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Life of Thomas Eddy

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and most generally faithful to their treaties. But it often happened, that when the philosopher was con-templating them as patriots and warriors, he heard of some of their massacres and conflagrations, and his resentment arose against them at their barbarous disposition. Or, he saw them through the medium of taste, and was disgusted with their filthy habits and wandering course of life. When Mr. Eddy began his career of active philanthropy, the Six Nations had been so far reduced as not to be feared, but rather to be pitied. Their case came within the view of the charities of his religious order, and he made himself acquainted with their situation, their habits, and cha-racter. In 1793, Mr. Eddy, with his friend, John Mur-ray, junior, visited the Brothertown, Stockbridge, Oneida, and Onondaga Indians, to get more accurateinformation in regard to them, and see if some plan could not be devised to ameliorate their condition. At this time, the west was a wild; Utica, now so con-siderable a place, then contained but three houses. From Utica they travelled on an Indian path toCayuga lake, and attended the meeting for making a treaty, held by General Schuyler, and other com-missioners, with the Indians, seven hundred of whom were present. Mr. Eddy, and his friend Murray, on their return, made so favourable a report to the Yearly Meeting Committee for the improvement of the Indians, that for several years—and I never have heard that the Friends had relinquished their exer-tions in the cause—considerable sums were appropri-ated to instruct and civilize them. He was not very sanguine, in this charity, of doing much good, notwith-standing the great interest he took in the welfare of the Indians. He saw that their original character was every day changing, and that the whites, some-times honestly, and by fair contract, but often impro-perly, were encroaching on their grounds: but there was another side to the question; a race of industrious men, adorned with all the arts and sciences of civi-