American Watchman And Delaware Advertiser

From the New York Statesman, February 21.

ALBANY, Feb. 16, 1825.

SONS OF THE FOREST.

Mr. Fillmore presented this morning the following petition from the Seneca Indians, which was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

To the Governor of the Council Fire at Albany.

BROTHER—About three years ago, our friends of the great Council Fire at Albany, wrote down in their book, that the priests of the white people should no longer reside on our lands, and told their officers to move them off whenever we complained. This was to us good news, and made our hearts glad these priests had a long time troubled us, and made us bad friends and bad neighbours. After much difficulty, we removed them from our lands. and for a short time have been quiet, and our minds easy—

But we are now told that the priests have asked liberty to return : and that our friends of the Great Council Fire are about to blot from their book the law which they made, and leave their poor red brethren once more a prey to hungry priests. Brother, listen to what we say ! These men.

they are to us no good. They deceive every body, they deny the Great Spirit, which we and our fathers before us have looked upon as our Creator. They disturb us in our worship; tell our children they must not believe like our fathers and mothers, and that if they do, they will be burned forever in a great lake.—

They tell us many things which we do not understand and cannot believe. They tell us we must be like the white people; but they are lazy and won't work, nor do they teach our young men to do so.

The habits of our women are worse than they were before these men came among us, and our young men drink more whiskey. We are willing to be taught to read and write. and work, but not by people who have done us so much injury. Brother,

we wish you to lay before the Council Fire, the wishes of your red brethren. We ask our brothers not to blot out the law which has made us peaceable and happy, and not to force a strange religion upon us. We ask to be let alone, and like the white people, to worship the Great Spirit as we think it best. We shall then be happy in filling the little space in life which is left us, and shall go down to our fathers in peace.

Signed by Red Jacket, Green Blanket, Big Kettle, Robert Bob Twenty Canoes, 1st, Twenty Canoes, 2d, Capt. Snow, Two Guns, Dextator, Bare Foot, Broad Head, Chief Warrior, Black Chief Corn Planter, Elk Hunter, Bear Hunter, Fish Hook, John Sky. Blue Sky, Hot Bread, Black Snake, and several others.