"Sam": or The history of mystery./ By C. W. Webber.

"SAM:" OR, THE HISTORY OF MYSTERY.
quarrel with the citizens, whom he frightened, at last, into
obedience.
More money being absolutely necessary for the defense of
the frontiers, by a sort of compromise between the governor
and the Assembly of Pennsylvania, ~30,000 were voted, to
be issued in paper, and redeemed by a ten years' continuance
of the lately-expired excise, to be appropriated toward the
support of twenty-five companies of rangers. Franklin having
retired from the military service, John Armstrong-afterward
a general in the revolutionary army-was commissioned as
colonel, and soon distinguished himself by a successful expedition against a hostile Indian town on the Alleghany.
Charles Mercer, a Scotch physician-afterward also a revolutionary general-served in the same expedition as captain.
The hostile Indians, thus attacked in their own villages,
retired further to the west; yet scalping parties occasionally
penetrated within thirty miles of Philadelphia. Large pre miums were offered by the Assembly for Indian prisoners
and Indian scalps. The feeling on the frontier against the
Indians was very bitter. The Moravian missionaries, some
of whose Indian converts had been seduced to join the hostile
parties, became objects of suspicion. There were those, how ever, among the Quakers, still true to their pacific principles,
who insisted, and not entirely without reason, that the Dela wares, so long friendly to Pennsylvania, had not been driven
into hostilities except by wrongs and intrusions that ought
to be redressed. They formed an association, contributed
money, and opened a communication with the Indians for the
purpose of bringing about a peace. (1756.) Two conferences,
not altogether unsuccessful, were held with this intent at
Easton. Sir William Johnson complained, indeed, that the
Quakers had intruded upon his office of Indian agent and
sole negotiator. Others alleged that by this interference
claims were suggested which, otherwise, the Indians never
would have thought of. It was considered a great innovation
upon the usual course of Indian treaties when Tedyuscung,
the Delaware chief, in the second conference at Easton, had
for his secretary, Charles Thompson, master of the Quaker
academy at Philadelphia, afterward secretary to the Contin ental Congress. In spite of obloquy heaped upon them, in
spite of accusations of partiality to the Indians and treachery
247