SW_BYM1806_018

of the Miami and Pottowattomi nations of Indians,passed through Baltimore, on their way to visitthe President of the United States; at whichtime the committee took the opportunity ofholding a conference with them; in which theconcern of Friends was fully opened; whenthey informed them, of the great discouragementFriends had met with, in carrying their viewsinto effect, from the intemperate and destructiveuse of spirituous liquors amongst the Indians:which was found to be the greatest obstacle inthe way of their profiting by the aid whichFriends had been desirous of giving them. This opened the way for free communica-tion, on the subject of the introduction of ardentspirits into their country; in which its banefuland pernicious effects were strongly pointed out.The Little Turtle, in reply, made a very pathe-ticand impressive speech upon this subject, fromwhich the following in extracted. Brothers and Friends,When our forefathers first met on thisisland, your Red Brethren were very numerous.But since the introduction amongst us, of whatyou call spirituous liquors, and what we thinkmay justly be called Poison, our numbers aregreatly diminished. It has destroyed a greatpart of your Red Brethren.