North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1839-09-11

mockery; broad ,,hurst from the compan
ionship Of the worthy, q sel-braBded out
law.
RELIGIOUS PERsEcUTIoN.-The Puri
tans unohrnding and humble as they ap
peared to be when under Episcopalian per
secuton, had no sooner established them
selves in America, than they commenced
prosecuting, TO degree unparalleled in the
annals Of the world. In +" Cushing's His.
torical Letters on the First Charter oI
Massachusetts Government" we find the
following record OF the substance Of law
passed by the Church Commonwealth"
in consequence Of the arrival upon these
shores OF six female and two men Quakers:
"That any citizens causing Quaker to
come into the country, should, on coEvic-
ton, pay penalty Of one hundred pounds;
and for entertaining Quaker. knowing
him 10 be such, fneable al the rate OF forty
shillings an hour. For the first offence of
Quakerism, within the charter limits, by
citizen or stranger, if man, ehe should
have one ear cut off; if a woman, first TO
be whipped, and put into the house of cor
rection, and for the second offence to lose
one OF her ears, and for the third. offence,
by man or woman, to have his or her
tongue bored through with hop ~
The first application Of this law was to
two English women, Sarah Gibbons and
Dorothy Waugh. These coming to Bos-
ton, ventured TO address the people on
Thursday lecture-day after the regular
services were over, and they were taken
up, thrust into the house of correction and
whipped"
The following order was passed by the
Court on three men Quakers:
To the Marshal General or his Depu
ty:-You are TO take with you the exc
toner, and repair to the house of correc-
ton, and there see hitn Cut of the right
ears OF John Copeland, Christopher Hol-
der, and John Rouse, Quakers, in execn-
ton OF the sentence Of the court of assis-
tants, for the breach of the law entitled
Quakers. Signed, Edward Rawson, Sc
cretary."
Shortly afterwards, four Quakers were
hung in Boston, because they would not
ALLURE their religion; their names were
Mrs. Mary Dyer, Marmaduke Stephenson,
W lillian Robinson, and William L~ddra.
There was law in those DAYS also, by
which Quakers might be whipped as vaga-
bonds from town TO town through the
'harter limits, and the several constabIes
IS they passed them on from hand to hand,
whipped them southeTly into the wilder
less between Dedham and Rhode Island.
Mr. Gushing gives an instance of this Pu-
ltan barbarlty,whlch would disgrace even
| savage:
" On certain time three young and
lelicate Quakeresses went down to Dover.
hen the most northerly town in Massa.
huset,s, and where there were many Qua
efs. Here their movements and exhorta-
IONS became offensive 10 Richard w aldron
me of the charter magistrates, and the fol.
owing order issued by him will serve as
ample OF many others, and Of itself con-
eys more knowledge OF the temper OF the i
ines than any descriptions:
To the constables of Dover, Hampton, a
Salisbury, Newbnry, Rowley, Ipswich, :
Wenham, Lynn, Boston, Roxbury and !
until these vagabond Qdakers are car
ried out OF this jurisdiction: h
lou and every of you are reqpired in r
ne Kings name to take these vagabonds. s
Inne Coleman Mary Tompkins, and Olive e
Imbrose, and make them fast to the CARTS
all, and driving the cart thro' your,several
owns, to whip them upon their. naked
aeks, not exceeding ten stripes apiece in
ach town, and so to convey them, from
unstable to constable till they are out of n
his jurisdiction, as you will answer il at h
our peril /; and this shall be your warrant. b
IPer mel RICHARD WALpRos.' Ii
!" In Dover, on cold day in December. 7
aldron saw the execution of his own or
er. The young Quakersses were strip II
ed to the waist before him, tied to cart,s $,
nj and whipped, and when some present d
10 condemn the cruelty, he put q
20 OF them in stocks. From Dover The u
pod women were passed on TO HAMPTON g
I'D there whipped and from thence 10 II
alisbury. Walter Barefoot, through COM a,
lssion, persuaded the constable to give al
in the warrant to take the prisoners to m
ewbury but having obtained il he SET o.
e females at liberty, and thus no doubt -
we'd their lives. For by the order thew y,
'uld he whipped through eleven towns. So
I'd ten stripes in each and over distance W
eighty miles," 70