THIRTY YEARS A HUNTER. 211 



to promote his own popularity at the expense of 

 Cornplanter. Having buried the hatchet, Corn- 

 planter sought to make his talents useful to his 

 people by conciliating the good will of the whites, 

 and securing from further encroachment the little 

 remnant of the national domain. On more than one 

 occasion, when some reckless and bloodthirsty whites 

 on the frontier had massacred unoffending Indians 

 in cold blood, did Cornplanter interfere to restrain 

 the vengeance of his people. During all the Indian 

 wars from 1791 to 1794, which terminated with 

 Wayne's treaty, Cornplanter pledged himself that 

 the Senecas should remain friendly to the States. 

 He often gave notice to the garrison at Fort Frank- 

 lin of intended attacks from hostile parties and even 

 hazarded his life on a mediatorial mission to the 

 Western Tribes. He ever entertained a high respect 

 and personal friendship for Washington, " the great 

 counsellor of the thirteen fires," and often visited 

 him during his presidency, on the business of his 

 tribe. His speeches on these occasions exhibit both 

 his talent in composition, and his adroitness in diplo- 

 macy. Washington fully reciprocated his respect 

 and friendship. They had fought against each other 

 on the disastrous day of Braddock's defeat. Both 

 were then young men. More than forty years after- 

 ward, when Washington was about retiring from the 

 presidency, Cornplanter made a special visit to Phil- 

 adelphia to take an affectionate leave of the great 

 benefactor of both the white and the red man. Af- 

 ter peace was permanently established between tbe 



