The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-08-14
OF IL. ISLAND.

'In 1917, ., on inc i-tu ot 'au"afy'
Shnwomef, or Mshawomet, since called
Warwick. was purchased of Myantono-
mo; Pomaam the petty Sachem con-
senting TO the sale or grant, though he
afterwards denied it. The grant wns
made 10 Randal Holden, John Wicks,
Samuel Gorion, John Greene, Francis
Weston, Richard Waterman, John
Warner, Richard Carder, Samson Shot
ton, Robert Potter, William Woodeal."
[The price paid was I44 fathoms of
wampum peng, which wus then comput-
ed at 40E l6s. Sterling.l
"Here it may be proper, TO take some
notice of the religious opinions of MIR.
Gorton, whose followers were called
Gortonists, or Gortonians, holding some
things peculiar to themselves, and differ
ent from all the other people in New
England"
"He came to Rhode-Island in June
1888, where he tarried till 1850, 40,
that he was on some contentious banish-
ed the Island. Thence he went to Pro-
vidence, where many of the people grow
ing uneasy at his planting and building
at Pawtuxct, and complaining to the
Massachusetts Government in 1912, he
was summoned to appear before their
Court, which he despised. But however
he purchased this tract of the Indians,
and renewed there with his friends.
But new complaints soon went to Bos-
ton from some of the English, aud Pom
ham and Socononoko petty Sachems Of
the Indians, who it seems, were willing
to take advantage of the protection of
the Massachusetts, English, to revolt
from their subjection to Myantonomy,
as Massasoit had done before, by means
of the Plymouth-English. Hereupon
Mr.. Gorton and his friends being sum
moned TO Court, ho refused to obey, rs
out of the jurisdiction, both of Boston
and Plymouth, who both sought to
stretch their bounds, to have taken him
in. The Government at length, sent up
a company of armed men, who after n
fruitiess treaty, made him and his friends
prisoners, except few who escaped by
fight. They were carried to Boston,
and after trial in their Court, con-
demncd, to be confined in a severe, and
even q scandalous manner, in several
towns, for the winter, and in the spring
banished the Colony. They came TO
Rhode-lsland, and fearing to be again
troubled, the Massachusetts seeking a
patent of some Of the Narraganseti
Country, they procured an actual and
solemn submission of the Sachems to
King Charles, OH the 10Th of August
1914, and Messrs. Gorton, Greene, and
Holden, went to England, and obtained
an order, to be suffered peaceably to
possess their purchase. And the lands
aforementioned, being incorporated IN the
Province Of Providence Plantations ;
They returned and carried on their I'M
provements, naming their purchase
Warwick, in honor to the Earl Of War
wick, who gave them his friendly pro-
tection."
"What Mr. Gorton's religious opinions
really were, is now as hard to tell, us
'ts to understand his most mysterious
dialect, for there are sufficient reasons
why we ought not and cannot believe,
he held all that are confidently fathered
upon him. For It's certain that what
ever impious opinions, his adyersaries
imputed to him, and whatever horrid
consequences they drew, from the opin-
ions he owned; he ascribeu rs bad 10
them, and fixed rs dreadful consequent
ces on their tenets; and at the same
time, in the most solemn manner, denies
and disavows many things they charge
linn with above all, when he is charged
with denying future State, and the
Judgment To come, both in Theory and
an Practice; he peremptorily, and We
hemenily denies the charge, and sol
emnly appeals to GOD, aud oil that
knew him, Of the integrity of bis heart,