worthy people among these natives, who are anxious for improvement, and to promote the education and improvement of their people, but a degrading personal dependence on the one hand, and the absence of nearly all incentives and all power to do good on the other, keeps them down.

The paupers among these natives, who are at some seasons of the year a majority or nearly all of them, are supported by the State, and there must be a great opportunity and temptation to the agents of the government to wrong these poor people.  The agents always have the ear of the government, or rather they are the government.  The Indians have nobody to speak for them.  They are kept too poor to pay counsel.  I think it is not too much to say that almost any degree of injustice, short of murder, might be done them without any likelihood of their obtaining redress.

Why should not this odious, and brutifying system be put an end to?  Why should not the remaining Indians in this Commonwealth be placed upon the same footing as to rights of property, as to civil privileges and duties, as other men?  Why should they not vote, maintain schools, (they have volunteered to do this in some instances,) and use as they please that which is their own?  If the contiguous towns object to having them added to their corporations, let them be incorporated by themselves; let them choose their officers, establish a police; maintain fences and take up stray cattle.  I believe the Indians desire such a change.  I believe they have gone as far as they are allowed to introduce it.  But they are fettered and ground to the earth.

I am informed that many of the stoutest whalers are produced among our small Indian tribes.  I am also informed, that they are defrauded by the whites of a great part of their wages, which would otherwise amount to large sums.  If some respectable men could be trained up and fostered among these people, their intelligence and influence would be invaluable to educate, protect and guide their seafaring brethren.  Under such auspices, they would, after the years of peril, return and settle down with snug independence, be a blessing to their brethren, and respectable in the sight of all.  Now they are so knocked about, so cheated, preyed upon and brutalized, that they think of nothing, and hope nothing, but sensual gratifications; and in consequence, die prematurely, or live worse than to die.

    The Christian philanthropists of Massachusetts little know
    the extent of evil, which there is in this respect.  I entreat
    them, I entreat the constituted authorities, to look to it.

        WILLIAM PENN.