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Detroit Febr. 26. 1812

Dr Sir

I have taken the liberty of addressing you on a subject highly important and interesting to myself in common with my friends in this place - And altho' I cannot expect that you will embrace my individual private feelings yet I flatter myself that your humanity will draw your thoughts towards this quarter - I am connected with a lady, the daughter of an old friend of yours - We are favored with children - Their happiness, their safety is dear to me - Will you not accept my anxiety on a subject so intirely for an apology in trubling you at this time -

From a careful perusal of the proceedings in Congress, I am led to believe that war with Enland is precluded - Our Situation exposed is in a peculiar manner to the calamity of war - But Sir a war with England simply has no terms compared with those arising from their savage allies - Our melancholy fate, should we unfortunately fall into the power of the Indians, need not be pointed out - The consequences are too obvious to require discription -

On reading the Presidents communication delivered at the opening of Congress, slight mention is made of the Indians - The little said on this head is however im- portant, in as much as it concerns [?] those who read it, that the President is not furnished with full and correct information by his Agents on so important a point - It is found that the Agent, rests satisfied with the transmission of the public speaches - That having done this he flatters himself that he has discharged his duty - If this surmise should prove correct it will shew one of two things either that the man is a stranger to the arts, sutblty and decit of the Indian character, or afraid to express himself in terms contradicting, the open profession lest he should give umbrage in Government might to be advised of their secret movements and resolves, to enable them to meet and counteract them - It has always been noted, that when an Indian is bent on mischief he is more than usually open in his professions of friendly attachment. He smiles and [illeg.] the victim directed to distruction - A secret [illeg.] of hatred and dissatisfaction, exists and has been nourished for some years by the savages against the United States - The spark has been blown by secret enemies until it has pervaded the whole Indian nation - Early the ensuing spring it will bust upon the whole line of frontiers involving them equally in ruins - This fact, I am assured of is that way, & to force full conviction upon my mind - Our local Govt. is satisifed of the impending dangers that hang over us - Else why has the Govt. secre- tary and Judges adapted measures of individual safety - some by being the Territory personally, others by sending their families out of the Country: Are we to expect from these movements, that the Genl. Government will not support and protect us by timely and adequate succors and that the officers of the Govt. are oppressive of the fact: If such is the determination of the Genl. Govt. why not communicate it to the Citizens and thereby afford them a chance of providing for this individual safety and that of their familys ; Far be it from me, the thoughts that our govt. will adopt a course to disgrating of the national dignity - I am confident the country will be defended with promptitude and energy, and that nothing is wanted but correct infor- mation, to draw the attention of Government to this or any other point of the union when threatened with danger -

I have stated as my opinion that this country will be attacked early in the spring - I will submit some of the grounds to your consideration on which I have drawn the conclusion - It is unnecessary for your information for me to remark that the first settlers of this Country were french men, and that their descendents form a large proportion of our present population - This class of citizens, in some in- stances, are allied to the savages by intermarriages, thereby cementing a union

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