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Baltimore Yearly Meeting Indian Committee Minutes, 1795-1815

BYM_Page_154

will promote their advantage; the committeetherefore advise thee not to undertake toomuch at first, but commence thy operationson a small scale; thou will recollect, thatthy business is not to raise food for the Indians, without being assisted by them, this wouldonly be to encourage them in idleness, butthe object of thy appointment, is, to teachthem how to provide the necessary comfortsfor themselves, which can never be done, butby their consenting to aid in the cultivationof their lands, and gradually becoming accustomed to labour they will feel the benefitsof it, and in time be altogether drawnoff from a precarious dependence uponfishing &; hunting for a support It will be most prudent for thee, notto urge the Indians too much to receive thyaid, but rather wait to be solicited by them;in all thy communications with them, thoushouldest endeavour to impress them witha just idea, of the friendly disposition of the president of the United States and Secretaryof War towards them, and it is important thatthey should be fully satisfied, the Government inits present undertaking is actuated solely by adesire to benefit them, for we apprehend thatthe Traders residing amongst them being interested