The article refers to a 17 page letter that John Dickinson wrote to the Paxton Boys in 1764. It follows that group's murder of the Conestoga Indians of Lancaster, PA. The letter is not shown, but the author is making the point that Dickinson, a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly, was trying to persuade the group not to move against the Moravian Indians near Philadelphia by appealing to the Paxton's own self interest and showing understanding for their concerns and motivations.