CHAPTER XLV.

THE UNITED COLONIES OF NEW ENGLAND. The first American confederacy.Its policy and effects.-The Massachusetts charter attacked.-Resistance of the colonists.-Bigotry of the New England Puritans.-Persecution of Anabaptists and Quakers.-Faults of the Quakers.-The civil war in England.-The charter again attacked.-Philip's war.-Ravages committed by the Indians.-Defeat and death of Philip.

THE Success of the colonists in their war with the Pequods, led them to perceive the benefits which would flow from a more systematic and permanent combination of their plans. Hitherto the respective governments of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut and New Haven, had been independent of each other, but in 1637, the scheme of a confederacy was proposed. Massachusetts, as the most powerful state of the four, was to take the leading station, which somewhat offended the scrupulous pride of Connecticut, and she insisted that each state should possess a negative on the proceedings of the whole body. This was opposed with good reason by Massachusetts, as likely to defeat the main object of their joint counsels. Connecticut was hard pressed, at that moment, by the Dutch of the New Netherlands, and at length waived her scruples. In 1643, the UNITED COLONIES of NEW ENGLAND bound themselves by a mutual league to render each other protection and assistance.

Each colony reserved its own local jurisdiction. The affairs of the confederacy were intrusted to a body of commissioners, consisting of two from each colony. What may be termed the "foreign relations" of the union,-the intercourse and wars with the Indians, were specially assigned to their care. They were authorized to make internal improvements at the common charge, and to assess the common expenses according to population. They declared war, levied troops, and decided all questions that arose among the confederated states. Neither New Hampshire nor Rhode Island were members of this league; the former was excluded as not sufficiently conforming to the Puritan model; and the latter for refusing to acknowledge the jurisdiction of Plymouth. The New England Union was unsanctioned by the authority of the crown, and might reasonably have excited the jealousy of Charles I., had he been at leisure to bestow his attention upon his transatlantic colonies, yet this confederacy was allowed to continue many years. It survived the jealousies of the long parliament, received the approbation of Cromwell, and escaped animadversion on the restoration of the Stuarts.

When the long parliament established its authority in England that body determined to introduce its rule into all the foreign dependencies of England. A mandate arrived in Massachusetts, in 1651, ordering the governor and assembly to send their charter to London and wait for a new patent from the keepers of the liberties of England. The General Court of Massachusetts replied with a petition and remonstrance, and conducted their measures so skilfully that the parliament was completely foiled in this attempt against the liberties of the colony. The accession of Cromwell to the supreme power was a favorable event for New England. He made no attempt to molest the people in their rights; and his exertions speedily relieved the Connecticut settlers from all fears of the Dutch at New Amsterdam. On the conquest of Jamaica by the English, Cromwell made a proposal to the inhabitants of Massachusetts to transport them to that island, that they might carry the sword of the gospel into the very heart of the territories of popery. This offer, as well as another proposition to remove to Ireland was rejected.

We have seen the jealous watchfulness with which the New England colonists maintained their political rights, and the sacrifices which they had made to secure the enjoyment of their religious opinions. Yet, so full of contradictions is the human character, that the same men did not hesitate to display the most rigid intolerance towards the dissenters from their own creed. Bigotry was cherished as the safeguard of religious truth by those

who fled from their homes to enjoy liberty of conscience and freedom of religious inquiry. Laws were made against sectarianism; heretics were banished; a neglect of established forms of worship was punished as a civil offence. The strongest current of persecution set against the Anabaptists and Quakers. These sectarians promulgated doctrines, which, as the puritans believed, were of disorganizing tendency, and were incompatible with the safety of society. They were fined, imprisoned, banished, and some of them hanged.

These deplorable proceedings have been considered a disgraceful blot on the annals of New England, and in truth like all other persecutions, they are not to be defended. Yet, on a closer scrutiny into the temper and circumstances of the times, we shall find ample materials for the explanation of these strange anomalies in the puritan character. The Quakers of that day were not the same peaceful, moderate men, whom we see at present. The doctrines they preached were hostile to all regulated forms, order and discipline, civil and ecclesiastical. Instead of preaching the gospel, they raised their voices against everything that was most highly approved and revered in the doctrine of the provincial churches. Their imprudence, extravagance and fanaticism, rendered them objects of general apprehension and horror. They were first banished from the colony, but swarms of them returned, violent and impetuous in provoking persecution and disturbing the peace of society. They profanely interrupted divine service, and committed acts of folly, frenzy and indecency, hardly credible. It is no wonder that these scandalous outrages irritated the sober Puritans, and drove them to severe measures against their disturbers. By degrees the wild extravagances of the Quaker spirit subsided, and the laws against them were relaxed. The persecution ceased at the end of three or four years, and since 1660, the Quakers have never disturbed the repose of the American colonies, or been themselves molested.

