to them by friends,
we were induced to believe that the
present is a favorable time for friends
to lend them
some assistance.
It may be proper to state, that the indians residing
at Tontewanda
say that there are best two or three intemperate persons
amongst them, and that there is no doubt but it is
nearly correct. Your Friend. Abraham Lapham
Dear Friends
Your Letter of 8th Ins. is received and as
our Committee on Indian Affairs
met last week its
contents were communicated to that body and we were
desired to answer it--when we invited a conferrence we
wished it to
have taken place before any application
was made to your Legislature, that
the views and intentions
of each Committee might have been fully
understood; our
field of labour is within the limits of your State and
whilst your State Legislature permitted those Indians
under our care
to remain quietly subject to the immediate
direction of the Superintendant
appointed by the Executive
of the United States, our communications were to
that
Department, to which we continue to furnish occasional
accounts
of what has been done and our future prospects,
and have received
encouragement to continue our labours;
but of late there is a disposition
manifest on the part
of your State to Legislate on the subject, and we feel
solicitous if any Act is passed it may be such as will
promote rather
than retard their civilization. we
think if some leading characters in your
State were by
an Act of your Government to have for their neighbours
a
large number of immoral and profligate families and
were prevented from
removing themselves or their children
to any other part of the State to
avoid such contaminating
example, they would think their case a trying one,
and