In April, 1807, Tecumseh and his brother had assembled at Greenville about four hundred Indians, most of them highly excited by religious fanaticism; and ready, it was feared, for any enterprise on which these brothers might be disposed to lead them.  Considerable apprehension was entertained for the safety of the frontiers, and several fruitless efforts were made to ascertain the ulterior objects of the leaders.  William Wells, then Indian agent at fort Wayne, despatched Anthony Shane, a half-blood Shawanoe, with a communication to Tecumseh and the Prophet, requesting them and two other of their chiefs, to visit him at fort Wayne, that he might read to them a letter which he had just received from their great father, the President of the United States.

A council being called, Shane made known the object of his mission.  Tecumseh, without consulting with those around him, immediately arose and said to the messenger, “go back to fort Wayne, and tell captain Wells, that my fire is kindled on the spot appointed by the Great Spirit above; and, if he has any thing to communicate to me, he must come here:—­I shall expect him in six days from this time.”  With this laconic, but dignified reply, the conference ended.  The agent at fort Wayne declined waiting on Tecumseh, in person, but on the appointed day, sent Shane back to Greenville, with a copy of the President’s communication, contained in a letter from the Secretary at War; the substance of which was, that Tecumseh and his party being established within the limits of the governor’s purchase from the Indians, they were desired to remove to some point beyond the boundaries agreed upon by the treaty of Greenville; and, in case of their compliance, the government would afford them assistance, until they were properly established at their new post.  A second council was assembled, and the communication fully interpreted to those present.  Tecumseh felt indignant that captain Wells had not visited him in person.  He arose deeply excited, and turning to his followers, addressed them in a long, glowing and impassioned speech, in which he dwelt upon the injuries the Indians had received from the whites, and especially the continued encroachments of the latter upon the lands of the red men:  “These lands,” said he in conclusion, “are ours:  no one has a right to remove us, because we were the first owners; the Great Spirit above has appointed this place for us, on which to light our fires, and here we will remain.  As to boundaries, the Great Spirit above knows no boundaries, nor will his red people acknowledge any.”

Of this speech no copy has been preserved.  Shane speaks of it as a masterpiece of Indian eloquence—­bold, argumentative and powerful.  It was delivered with great vehemence, and deep indignant feeling.  After a moment’s pause, Tecumseh turned to the messenger and said, with that stately indifference of manner, which he could so gracefully assume when in council, “if my great father, the President of the Seventeen Fires, has any thing more to say to me, he must send a man of note as his messenger.  I will hold no further intercourse with captain Wells.”