135. Cold Water on an Ohio Colony (1770)
BY GOVERNOR THE EARL OF DUNMORE
Dunmore was an unpopular governor, and at the Revolution was driven out of his colony. — On the proposition to establish a new "back colony," see Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 570-574; Franklin, Works (Sparks's ed.), V, 1-82.
I HAVE made it my business to enquire and find out the opinion of the people here, on the scheme in agitation of establishing a Colony on the Ohio ; I find, all who have any knowledge of such affairs concurr in condemning the project ; they alledge among a variety of reasons, that a Colony, at such an immense distance from the settled parts of America and from the Ocean, can neither benefit either those settled parts or the mother Country ; that they must become immediately a lost people to both, & all communication of a commercial nature with them, be a vain attempt, from the difficulty and expence attending the Transport of commodities to them, which would so enhance the price thereof, as to make it utterly impossible for them to purchase such commodities, for they could not raise a produce of any kind, that would answer so difficult and expensive transport back ; such Colony must therefore be their own Manufacturers ; and the great expence of maintaining Troops there for their protection be a dead weight on Governt, without the hopes of reaping any advantage hereafter. The scheme alarms extremely all the settled parts of America, the people of property being justly apprehensive of consequences that must inevitably ensue ; that such a Colony will only become a drain to them (now but thinly peopled) of an infinite number of the lower Class of inhabitants, who, the desire of novelty alone will induce to change their situation ; and the withdrawing of those Inhabitants will reduce the value of Lands in the provinces even to nothing, and make it impossible for the Patentees to pay the Quit Rents ; by which, it is evident, His Majty's interest must be very much prejudiced. Add to this the great probability, I may venture to say . . . certainty, that the attempting a settlement on the Ohio, will draw on, an Indian war ; it being well known, how ill affected the Ohio Indians have always been to our interest, and their jealousy of such a settlement, so near them, must be easily foreseen ; therefore, as such a war would affect, at least, the nearest provinces, as well as the new Colony. Your Lordp must expect those provinces, will not fail to make heavy complaints of the inattention of Governt to their interest. I cannot therefore, but think it my duty to recommend to your Lordp,
