to the Indian affairs."(136) This reply reached Edgar on
the night of October 27, 1789. The next day, Edgar wrote to Hamtramck
saying that it was probable that the recommendations in regard to
establishing a civil government could not be carried out without a
military force. The French were easily governed by a superior, but they
knew nothing of government by an equal. Indians were constantly incited by
the Spanish. They stole horses and escaped to the Spanish side. Edgar
enclosed correspondence and depositions showing that on the night of the
eighth of October, John Dodge and Michael Antanya, with a party of whites
and Indians, came from the Spanish side to Kaskaskia, made an unsuccessful
attempt to carry off some of Edgar's slaves, and threatened to burn the
village. He adds "[In] the spring it is impossible I can stand my ground,
surrounded as we are by savage enemies. I have waited five years in hopes
of a government; I shall still wait until March, as I may be able to
withstand them in the winter season, but if no succour nor government
should then arrive, I shall be compelled to abandon the country, and I
shall go to live at St. Louis. Inclination, interest and love for the
country prompt me to reside here, but when in so doing it is ten to one
but both my life and property will fall a sacrifice, you nor any impartial
mind can blame me for the part I shall take."(137)

One day later, John Rice Jones wrote from Kaskaskia. The answer to the
petition sent by Ducoigne and addressed to Ledru and Edgar, had been
opened by the latter in the absence and by the consent of the former.
Ledru had gone to be priest at St. Louis. At first he had refused the
offer of the position, but when he received his tithes at Kaskaskia, he
found that they would not support him, so he was compelled to move. He met
no better treatment than de la Valiniere and Gibault before him, and no
priest was likely to fare any better until a government was established.
St. Pierre, priest at Cahokia, had gone to be priest at Ste. Genevieve,
and it was said that Gibault was to be priest at L'Anse a la Graisse (New
Madrid). Morgan had been coolly received at New Orleans, and his boasted
settlement at New Madrid was almost broken up. The attempted seizure of
Edgar's negroes could not be punished, because there was no one with
authority to remonstrate with the Spanish, and private remonstrances were
unheeded. The Spanish were making every effort to depopulate