Insulted, & wronged them, and altho they paid dear for this during the Indian War, yet no sooner was it terminated in 1764, than elated thereby, & by the Conquest of Canada, and seemingly insensible that this Conquest had encreased the Number of our Indian Enemys & rendered the Managing them an Allair of much more difficulty than before they pushed on their Encroachments, & at last began to proceed to Rob & Murder thern wherever they met them the Geni turn & Sentiments of our people will in spight of convict^ Lead them to those Errors, -- ^The plan w^h came over that Year met with Sev^ delays, and thereby time was given to all those whose imediate prospects of advantage might be frustrated by its Establishment to represent' the Necessity of a Gen' Indulgence to Trade where they pleased. The French in the Indian Country were at the bottom of this, they knew that if once they were permitted to bring Goods there they could secure that part of the Trade to themselves by their Politicks, The event has Justified this. The Ind^s have began already to murder our Traders & the French have aided in plundering them

902 MANUSCRIPTS OF

Si. persuaded the Ind"s to threaten all English with death who shall enter their Country, In short they have been only hitherto prevented from taking arms thro their reliance on my Assurances from time to time in the Name of Governm' That their Affairs were under Consideration, that they might be assured that such Authority sho'i be given to the Managers of their Aff"airs as would remedy those Abuses of which they have so often Complained, and of which the Crown seems to be so sensible. Their Reliance is & has been entirely on the Crown thro' the powers Vested in its Officer, founded on a Certainty of the utter impossibility of receiving it at other hands whether the same be owing to Inexperience, Want of Leisure, disinclenation, The want of Legal provision adapted to the peculiarity of their Affairs, or to that particular biass of the Colonists which operates so much to the disadvantage of the Indians, throughout their Various subjects of Contention, whether in the Ordinary pursuit of their Landed or Commercial Interests in America,