Digital Paxton: Digital Collection, Critical Edition, and Teaching Platform

Apology of the Paxton Volunteers - 8

was, lest the Enemy Indians hearing Nothing from their Friends at Philadelphia, would, upon a Supposition that they were killed by the white People, take a severe Revenge upon the Frontiers. But that the Governour declared in the most peremptory Terms, that he would do no such thing; judging, we suppose, & on very good Grounds, that the most natural Consequence of such an Intelligence would be, to enflame the Enemy Indians with still greater Revenge against the Frontier Inhabitants, & occasion their falling upon us with redoubled Fury. But notwithstanding this, did not the Quakers send such an Express lately to the Indians at War with us. Can any person believe that the Quakers are so little acquainted with human Nature or so bad Politicians, as not to forsee these fatal Consequences to our Back settlers? To what Cause then can we ascribe this action of theirs, but to what we have long suspected, a disloyal Attachment to Indian Enemies.

But how comes it to pass, that the Indians, who are confessedly at War, with us, should expect any Intelligence from the Indians at Philadelphia? It is said, that before they went to Philada. the Enemy Indians told them that the white People would kill them, upon which they promised to send them an Account before the appointed Day if they were still alive, but if they recd. no Express they might conclude that they were cut off. But why this Agreement between Enemy Indians. & those that are said to be in the Interest of the White People, if they really were in our Interest? Are they to be accounted our Friends, who can hold Correspondence with our Enemies? Are they not of the same Tribe. And is it our hard Fate to be at War with a Tribe, while a part of it is supported at the public Expence & furnishing their Brethren with constant Intelligence about the state of Affairs amongst us? Have we not given, in our Remonstrance laid before the Governour, as full Proof, as the nature of the Affair can admit of, that the Indians now at Philada. carried on a secret Correspondence & Trade with our Enemies on the great Island, & therefore should also be treated as Enemies? Has any Quaker even attempted, amongst all the bitter scurrilous things that are published against us, to shew that we concluded against these poor Innocents as they affect to call them from false or weak Premises. We have not better Evidence that any particular Tribe or Nation of Indians have been at War with us, than that all the Indians that lived amongst us were also our Enemies.

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