Pierz wishes Lefevere a Happy New Year and he sends his yearly report on the missions. He sent the school reports 2 days before. One very important matter occurs to him: the establishment of an orphanage home. On Castor Island, he found 4 young Catholic children living with an old pagan aunt, capable neither of feeding nor of educating them. There were many such cases. He wishes he could feed and dress and give a Catholic education to the 20 Orphans in the mission. But he does not want to do anything without Lefevere's consent. He has read in Lefevere's pastoral letter of April 20, 1843, that churches could not be built or consecrated without a written title in the name of the Bishop. This coming summer, he will bless three little churches in the mission. But the savages were not able to give legal title to their churches, since they have not been emancipated and the land is not their property. Pierz asks what is to be done. In 1834, some land was bought at Sault Ste. Marie for the Bishop Frederick Rese in the name of the Bishop of Detroit. But Francher gave the papers to Rese because the Bishop owed some money to the fur company. In 1838, Rese paid this debt. If Lefevere does not have the deed, he should ask Francher for it, because the heirs of the family that sold the land want it back. It seems as if the garden of Pierz has increased in value. He asks Lefevere to be sure and send a good priest next spring to Sault Ste. Marie. Otherwise his work for 2 years and that of Father Francis Haetscher for 11/2 years will be lost. The savages of Grand Traverse are disgusted with their minister and Pierz thinks he could convert all the Indians to Catholicism. However, he will do this yet, even though the Presbyterian minister has the support of the government. Incidentally, the government spent about $20,000 during the past four years to make the Protestant mission equal to the Catholic. In a few years, Pierz will establish a beautiful mission there. The savages in the mission are uncertain about their legal status. The land has been surveyed and will probably be sold during the year. Pierz advised the savages to send a petition to the Congress and to the government of Detroit to ask for the right to become American citizens and be able to buy lands. However, because the President and higher officials are Presbyterians, Pierz doubts that any success can come to the savages until a new President is elected. In the meantime, Augustine Hamlin came to Arbre Croche last December and persuaded a few savages to sign a petition for the same purpose. Only 2 chiefs, 15 savages, and 16 young men signed it. 4 great chiefs and all the others refused to sign Hamlin's petition, because they did not trust the young man, as he had deceived them before. The savages were disturbed and did not know what to do. Pierz asks Lefevere is it would be a good idea to get the savages to sign a petition and send it to the Congress before the winter session of the Congress is over. Pierz asks Lefevere if he knew personally the governor of Detroit or any influential officers of the legislature who would be able to aid the Indians. If the savages have to leave Michigan, the mission will be at an end. The end will come because all of them will go to the island of the Countsoreiles on the English border. This would be of great danger to the residents of Michigan in case of war, because the English are gathering great numbers of savages in the islands. Last summer, the English sent messengers to the savages of Michigan for the purpose of getting them to leave the state. However, the savages prefer the American government if, however, some advantages are granted to them, and their emancipation is recognized. Then they would be able to buy lands, this would be a great advantage to the government because the land is good and a great many farms would then be established. If the government does not take any steps to help them, they will emigrate and wait for vengeance. Pierz tells Lefevere how much he wishes he could help these poor savages. However, he is often disgusted with them when they listen to flatters rather than to him. He is also dismayed by the neglect of the Indians of the Sauk River. No one pays any attention to them. Pierz encloses a report of the mission of Arbre Croche, Lacroix, Middletown, Cheboygan, Grand Traverse, Manestie and the Island of Castor. dated January 2, 1843. :: III-2-h A.L.S. French 5pp. 8vo. 10