Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-09-07
More About the Puritans.

Week or two ago when the corner
, stone of the great Pilgrim monumen;
at Provincetown was laid there was
much discussion in the newspapers as
to the differences between the Pilgrims
who settled at Plymouth in 1920 and
1890 1t was made plain to many peo-
pie who had forgotten their history, or
who had never before Strengthened out
the matter in their own minds, that
the PILGRIMS were of humber social
origin, poorer in purse, seceders from
the Church OF England who We're seek
ing religious and political liberty in
the New World, while the Puritans
were w-ll-to-do and more aristocratic,
more practical in business matters,
seeking wealth as well as liberty in
America ard not Specialists, like the
PILGRIMS. but jealous reformerS within
the established church. 1t was also
emphasized that the Pilgrims, perhaps
as result of their own trials and
pilgrimages before coming to America
from Holland, were more tolerant III
religious matters, and did not prosecute
Quakcrs witches and "heretics' as
did the stern old Puritans of the Mas
sachusetts Bay Colony
This matter of Puritan intolerance
has been much dwelt uron both by
writer's of history and writer's of fic-
ton, ami the theme has never been Il
dry or limited one. Even at this late
day new chapter may be written as
the result OF the alleged discovery OF u
letter written by the famous Cotton
Mather plotting to capture and sell
into slavery William Penn and his first
colony of Quakers. The letter, which
il is claimed was found this week
among some ancient documents ana
hrirloolns of "A Connecticut family, is
as follows:
Boston, Sept. We 18th. 1852.
'"ro ye aged and beloved John Hlg-
gibson:
There lie at sea Il shippe called 'ie
Welcome, II. GrcenaWay, Master,
which has aboard an hundred or more
OF Sc herttics and maiignantS called
Quakers. with w Penne. who is ye
chief scampe, at the head of them.
We General Court has accordingly
given secret orders to Master Mala-
chi Huxett Of ye brig Propasse t"
Waylay@ sed Welcome as near ".
coast OF COdde as may be and make
captive We sed Prnnc and his unsodiy
crewc 50 that We Lord may he glori-
fled and not Knocked on We soil of this
new countre with We heather worShipS
Of these PeOpie.
"Mucn SpOyle may be made by sell
ing We whole lot to Barbados, where
slaves fetch goode prices in rumlnA
and sugar, and shall not only do We
Lord great service in furnishing thu
wicked hut we shall make great good
for his ministers and people. Master
Huxett feels hopeful. and | will set
down We news when his shippe comes
back. Yours in We bowels OF Christ.
COTTON MATHER."
1t is altogether probable that the let
ter is a fake, though Boston historians
and antinuarians are said to be much
interested and are making careful
as to the commences Of
the agr-dimmcd document. The prob
ability that the letter is fraud lies
not so much in the subject matter
for judging from what the Puritans
did to QuaEcrs in Massachusetts and to
Other 'hCretics and maliGnants." they
We're perfectly capable Of selling Will
liam Penn and his colony into slavery
for rum and sugar-as in the latcn' IS
with which any evidence Of such a plot
has come To light. If the General Court
gave orders of the Importance and
nature indicated in this letter the mat
ter would hardly have been two CEN
turtles and q quarter in leaking out.