Birth of Mr. Williams’ second son—league of the colonies—war between
the Narragansets and Mohegans—capture and death of Miantinomo—Mr.
Williams embarks for England.
We have, in the account of Mr. Gorton, advanced beyond other events
which claim a notice.
Mr. Williams’ second son, Daniel, was born February 13, 1642.
The colonists were alarmed, in 1642, by reports of a meditated design,
among the Indians, of a general war. The natives began to acquire the
use of fire-arms, with which, together with ammunition, they were
supplied by English and Dutch traders. Vigorous measures of defence were
accordingly adopted in the colonies. Connecticut proposed to attack the
Indians, but Massachusetts refused to join in the war, on the ground
that there was not sufficient proof of hostile designs on the part of
the Indians. She, nevertheless, disarmed the natives within her limits.
Miantinomo came to Boston, and protested that he was innocent.
The year 1643 was made memorable in the history of New-England, by the
union of the colonies. On the 19th of May, articles of confederation
were signed, at Boston, by the Commissioners of Massachusetts,
Connecticut, New-Haven and Plymouth, by which these four colonies formed
a league, under the name of “the United Colonies of New-England.” The
preface to the articles explains the objects of the confederation:
“Whereas we all came into these parts of America with one and the same
end and aim, namely, to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and to enjoy the liberties of the Gospel in purity with peace; and
whereas, by our settling, by the wise providence of God, we are further
dispersed upon the sea-coasts and rivers than was at first intended, so
that we cannot, according to our desire, with convenience communicate in
one government and jurisdiction, and whereas we live encompassed with
people of several nations and strange languages, which hereafter may
prove injurious to us or our posterity; and forasmuch as the natives
have formerly committed sundry insolences and outrages upon several
plantations of the English, and have of late combined themselves against
us; and seeing, by reason of the sad distractions in England, (which
they have heard of) and by which they know we are hindered both from
that humble way of seeking advice and reaping those comfortable fruits
of protection, which, at other times, we might well expect; we,
therefore, do conceive it our bounden duty, without delay, to enter into
a present consociation among ourselves, for mutual help and strength in
all future concernment, that, as in nation and religion, so in other
respects, we be and continue one.”[238]
By the articles, it was stipulated, that two commissioners from each of
the colonies should be chosen, to meet annually, at Boston, Hartford,
New-Haven and Plymouth, in successive years, and that this Congress
should determine questions of peace or war, and consult for the general
welfare of the colonies. This league continued till the year 1686. It
had a beneficial effect, and was probably the germ from which sprung the
confederation, and the subsequent union of the States, under our present
happy government. Rhode-Island was never allowed the honor of an
admission into the New-England confederacy. The want of a charter was,
at first, the pretext; but when the charter was obtained, there was no
more disposition than before to forgive this offending sister, and admit
her to the privileges of the family compact. The second charter itself
was offensive to the other colonies, for it recognised, as a fundamental
principle, “a full liberty in religious concernments.” The exclusion of
Rhode-Island from the confederacy exposed her to many inconveniences and
dangers. She was left without defence, except by her own citizens, and a
law of the New-England Congress virtually forbad her to purchase arms
and ammunition for her own protection. But the influence of Mr. Williams
among the Indians preserved the colony from perils, to which the
inexorable aversion of her sister colonies had abandoned her. It was
happy for those colonies, that their conduct met with no retaliation,
but that Mr. Williams and his colony steadily employed their influence
to appease the ire of the savages, and to protect their countrymen.
A war soon commenced between Miantinomo and Uncas, the Mohegan sachem.
In 1637, Miantinomo made an agreement with the government of
Massachusetts, not to fight, without their consent, with any of the
Indians, and particularly not to invade Uncas. In the next year, there
was a tripartite agreement made at Hartford, between Miantinomo, Uncas
and the English, in which it was stipulated, that those sachems should
not make war on each other, for any alleged injuries, without an appeal
to the English. In the spring of the year 1643, an attempt, it was said,
was made to assassinate Uncas, by a Pequod Indian, one of his subjects,
and it was suspected that he was incited to this act by Miantinomo.
Other attempts, it is alleged, were made to take the life of Uncas, and
in the same year, the two sachems came to open war. Miantinomo, with one
thousand Narraganset warriors, attacked Uncas, in August, 1643, but was
defeated and taken prisoner, though the force of Uncas was only three or
four hundred. Miantinomo had a coat of mail, or corslet, with which, it
has been said, without sufficient proof, he was furnished by Mr. Gorton.
