Spirit of the Times Batavia, Genesee Co., NY June 6 1843 TO THE PUBLIC INDIAN LANDS. Tonawanda, June 5 1813. We, the undersigned, being Chiefs of the Tonawanda Reservation and of the Seneca Nation, feeling ourselves agrieved and disaffected with the proceedings of the Ogden Company relative to our lands, desire to express our views and feelings to our white brethren generally through the medium of public print. We are informed that our lands are advertised for sale on the 19th of this month at Batavia. We would inform the public, and those who may wish to purchase, that this would be a violation of the Treaty, of May 16th, 1842, with the Seneca Nation, which gives us the entire control of our lands, until certain moneys are paid, and stipulations of said Treaty are fulfilled by said company, which have not been performed by them agreeable to said Treaty. We therefore feel it a duty which we owe to our white Brethren, to caution them against purchasing any of our lands, at the proposed sale, as it may cause them difficulty. We wish to injure no one; our rights are as dear to us, as the white man's, and it is as hard for us to give them up. There has been some difficulty at Buffalo, on account of the Ogden Company's selling some of our lands there to a company of Foreigners. An appeal was made by the Chiefs of the Buffalo Reservation, to the Secretary of War, relative to the subject. The answer was, that it was, "illegal and contrary to the Treaty." A general Council of the Seneca Nation is to be held at Cattaraugus, on the 20th of this month, for the purpose of investigating this subject, and others connected with the Treaty; also the conduct of the Ogden Company, at which time we shall come to some conclusion, what our future course will be, and shall give information of the decision, of said Council, to the general Government of the United States. Your Red Brothers, ['Their Marks'/X.] Jemmy X JOHNSON John X BLACKSMITH Blue X SKY Jesse X TIFFANY John X BIGFIRE Jesse X SPRING John X SKY Daniel X SPRING John X BLACKSMITH Lewis X KENIDA Win X WASHINGTON Samuel X PARKER Lewis X POODRY Isaac X SHANKS. Thomas JEMMISON, Interpreter. * submitted by L.C. Schmidt