ditio&*f Am. Philo. Trans. Hist, m m s) affirms
that this ancient people were conquered and
driven off, from their position in and west of the
AHeghanies, by a league' between themselves
and the Iroquois.' The question.*©f;the former
military power and influence of the Alleghaiis,
and the probability of their having etected .the
ancient forts and mounds in the western, cotjtnr
try, is -examined cursorily, under the head of
Topieal Inquiries, in a subsequent page. Materials
exist, in the geographical names of western
Pennsylvania and New York,' for denoting , the
probable spread of this people fo the sources of
several of the principal streams.east of the Alle-
ghanies ; but neither time nor space permit the
pursuit of the inquiry-hero.;
Lenno, Lenapeesi^Themgts reason tnacqui^scei
"to a certain extent, in bothfiife claim to antiquity
and their ancient position, in thefgteat Algonquin
family, claimed by4his people. It is,believed
that there are no members of this generic
family of tribes,: eertainly none of -the existing
tribes in the north and west, who'are known to
us personally, who do not acknowledge the am
cient Lenapees, under the title of grandfather.
Even the Cherokees, who are not of this group of
languages, bestow the same title on them, if the
acquainted with their language anc customs, he
correct. The political relations of the Iroquois
*Mr. Wbeteler, a brother-in-law of chief Stand. Watie.
to this people, whose descendants are known to
us, in modern times, under the. name of Delawares,
appear to have been intimate, at an an-
ojepl era. At what period they changed their
'relations with them, frorq allies to conquerors,
and under -yhat circumstances, are unknown,
at least on authority which carries with it much
weight. The idea put forth by the modern Delawares,
that they had voluntarily assumed the attitude
of peace-makers, and-relinquished-the war
cry and battteikmce, and thus been, as it were,
^beguiled” into the, condition of a conquered
people, maybe one that had .the power to please
u Delaware ear, under the mortification , of defe
a ts humiliation^ but is contrary to all known
principles' in the rise or fall,of tribes and nations,
and unworthy#! historical credence.. That they
ceded to'William Penn the lands on the. banks
of the Lenapiweiittuk, on which Philadelphia
now stands, is matter of undisputed reeord, as
well as, some other cessions of lands, within the
geographical area of Pennsylvania. But it is
seen, by tbe treaties concluded -at Lancaster,
which are .preserved in .Golden, that cessions of
a subsequent date, were considered invalid Without
the qssent of the,‘Iroquois,-and that the latter
claimed and exercised the power to confirm or
d&annul Sb^^rfitorial, cessions, They spoke
and acted with a degree of pride and arrogance,
in those councils, which, nothing , but conscious
power, and long-admitted supremacy could have
induced the Delawares, brave a»d expert as they