286 ANNUAL. REGISTER, 1797. 
fenate, and to this committee, re- 
{pecting the bufinefs now under 
confideration; and find them all to 
be of the fame hand-writing with 
the letter in queftion. Mr. Blount 
has never denied this letter, but, 
on the other hand, when the: copy 
tranfmitted to the fenate was read 
in his prefence on the 3d inftant, 
he acknowledged, in his place, that 
he had written a letter to Carey, of 
which he had preferved a copy; but 
could not then decide whether the 
copy read was a’true one. Your 
committee are, therefore, fully per- 
fuaded that the original letter, now 
produced, was written and fent to 
Carey by Mr. Blount. They alfo 
find that this man, Carey, to whom 
it was addrefled, is; to the know- 
ledge of: Mr. Blount, in the pay 
and employment of the United 
States, as their interpreter to the 
Cherokee nation of Indians, and 
an affiftant in the public faétory at 
Tellico Block-houfe: that Hawkins,’ 
who is fo often mentioned in this 
letter as a perfon who muft be 
brought into fufpicion among the 
Creeks, and if poffible driven from 
his ftation, is the fuperintendent of 
Indian affairs for the United States 
among the fouthern Indians; Din- 
fmore is agent for the United States 
in the Cherokee nation; and By- 
ers, one of the agents in the pub- 
lic faétory at Tellico Block-houfe. 
The plan hinted at in this extra- 
ordinary letter, to be executed un- 
der the aufpices of the Britith, is 
fo capable of different conftructions 
and conjectures, that your commit- 
tee at prefent forbear giving any 
decided opinion refpecting it; ex- 
cept that to Mr. Blount’s own mind 
it appeared to be inconfiftent with 
thé 
better fend for him to come to you, and fpeak to him yourfelf refpecting the ftate 
and profpect of things. 
I have advifed you, in whatever you do, to take care of yourfelf. I have now 
to tell you to take care of me; for a difcovery of the plan would prevent the fuc- 
cefs, and much injure all the parties concerned. It may be that the commiflioners 
may not run the line as the Indians expe& or wifh ; and in that cafe, it is probable 
that the Indians may be taught to blame me for making the treaty. 
To fuch complaints againft me, if fuch there are, it may be faid by my friends, 
at proper times and places, that Doublehead confirmed the treaty with the Prefident 
vat Philadelphia, and received as much as 5000 dollars a year, to be paid to the na- 
tion, over and above the firft price. Indeed it may with truth be faid, that though I 
made the treaty, I made it by the inftruétions of the Prefident; and in fact it may 
with.truth be faid, that I was by the Prefadent inftruéted to purchafe much more 
and than the Indians would agree to fell. ; 
This fort of talk will be throwing all the blame off me upon the late Prefidents 
and as he is now out of office, it will be of no confequence how much the Indians 
blame him. And among other things that may be faid for me is, that I was not 
- at the running of the line, and that if I had been, it would have been run more to 
their fatisfaCtion. In fhort, you underftand the fubject, and muft take care to give 
. out the proper talks to keep up my confequence with the Creeks and Cherokees. 
. Can’t Rogers continue to get the Creeks to defire the Prefident to take Hawkins 
*. out of the nation? For if he ftays in the Creek nation, arid gets the good-will of 
the nation, he can and will do great injury to our plan. , 
When you have read this letter over three times, then burn it. TI fhall be at 
Knoxville in July or Auguft, when I will fend for Watts, and give him the whit 
_ key I promifed. 
HD h I am, &e, 
Wiiriam BLowunT. 
