An Address to the Rev. Dr. Alison - 7
the wiping away the Blood is an "Indian Idiom" for making of Peace. I say you have wickedly asserted this, as I am convinced that you must at the very Time have known, that the Messages of Invitation to the Indians were sent by the Governor; that the Negotiations were conducted by him, with the Advice of his Council; that the Peace was concluded, or the Blood wiped away as you term it, by the same Authority; and that the few Quakers who attended the Treaty, were never consulted on the Occasion, and even the Provincial Commissioners were but seldom treated with that Respect. Had either of these been the Case, the Measure you complain of would have been at least recommended.—If this Step was prudent or necessary, it was the Province of the Governor, and those who had the Management of the Treaty under their Direction, to insist on and enforce it. And, if any Persons are culpable, they must be those whose Duty it was to obtain a Restitution of the Captives, and not those who had the Inclination without the Power. But if, Reverend Sirs, it was your Opinion, that it was the Duty of others, besides the executive Part of Government "to oblige the Indians to return our Captives" why did you not perform this important Service? It was as much in your Power as in that of the Quakers; and some of you actually attended the Treaty. Was it because you at that Time had really but little Concern about the Captives? Or was it because you had not then resolved to lay aside the arduous Duties of your sacred Offices, for the Sake of Politics and becoming Politicians?—Give me leave to tell you seriously, that the Zeal you, and those you can influence, have lately shown in vilifying the Quakers, is thought, by the sensible moderate Men of every Persuasion in the Province, to be owing to your political Designs. It is imagined, that you expect you shall, by rendering the Quakers odious, recommend yourselves to the Proprietors, and thereby the easier engross all Power, and reduce all other Societies, the Church of England not excepted, to your Will and