Uncas carried his prisoners to Hartford, at the suggestion of Mr.
Gorton,[239] who wished to save his friend, and therefore wrote to
Uncas, threatening him with the resentment of the English, if he did not
surrender the captive.
At Hartford, Miantinomo was imprisoned, and application was made to the
Commissioners of the United Colonies, at their session at Boston,
September, 1643, to determine his fate. The Commissioners thought, that
they could neither release him with safety, nor justly put him to death.
But they called in to their aid “five of the most judicious
elders,”[240] and these ministers of the Gospel soon agreed, that the
unhappy chief ought to die. This answer was accordingly returned, and
Miantinomo was delivered to Uncas, who carried him within his own
territories, and there butchered him. The government at Hartford sent
twelve or fourteen soldiers with Uncas, as a guard to protect him from
the rage of the Narragansets.
This transaction has been defended, on the grounds, that Miantinomo was
at the head of a general conspiracy against the English, that he had
violated the agreement made at Hartford, and that he was of a turbulent
spirit. Other charges were alleged against him; but it is not easy to
convince a reader of the present day, that the death of the sachem was
either deserved or necessary. That the ministers of the Gospel doomed
him to death, while the civilians could hesitate, is remarkable. It is
another proof of the danger of permitting the clerical and civil
functions to interfere with each other. The clergymen probably treated
the case of Miantinomo as a religious question. These good men, we may
fear, were misled by that propensity, to which we have before alluded,
to regard the events of Jewish history as authoritative precedents.
They, perhaps, viewed Miantinomo as a heathen conspirator against the
people of God, and deemed him worthy of the fate of Agag. But we turn
away, with a sigh, from this melancholy subject, by quoting the words of
a distinguished citizen of Providence.[241] “This was the end of
Miantinomo, the most potent Indian prince the people of New-England had
ever any concern with; and this was the reward he received for assisting
them, seven years before, in their war with the Pequods. Surely a
Rhode-Island man may be permitted to mourn his unhappy fate, and drop a
tear on the ashes of Miantinomo, who, with his uncle Canonicus, were the
best friends and greatest benefactors the colony ever had. They kindly
received, fed and protected the first settlers of it, when they were in
distress, and were strangers and exiles, and all mankind else were their
enemies; and, by this kindness to them, drew upon themselves the
resentment of the neighboring colonies, and hastened the untimely death
of the young king.”
But let us remember, that it is not easy to judge fairly of the conduct
of our fathers. We cannot feel, as they did, the exigencies of their
situation. They were weak, and surrounded with powerful tribes, to whom
rumor and fear constantly attributed the design to unite in a general
conspiracy for the destruction of the English. Miantinomo was suspected,
probably without sufficient evidence, of an ambitious purpose to be the
head of such a league. The colonists, perhaps, thought themselves
justified, by the right of self-preservation, in putting to death the
aspiring chief, before he could mature his plans, and execute his
purpose.
We must now return to Mr. Williams. The settlements at Providence and on
Rhode-Island had continued to increase, for several years. They had
hitherto been distinct, but their principles and interests were so
similar, that an alliance as one colony became manifestly expedient. The
necessity of a charter, from the government of England, was apparent, to
protect them from the encroachments of the other colonies, and to give a
sanction and authority to their government. A committee was appointed,
at an assembly in Newport, September 19, 1642, with instructions to
procure a charter. This committee intrusted the agency to Mr. Williams,
who, on behalf of that colony and his own, agreed to visit England on
this important errand.[242]
He accordingly left his family, and proceeded to Manhattoes, (New-York)
to embark for England. It would have been more convenient and agreeable
to sail from Boston, but Mr. Williams was not permitted to enter the
territories of Massachusetts, notwithstanding the good service which he
had performed for them in their hour of need. But at Manhattoes, he had
an opportunity to use his influence with the savages, and to display his
pacific principles. A war had been provoked, by the wanton cruelty of
the Dutch, and the Indians assailed them with great fury. They burnt
several houses in the neighborhood of Manhattoes, and killed several
persons, among whom was Mrs. Hutchinson, with all but one of her family.
The Indians on Long-Island engaged in the war, and burnt several of the
Dutchmen’s houses. They assaulted the dwelling of Lady Moody, who not
long before had left Salem, in consequence of her Baptist
principles.[243] Mr. Williams immediately interceded, and, by his
mediation, the Indians were pacified, and peace was restored between
them and the Dutch. This event, according to Winthrop, occurred in June,
1643, and we thus learn the date of Mr. Williams’ first embarkation for
England, which must have taken place soon after.