Free commerce had been enjoyed by the colonists under the administration of Cromwell; but the restoration of Charles II. threatened them with an abridgement of their privileges. Virginia inclined towards royalty, and made a premature declaration for the king. Massachusetts temporized, and received the two regicides, Whalley and Goffe, who sought an asylum on her shores,— a deed which brought upon her the bitter reproaches of the restored monarch. When the royal authority was established, the General Court of Massachusetts sent an address to the king, deprecating any interference in colonial affairs. The answer was a demand for the arrest of Whalley and Goffe, who immediately

absconded, doubtless with the connivance of the Massachusetts authorities. They sought a more secluded asylum in Connec ticut, where they lived many years, successfully eluding the researches of their pursuers.

The colonists, learning that their commercial privileges had been abridged, drew up a declaration of rights, amounting to little short of a declaration of hostilities, in case of an invasion of their political privileges by the royal authority. Agents were despatched to England to plead their cause, and their negotiations were so successful, that little molestation was given them for some years. Massachusetts, however, never enjoyed the sincere favor of Charles II., and a contest was carried on for some time, which at length, in 1683, produced a writ of quo warranto, by which the charter of Massachusetts was taken away. This event struck consternation into the people of the province, who were now totally at the mercy of the crown.

The most destructive Indian war, sustained by the infant colonies, began in the year 1675, by Philip, sachem of the Wampanoags, who lived in Rhode Island. For some years he had been preparing for hostilities. The warriors, under his own immediate command, were about five hundred; but by alliances, he had increased his force to three thousand. Believing, as he did, that nothing short of the entire destruction of the English would rescue the Indians from total ruin, he exerted his utmost energies in prosecuting a war of extermination. Murder, fire and destruction, marked the route of his followers. There was scarcely an English family that did not suffer in property, or by the loss of relatives.

The war commenced June, 1675, in the following manner: Sausaman, an Indian friendly to the English, gave them notice of the hostile intentions of Philip's Indians. He was soon afterwards murdered by his own countrymen. The fact being substantiated in a court of justice, his murderers were convicted, and suffered death. Philip, thereupon, prepared for war. He began by killing the cattle and rifling the houses of the English settlers. One of these sufferers shot an Indian. The Indians retaliated by killing all the English that were in their power. Eight or nine were slain in one day, at Swanzey and its vicinity. Skirmishes followed with various success. The Indians retreated into a swamp, from which they fired and killed several of the English. The former retired deeper into the swamp. The latter, finding they attacked the Indians in the swamps under great disadvantages, resolved to starve them; but the Indians found means to escape.

Captain Hutchinson, with twenty horsemen, while pursuing the Indians, fell into an ambuscade, and lost almost all his men. A few escaped, but were closely pursued by the Indians, who assaulted the town to which the vanquished had fled. The pursuing savages set fire to every house excepting one, to which all the inhabitants had gathered for security. When they had nearly succeeded in firing that also, Major Willard arrived with forty-eight dragoons, and dispersed them. The Hadley Indians were attacked at a place called Sugar-loaf Hill, and about twentysix of them were slain, as were also about half of the assailants. These Indians rallied, and, obtaining new associates, fell upon Deerfield, killed one man, and laid most of the town in ashes. On the same day, Hadley was alarmed by the Indians in the time of public worship, and the people thrown into the utmost confusion; but the enemy were repulsed by the valor and good conduct of an aged, venerable man, who, suddenly appearing in the midst of the affrighted inhabitants, put himself at their head, led them to the onset, and instantly dispersed the enemy. This deliverer of Hadley, supposed by some to be an angel, was General Goffe, one of the Judges of Charles the First, who was at that time concealed in the town.

The Springfield Indians, though previously friendly to the English, perfidiously concurred with Philip's Indians to burn the town of Springfield, and actually proceeded so far as to burn thirty-two houses; but the remainder of the town was saved. The confederation of the New England towns was now found of great service. The war, on the part of the Indians, was conducted with so much ability, vigor and perseverance, as to require