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PAPERS RELATING TO THE SIX NATIONS.

CORPORATION OF ALBANY TO THE REV. MR. WIIEELOCX

Albany, March 21 st 1768.

Reverend Sir, Since the Letter which the Mayor did Please to write you, our annul Electionfor the Aldermen and Assistants to serve in this Corporation having taken place and some otheradventitious Circumstances Intervening have Concurred to delay our answer to your favour of the27 th August last, these being now happily removed we Embrace this oppertunity to answer yourLetter It gives us much pleasure to find that you think our proposals in several respects Inviteingand Generous;' you will do justice to our Sentiments, if you also believe that we wish to have it inour Power to do more and if we would chearfully Give every assistance that the projector andPatrons of this Scheme have a right to require from every Person Impressed (as we are) with itsutility and Philanthropy, your declining to fix on any particular place for the School without thePrevious knowledge and approbation of Lord Dartmouth and the other worthy Persons that havecountenanced the plan and promoted Its success at home by procuring such Considerable donationslor its Establishment gives us at once a Strikeing Instance of your modesty, and a high Idiea of yourPrudence in paying such strict attention to avoid Every step that might tend to Prejudice this Insti-tution—Which in its progress may do honor to the age In which it has taken rise and reflect lustreon you as the first Promoter, Permitt us to thank you Sir, for having transmitted home Copys of ourLetters and of those that were Written you on this subject from New York the Gentlemen that did usthe honor to write them are all of distinguished Characters Emminent for Cherishing and Cultivatingthe Social Virtues their Circumstances and situation in life such as sets them above the suspicion ofsinister or selfish views, and the many oppertunitys they have had of being acquainted with our moralCharacter from the Frequent Intercourse with us Which their profession Necessarly engages them inConstitutes them very Computent Judges of it can it then be reasonable to suppose that Gentlemenof such as they are, should so far forget the duty they owe to themselves and to society as warmlyto recommend the fixing of a Seminary (In which it will be necessary to Incultivate virtue andmorallity as much If not more by example than Precept ) In the midst of a People of a reputedImmoral Character such a supposition would be altogether absurd and we should think ourselvesJustified in resting on their Recommendation only as a sufficient vindication of our Character againstthe uncharitable and unjust anamadversions of designing men but duty and the Justice we owe toour Constituents obliges us to declare that the Present Majestracey of this Place in pursuit of theprincipals laid down by their predessessors make it the first object of their attention to Inspire theirConstituents with the Loue of Virtue and the abhorrence of vice to this end they discourage whatevermay tend to Corrupt the manners or debauch the morals of the people whilst at the same timeEncouragement is given to every Plan Cultivated for their happiness actuated by these principalswe readily embraced yours and rejoiced in the fair Prospect that such an Establishment amongstus Promised additional oppertunitys of advanceing the Education of our youth all what we ardentlywish and therefore what we Could Give we offered with the utmost Good will, if our Good Intentionsalready are or should be prustrated by the selfish views of designing persons we shall be Equallysorry on our own account as on theirs whom they deceive Haveing been already explicet in our formerletters on the advantages that the school would reap by being in the vicinity of the City we shall besilent on that head and make only remark to obviate the difficulty you mention on account of a

1 The Corporation had offered to give two thousand three hundred pounds to Dr. Wheelock, on condition that he wouldremove his Institution from Lebanon to Albany— Ed.