from you, and to learn that you still remember us in our troubles, and are disposed to advise and assist us.  The intelligence of the confirmation of the treaty caused many of our women to shed tears of sorrow.  We are sensible that we stand in need of the advice of our friends.  Our minds are unaltered on the subject of emigration.’  Another dated Cold Spring, Twelfth Month 8th, 1840, holds this language:  ’Brothers, we continue to feel relative to the treaty as we have ever felt.  We cannot regard it as an act of our nation, or hold it to be binding on us.  We still consider, that in justice, the land is at this time as much our own as ever it was.  We have done nothing to forfeit our right to it; and have come to a conclusion to remain upon it as long as we can enjoy it in peace.’  ’We trust in the Great Spirit:  to Him we submit our cause.’

    “A letter from the Senecas, residing at Tonawanda, was addressed
    to the Committee, from which the following extracts are taken: 

“’By the help of the Great Spirit we have met in open council this 23d day of the Fifth Month, 1840, for the purpose of deliberating on the right course for us to pursue under the late act of the government of the United States relating to our lands.  Brothers, we are in trouble; we have been told that the President has ratified a treaty, by which these lands are sold from our possession.  We look to you and solicit your advice and your sympathy under the accumulating difficulties that now surround us.  We feel more than ever, our need of the help of the great and good Spirit, to guide us aright.  May his council ever preserve and direct us all in true wisdom.

“’It is known to you, brothers, that at different times our people have been induced to cede, by stipulated treaties, to the government of the United States, various tracts of our territory, until it is so reduced that it barely affords us a home.  We had hoped by these liberal concessions to secure the quiet and unmolested possession of this small residue, but we have abundant reason to fear that we have been mistaken.  The agent and surveyor of a company of land speculators, known as the Ogden Company, have been on here to lay out our land into lots, to be sold from us to the whites.  We have protested against it, and have forbidden their proceeding.

“’Brothers, what we want, is that you should intercede with the United States government on our behalf.  We do not want to leave our lands.  We are willing that the emigrating party should sell out their rights, but we are not willing that they should sell ours.

“’Brothers, we want the President of the United States to know that we are for peace; that we only ask the possession of our just rights.  We have kept in good faith all our agreements with the government.  In our innocence of any violation we ask its protection.  In our weakness we look to it for justice