Lebanon
Aug..t
19..th 1767
Sir
May it pleaſe your Excellency.
The enclosed came directed to my care
while I was on a journey; by
which means it fail'd of an earlier convey‐
-ance. And with respect to the
context of it, I would only beg leave, at the
desire of some concern'd, to certify you, that the Rev.
d
M.r Fish is, so far as I
know, univerſally
eſteem'd, a gentleman of Integrity and good Ability.
And accordingly the Repreſentation he has made of the Case of the
poor suffering
Indians at Narraganſet, is to be relied upon, as being
faithfully & impartially done
And I would alſo at their
earneſt
deſire join my earnest Request in
Behalf of that poor people, that your Excellency
would pleaſe take their
pit
yeous Case into your Conſideration, and if their be any way of relief
for them (which under God they expect chiefly, or only
by your Inter‐
‐poſition) that something effectual may be done to prevent that
total ruin which
otherwise, according to all human probabilities,
is very speedily to be
expected— They have bid the faireſt to
be built up, and become a people, of any party of Indians
I know of
in
New England— and now just as they have
got
well engaged in cultivating their Lands, and begin to know
the worth of
them, by taſting the sweets of a civilized Life,
their best farms are slipping from under
them, one after
another (as they expreſs it) with much expence of Labour
& money alſo, which they have beſtow'd to subdue them.
And they have reaſon to expect in a very little Time, they
shall have none left, unleſs something effectual be speedily
done for their Help. The pitteous complaints of this poor people
are truly such, as I make no doubt, ſir, would greatly move
your Excellency's Compaſsions towards them, could you hear
them
them,
could you hear them; but
your well known Care, Fidility, and
Reſolution, prevent all occaſion to enlarge on this Head—
May it pleaſe your Excellency. We had frequent Reports last
winter & spring, from your Quarter, as well as diverſe Hints in
the publick News, that a Number of Miſs
ys
&
schoolmaſters were daily
expected from
Europe
to supply the Vacancies in your Vicinity:
on which I wrote your Excellency deſiring to be certified of y
e
truth of the report, and to know your pleaſure relating thereto:
But I have received no written anſwer— and as I have always eſteem'd
your Countenance & Patronage to be of such Importance, in this
Affair, that I would by no
means take one step without your Appro‐
-bation; I have neglected to
send either Miſsionary or School maſter,
this Year, to thoſe places near you, 'till you should pleaſe to signify
your pleaſure in that matter: and I have now sent
my
son to
wait upon you with this, deſiring you would pleaſe to adviſe
me fully, whether you deſire the
board of Correſpondants in this Colony to provide supply of preaching for the parties
of
Indians of the
six Nations who are willing to
hear, and school‐
-maſters for their Children; and whether your Excellency will
encourage thoſe we shall send, in their reſpective services,
so long, & so far, as their conduct & Behaviour shall be agreeable to
to their
[illegible][guess: "]reſpective Characters &
profeſsion
s?
Your Excellency is not unſenſable that
the infant Institu‐-tion under my care, is now, by the bleſsing of H
[illegible]eaven, much
encreaſed, & become reſpectable at home & abroad; and is honour'd
with the patronage of Gentlem
an^en^ of Character, and great worth
in
England, who have accepted the Trust of, and become
Guarantees to the publick, for the fund collected in
Europe,
for
the use & support of it; (of
which Trust the Right hon.
ble the
Earl of Dartmouth is appointed preſident) whose Characters, &
influence are such, that I would by no means, have a step
taken which
may not have their Approbation. And I should
be very sorry, if, by any means, party
names, and circum‐
-stantial differances in matters of Religion. should so operate,
as to retard or prevent the progreſs, &
succeſs of the general
Design in View—
pleaſe
pleaſe, ſir, to let me know your Mind, and adviſe me, as
fully as shall be needful to determine my conduct
in this
matter. and pleaſe, sir, to be aſsured that you
shall always be served with humility, and the greateſt
chearfulneſs, in any thing that comes within the
Power of
May it pleaſe your Excellency Your moſt obedient, humble Servant
Eleazar Wheelock