29 Hampden St
Balsall Heath
Birmingham
Nov 22/86

Gentlem,

Pardon me troubling you with this, but believing that many members of your noble Society would be pleased to extent their knowledge of, and at the same time practically assist the remnants of a once powerful and noble race in their efforts to walk the peaceful paths of journalism, I have much pleasure in bringing before your notice the ‘Indian’ the only paper published by the Indians of Canada. I enclose a copy for your perusal, and you will find it replete with interesting matter for all who take any interest in the progress and condition of that specially interesting and unjustly treated race. By one of those unaccountable influences which take permanent hold of the mind, when a mere child I began to feel an interest in the race, their mode of life, manners and customs, legends etc, all possessed an irresistible charm for me, and developed a sympathy which has grown with my years. For many years I have corresponded with Mohawk, Seneca, and Cherokee Indians, and knowing my strong sympathy with their people, the publishers of the ‘Indian’ desire me to accept an agency to promote its circulation in England. They offer me a generous commission which I shall devote to covering my expenses only as I am only too pleased to do something for them and do not desire any recompense until at least I obtained a numerous body of subscribers. I deeply regret my circumstances will not allow me to make any pecuniary sacrifice, but if I had it, I should only be to thankful to devote a fair share of my means to the assistance of the Indians. But regrets are no use, therefore I try to do what little I can in other ways, and I most sincerely hope that my appeal to you will result in securing at least a few subscribers, for I am most anxious to prove my sympathy is real and practical, and this is the only way I can show it. I need not attempt to convince you of the vast amount of good a native paper may effect, we all know the newspaper is the most powerful weapon of modern times, therefore all who desire to see the Indian thoroughly enlightened and their just claims acknowledged, cannot show their sympathy better than by supporting the only paper published by the red men of Canada. Trusting you can bring this matter before your members and supporters, and that it will be the means of obtaining some subscribers, I remain,
Yours sincerely,
W.J. Franklin

The Aborigines Protection Society

P.S.

As a proof of my sympathy with the race, it may not be out of place to mention that my eldest son is named Seneca after the first of that nation, and the first Indian I ever saw.