotiations, and an the
eueut of their ratification by the Senate Of the
United States, then these brides lCere TO be con
summated, and not otherwise.
The Hon. r. H. Giet, the United States
Commissioner is now introduced upon the stage
of action. 'Sir (says Mr.. Sevier,) the Indians
being thus tempered with, in advance, for the
occasion, our commissioner entered upon the
stage for the performance of his part of the
drama" After protracted negotiation, he
succeeded iHpurchasing the Green Bay lands,
A. ofd JDll in nj
100000 acres of land, west of Missouri
Appended to the treaty thus made by the COM
missioner, we find two deeds of conveyance,
one from the Tuscaroras 10 Ogden and Fell
lows, of all their title to 1920 acres Of land; and
the other from the Senecas to the same parties
for 1861 900 acres, all ying in the state of New
York, and some in the vicinity OF Buffalo, for
which they agreed to pay the sum Of S2ll 900
not quite two dollars an acre. These deeds
were approved by our commissioner, and, what
is more remarkable. were transmitted 10 the
Senate, in 1888, with the treaty.
The treaty thus negotiated by Mr.. Giliet
was found to be SO Essentially destructive"
that the Senate although uniformed of the
<'fraud, unlairness and ''bribery" by which it
had been brought about, refused TO ratfy it,
Many complains were made against it by the
Indians, and it was stated that majority of
the chiefs neither approved of nor had signed
the treaty, although it purported to have been
approved in council, and properly assented to.
After number OF amendments, however, had
been made, the Senate sanctioned the treaty,
on the cypress condition, ''that the treaty, as
amended, shonld be approved of by majority
ofthe chiefs Of each tribe, separately assembled
in open council, and after it had been, by our
commissioner, fairly and fully explained in
open council and by majority of them freely
.A,IS
With the treaty thus amended, the commits
sioner again departed on his mission, and sue
seeded in obtaining the assent of all the tribes
but the Senecas. These he found refractory.
and after building two council houses, the first
of which was burnt by an incendiary che fully
and fairly explained the treaty, and the amend
Knents of the Senate" But the poison had now
taken effect. The great land company had not
been at work in vain, and, accordingly we are
informed by the commissioner, that another
treaty, which had been signed between the
Senecas and the presumption owners, had been
ratified by the Governor and council and Mas
sachusetts; and that cat the late council, it was
the sale under this treaty, and not the advan-
tages secured under the one negotiated by me
{the commissioner that formed the principal
subject of consideration" at ,sas the sale TO
the land company, brought about by bribery
and corruption, that had occasioned the failure
of our commissioner in perfecting the purchase
of the Green Bay Land"
The scheme of the land company was not
yet completed, and it was found necessary to
resort TO extraordinary expedients to force the
Senecas into an assent to the amended treaty.
The Indians had majority in council opposed
to it, and were able at any lime to vote it down,
but the commissioner kept the council adjourn
edfrom day to day, and it was feared by the
Indians that by soidoing, a majority might be
got in some cay other to assent to the treaty.
1t was also minated that the Senate would
recede from its amendments, and that the
treaty would be ratified as originally made, SIN
which event they would lose the repards and
life leases, &c., which they then had it in their
power to obtain from their friends, the gener-
sfous and liberal minded pre-emptioners." They
were further told that their New York lands
were gone at any rate, as their deeds had been
approved by the Governor and council of
Massachusetts; and with all these arguments,
which were eloquently and ingenously urged
upon them, they were solicited TO assent to The
amended treaty. But all these arguments,
threats and ihtimidations were of no avail, and
the commissioner was compelled to adjourn the
council, in order to gain time for future opera
TONS and to agree with the pre-emptiouers I'm.