Norwich 7th Mo 15th 1816 Dear Friends

I rec. your very interesting communication of 6th Mo
third. pr the Hands of Hugh Webster

. on a subject that has revol-
ved with weight on my mind at times ever since I settled in the
vicinity of the six nations of Indians on Grand River, I live about 20
Miles westardly from the Mohawk village. the Oneida Coyuga
Onondaga, Delaware and Tuskrora's live down the River about 30
Miles in length. I have felt it my duty to embrace
every opportunity to open and keep open a very friendly understand-
ing with their Chiefs, and many others, and they have uniformly ma-
nifested, great civility and respect toward me, I have entertained a
hope, that at some time of other, this fair understanding and free
intercourse might facilitate, the laudable and humane concern
prevalent among friends, toward this scattered, disappointed and
oppressed People, whose welfare lays near my heart

I have also been favored to sustain the confidence of the executive
and other departments of this Government

. so far as on a late inter-
view among many other marks of indulgence, in presenting sundry
requests in behalf of others, one of which was a petition in favor
of sundry late emigrants from the U.S. for special Liscences to become
Land holders on becoming Legally known as subjects. Friends & others
The Governor after perusing my papers, pleasantly told me to come
before the Council as well prepared as possible, for I wish (said he)
to Grant all you ask for and a little more and accordingly did order
a free admission to all of them and further signed his mandate to
certain Majistrates to grant the necessary qualification to all such
as affirm'd. who only produced a Line to them directly from me
in their favor without an application to the Executive, quite be-
yond the Circular orders Isued as it repects those from whom an
oath is expected. this was an essential indulgence. Hence
you see my situation delicate, and responsible and from what
has happened of late years under the present Administration of
your Government from the beginning of their restrictive measures
down to the bursting out and Termination of the late war in all its
progress, the distressing invasions, vexations and troubles with which
this provence has been afflicted. That I can assure you,
this Government is not overloaded with implicit confidence in the
disposition of amity and undisguised integrity on the part of the
U States. hence every proposition from that quarter that
can be possibly construed as having any Political bearings in its
effects or Tendency will be examined with a very scrutinizing Eye
you will at once see that your propositions, under the most
disinterested views, and with intentions perfectly landable unless we
complained with some evidence of this concern having no recent