But no advance toward obtaining the
assent of the Seneca tribe to the amended treaty in council was made,
nor can the assent of a majority of them in council be now obtained.
In the report of the committee of the Senate, upon the subject of this
treaty, of the 28th of February last it is stated as follows:
But it is in vain to contend that the signatures of the last ten, which
were obtained on the second mission, or of the three who have sent on
their assent lately, is such a signing as was contemplated by the
resolution of the Senate. It is competent, however, for the Senate to
waive the usual and customary forms in this instance and consider the
signatures of these last thirteen as good as though they had been
obtained in open council. But the committee can not recommend the
adoption of such a practice in making treaties, for divers good reasons,
which must be obvious to the Senate; and among those reasons against
these secret individual negotiations is the distrust created that the
chiefs so acting are doing what a majority of their people do not
approve of, or else that they are improperly acted upon by bribery or
threats or unfair influences.
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