The sun., 1882-08-27
SoMH NEW ROCKS.
Tho s.w.n Paper.-second Article.


Bewa,l. published by the Massachusetts His
torlcal Society. includes tho period from Jan
uary. 1900 to April. 17l4. With regard to this
portion OF the journal. II Is evident that the
friendly relations OF Judge Scwals family to
that of Coy. Dudley embarrassed the former
hllko In his official position ms magistrate
AMI IN making entries in his diaries concern
ins matters as to which they were occasionally
al variance. Tho fact that Sowall also drew
upon himself the hostility Of Cotton Mnthor.
who with his father. the President of Harvard
College, was In violent fcud with Dudley. helps
to Indicate the perplexitics Of the Judges situ-
alton n: this epoch. Much light is thrown uron
this controversy by three rare pamphlets which
arc reprinted in this volume. To these polti
cal discussions we shall make no further ref
crnnco. however. preterring to conilne our
selves In this notice to such extracts rs will
bcst illustrate tho manners OF the time.
Under date OF Feb. G. 1900. We find II cursory
ontry which Is interesting because it relates to
tho famous Capt. Kidd: "A Council is held at
My Lords. The Advice OF Councillors asked
about sending the Prats on Board. / 1motioned
that by the time the Prisoners could be got
from N. York Connecticut Rode-lsland. the
Assembly might sit II his Lordshp saw meet.
and they would willingly rid themselves OF
them. Governor seemed dispeased Tho wished
TO Senu tnem 10 Enslanu lOr lTlulI. bONeTnOr
mentioned Kid Gillian. Bradish Witherly to
be sent aboard presently for better security.
Council voted to leave it to tho Governors dis
cretion whom to send aboard. 1 think only I.
Col. Townsend, and Capt. Bylleld were in the
negative. said l was not clear in 1t.
The grounds / went upon were because
/ knew of no power l had to send
Men out OF tho Province. Capt. Byheld
said He was for their going aboard; but
reckoned it was not so safe to send them pre-
sently as to keep them in Goal (sic). Voted
also the Treasure to be delivered to such as tho
Governor should appoint" The meagreness of
Sewalls illusions to this matter is disappoint-
Ing The Council OF which he speaks was. OF
course. held In reference to the famous pirate
Capt. william Kidd whose memory is stamped
indelby upon the popular imagination in
New England and New York. 1t appears. from
some facts collected by the editor of this vol
ume. that Kidd was licensed May 1G. 1851. at
New York. to marry Mary. widow of John oort.
and that about three weeks aiterward he was
commissioned by Bradstreet to attack pri-
vateer then on our coast. lie probably sailed
between New York and England for some years.
and, becoming acquainted with Col. Livingston.
Lord Belomont, and others. he made an
agreement to go out to the East In
dies as Captain of q lawful privateer.
to suppress piracy. This was in Octo-
ber 1895. Here he turned pirate himself
making his rendezvous on the coast OF NADIA
gascar. and capturing native vessels. After a
time he returned to Hispaniola. where he left
his ship and came to New York in a sloop.
whence he proceeded to Boston in June. 1899.
After an examination he was committed
close prisoner with divers OF his crew. Sewall
has recorded toward the close of the first vol
ume Of these papersl that by the aid OF q
woman two OF these men escaped In June, and
were recaptured In October. Beomont says
that he found that the jaier was Bradishs
kinsman and he confessed that he and one of
his crew went out of the prison door," In No
vember. 1899. Beomont wrote home: These
pirates l have in jail make me very un-
easy for fear they should escape. l
would give s100 they were all in New
gate" At his request. as there was no
provincial law for Furnishing piracy with death.
friSate was sent for the prisoners, and they
sailed In February. 100. Kidd was tried for
piracy and for tho murder Of one of his crew.
and. being found guilty. was executed. The
whole affair was brought into politics. Not
only was Bellomont one Of the original owners
OF Kidd's vessel now in high position. but
Lord Chancellor Somors and some other dis
tingushed noblemen were sharers in the en-
terprise. and the King himself was to have had
y tenth OF the profits. When Kidd was cap
tured at Boston the searchcrs found bag Of
gold dust and ingots worth 81 900 and u bag Of
silver On information they sent to Mr..
Gardiner OF Gardeners Island in Long Island
Sound. and obtained gold. silver. and Jewels
left there by Kidd worth Ga 800 and
six bales OF goods. one valued at GO 900. The
total capture was thought to be worth El4.O0O.
Kidd afterward told Lord Bellomont that II he
was allowed to so to the place where he left his
ship and to St Thomas and Curacao, he would
recover ESQ 900 to 100000. hid by himself
which no one else could recover. referring to
the treasure taken with Kidd. Judge Sewall
notes in his diary. under date of Feb. 2S: We
ship OIL the Iron Ghost of Gold. Pearls. ETC..
forty Balls Of East India Goods thirteen hogs
heads. chests. and case. one Negro Man and
Venture Resail. an East Indian born at Ceilon,
Wethor was doubtful in the morning. which
made us irresolute; but at last we set about it
and accomplished it very happily. look upon
II as a great mercy Of God that the Storehouse
has not been broken up and no lire has hap
pened."
Under date Of juno 10. 100. we find an alu-
sion to the institution Of negro slavery. which
shows that on one most important subject
Judge Sewall was far in advance of his con-
temporaries: Having been long and much
dissatisfied with the Trade Of fetching Negroes
from Guinea at last had strong Inclination
to Write something about it; but it wore OFF
At last reading Bayne's Commentary on the
Ephesians about servants who mentions Black
amoors. began to be unensy that had so
long neglected doing anything. When l was
thus thinking in came brother Belknap to show
me Petition he intended to present to the
General Court for the freeing OF Negro and
his wife, who were unjustly held in Bondage
And there Is a Motion by Boston Committee
10 get Law that al Importers Of Negroes shall
pay 40s. per head to discourage the bringing OF
them. And Mr.. Cotton Mathcr resolves
to publish n sheet to eXhort Masters
TO labor for their conversion. which makes
me hope that was called of God to Write this
Apology for them" The apology mentioned
was a curious anti-slavery tract published by
Sewa June a. 100, and reprinted in this
volume. The reader may like to see two or
three extracts from this colonial antelope OF
Garrison's LibTator. "'Tis pity" he says.
"there should be moro Caution used in buying