The Lower House. 559

The Instructions themselves fall next under my Consideration,
and I may Safely Appeal to every candid person, whether the whole
Tendency of them is not rather to Lessen, than support the Dignity
of this Government, and to inflame and aggravate, rather than pacify
and Settle, any Difference which may be between this province and
the Indians: ffor these purposes, the people of Maryland are Spoke
of on every occasion, where the mention of them can be Introduced
with any pretence, but the Government, or Lord Proprietary, are not
once taken notice of, as if they were of no significancy in this Affair ;
and even the Indian Interpreter is a person, whom the Lower House
thinks fit to rely on for their Information, rather than myself. It
seems to be with such Views, that so many enquiries are set on ffoot
as may possibly alarm the Indians; as if the Government of Maryland
had Designs rather to stir up fresh Animosities, than rectify the
present misunderstandings: and the 9^th and 14^th Articles plainly
tend to raise a Distinction in the minds of the Indians, between the
proprietary and people of Maryland, as if there could be a peace
between the People of Maryland and the Indians, and not between
the Lord Proprietary and the Indians. But the 18^th Article limits the
negotiation to 300^ls sterling; so that if the Indians should insist on
a greater Sum, there could be no Treaty made, since the Assembly
would not be sitting, to whom Recourse might be had for further
directions; and the Consequences of the Indians Resentment on such
Disappointment might be when they should be so near our Borders,
too Terrible not to be avoided if possible
I come now to take Notice of what you say in your Address,
" That these Instructions were drawn up, to be privately made use
of by your Members in their way, and during that negotiation &c."
And for the truth of this Assertion, you Appeal, " to the Nature of
them, that it cannot be conceived they were intended in any other
manner," I must own I have some Satisfaction in that self Convic-
tion you seem to have, of the Impropriety of those Instructions;

L. H. J.

and I wish the Testimony you rely on from the Nature of the In-
structions, would bear you out in the Interpretation you now put
upon them; But the very Title of your Instructions, as well as the
Body of them, shew the Contrary; The Title Runs thus; Viz.
September Session 1742, Instructions from the House of Dele-
gates of the Province of Maryland, to Col. Robert King and D^r
Charles Carroll, for Treating with the Six Nations of Indians, in
Conjunction with appointed by the Upper House.
I need not after this endeavour at any explanation to prove these
Instructions were designed as Directions to, and Obligatory on, the
Gentlemen there named, in carrying on their Treaty, which was not
to be done privately, or in their way.
I cannot omit observing what Care has been taken to keep those
Instructions Secret 'till this Time; for altho' they were fframed and

p. 412