David McClure, letter, to Eleazar Wheelock, 1770 May 21
Date21 May, 1770
Call Number770321
abstractMcClure writes that he has spoken to Occom, who is reluctant to write the Trust in England regarding the school, which Occom believes is now teaching more English than Indians. He also mentions that Whitaker is disliked in England.
handwritingHandwriting is formal and clear, although letter case with regard to the letter M is occasionally difficult to decipher.
paperLarge sheet folded in half to make four pages is in good condition, with light-to-moderate creasing, staining and wear.
inkBrown.
noteworthySignature is spelled MacCluer, as opposed to the verified spelling, McClure.
EventsFundraising Tour of Great Britain
had with M.r Occom this Vacancy at Mohegan some
things paſs'd which I esteem my Duty to inform the
Doctor of, & which I imagine he wou'd chuse to under
stand — After m.r Occom had made some Enquiry
concerning the State of School, of which he seem'd to
be pretty ignorant — he inform'd us that he had been
desirous & still was to write home to his Friends in
England & particularly to some of the Gentlemen of
the Trust — and that the only Reason of his not writing
was because if he wrote he must not be silent concern
ing the State of the School as Friends there would
expect that from him if he wrote, and as the School
is at present constituted he imagined an Acco.t of it
would not be agreeable to Gentlemen at home nor anſwer
their Expectations — He complain'd, but in a friendly
manner, that the Indian was converted into an
the Indian Youths — he instanced in one Symons
a likely Indian who came to git admittance but coud not be
admitted because the School was full — He supposed that
Gentlemen in England tho't the School at present was
made up cheifly of Indian Youth & that should he write &
inform them to the contrary as he must if he wrote, it wou'd
give them a disgust & Jealosy that the Charities were not ap
plied in a way agreeable to the Intentions of the Donors
& Benefactors, which was to educate Indians cheifly —
I told him the Doctor, I was pretty certain, was ready to admit
any likely, promising Indians, & to fit them for School
masters, Farmers or Mechanics — that the Indians he had
already educated in general made so poor improvement of
their Learning, that the Doctor I imagin'd was in a
measure discouraged in fitting them for any higher Charecters
than those mentioned — And that such being the Case
with the Indian Youth,
to the Benefactors to the School to have their Charity im
proved in a way more advantageous to the Indian Cause
viz.t by educating English Youth for that purpose — He further
mentioned some things respecting Doctor W–r, which I
imagine the Doctor would chuse to know — particularly
his talking much about State & national Affairs which
had turn'd many Gentlemen who were his Friends to
become his Enemies — that he had often talk'd with the
Doctor on the Head & advised him to let National
Affairs alone — but it was to no purpose —
that when the Doctor left England he had not ſix Friends
in London — the Gentlemen of the Trust asked M.r
Occom at Table publickly what made them send
over Doctor Whitaker — whether Doctor Wheelock & the
Board on this side the Water were all such men as
the Doctor — & that if they knew them to be such men
they would either return the money collected to
its
The Gentlemen of the Trust engaged M.r Occom to
write particularly of the School & the Disposal of the
monies collected in England — & that he tried to excuse
himself from writing, & I think he say'd they wou'd
not accept an Excuse, which seems to insinuate
a Jealosy imbibed from Doctor W–r's Conduct or
something else — & the only Reason he gave us of
his not writing was the Neceſsity he was under if he
wrote to inform them particularly of the School,
which they insisted upon — Such Rev.d Sir, was the
Representation he made to us, which he informed
us he had not made known fully to the Doctor
but design'd to the first Interview —
Permit me, ſir, to expreſs my warmest & most dutiful
Wishes for your Health, & Prosperity in Your great and
benevolent Design, & to manifest how much, I am
Rev.d & Hon.d Sir,
humble Servant —
David Maccluer