USA > Massachusetts > Hampden County > Longmeadow > Proceedings at the centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town of Longmeadow, October 17th, 1883 > Part 21
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Robbd of His Goods by the Petit's and others he had furnifhed more Supplies to the publick and that chiefly upon Credit, than the whole parifh Befide. and Every one Knows the Publick had Nothing but Paper Bills to pay their Creditors with. Your Memorialift, therefore Hopes your Honors will Confider thefe Falfe Ground- lefs Allegations as the mere fruits of Slander and abufe and as Calculated and De- figned to Bring an Odium upon him and his Caufe.
To the further allegation of the petition that
Said Colton was at that time adjudged by the general Comtee of Safety for the whole Town to be unfriendly and Inimical to the Liberties of his Country and unanimoufly agreed to be advertized as fuch, as will appear by the Depofitions of the Chairman and one other of the fd Comtee hereto annexed and which was prevented not by any Reformation of the fª Colton but by a fingular Circumftance which we Decline men- tioning at prefent.
The remonstrant replies that
As this appears to him to be a Matter of Great Confequence, he hopes for your Hon'* Indulgence and patient attention to what he has to offer in his own vindica- tion, and here he hopes your Hon'* will call to mind the intemperated Heat and Furious Zeal manifefted at the Beginning of the prefent Conteft againft moft of the Traders in the Country who continued in the ordinary Courfe of their Bufinefs which conftrained many of them to Store and Leave off Trade intirely and it was your Memorialift's miffortune to have fome of thefe over Zealous Perfons who Either thro' Enmity or Envy or perhaps only from their over Zealous Temper of Mind Raifd a Clamour againft him in the year 1775 a time when the minds of too many were full of jealoufy and Sufpicion and this occafioned a Complaint to be made againft him to the Comtee of Infection and Safety for the Town that he had Raifed upon the prices of his Goods, upon which he was Called and accordingly appeared Before the Comtee to Vindicate Himfelf and the only particular Charge or inftance Eleged in the Complaint as far as your Memori" can Recollect was his Selling some Liver Oyl at a higher Rate than before the War, and that he had raifed and increased the price of this Article which as all Dealers in it well know is very apt to Leak and waft by being kept any length of Time, which was the fact with this, fo that he Could not afford it fo cheap as Before without being a Lofer and this your Memor" offerd as his Excufe and for his Vindication to the Comtee and this he Thought Sufficiently Satiffactory. Sure he is that it must be fo to all Reafonable unprejudiced Perfons. this he Conceives to be the Simple State of the Cafe Neither was there ever any Pretence of any other Charge againftt him that he knows of nor any . ... of his Gen' unfriendly Difpofition to the Caufe of his Country or oppofition to it much lefs of his attachment to Britain and the Britith Gov. ernment and even for this, after the moft Carefull Inquiry of the Members of the Comtee he does not find they ever Came to any Refolution to Convince him much lefs to Publith him as an Enemy to his Country as is afferted in the Pet". Sure he is he had never any Knowledge of any fuch Thing. Not that he Doubts but Sonie of the Comter had Inclination enough to do it to Gratify their own private Enmity or intemperate Zeal as some would every Perfon who at this time had Been found to have Taken Only a Cup of Tea. But the Generality of the Comtee were of a Different and more Cool Temper and Prevented moft of the Exceffes of thefe over Zealous perfons of all Which your Memor"' hopes abundantly to Satiffy your llon's by the Testimony of a Number of the Comtee Themfelves and that therefore the
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Perfons who make the application Annexd to the Pet" Labour under fome very great Miftake Refpecting the Matter. they are Certainly Miftaken in Suppofing that they were of the Comtee at all in the year thefe goods were Taken away from your Memorst as will appear from the Town Records themfelves and what that Singu- lar Circumstance may be which prevented your Memor" from being Publifhed as an Enemy Referred to in that Pet" your Memorst cannot even guefs.
To the allegation of the petitioners in their preamble that at the time these goods were taken from him, viz., in July, 1776, we were without law and the administration of justice, the remonstrant replies that at the time thefe Goods were Taken from him, (viz) in July 1776 'tis a matter of Publick Notoriety that Both the Juftice of the Super Court and Juftice of the peace were then Commiffioners who Might fufficiently reftrain and Punith all Delin- quents and Offenders againft the Laws tho' no civil Matters were then Heard or tried in the Country. to Reprefent your Memora therefore as a Dangerous Perfon and an Offender againft the Laws and then Bring no civil Authority to Try and Punith him for his Suppofd Dangerous Crimes and that therefor on this account, the Petitioners with others folely with a view to the Public good were as it were oblidged to Inter- fere of their own Heads and Deprive him of his property Which he was ufing in such an invidious Manner and to the Hurt of Society muft be fure idle. . . . If your Memorst was an evil doer he might Certainly be punished by the Proper author- ity and then no occafion for private violence and this muft Convince all Judicious and Imparcial perfons that fome other motive than pure Patriotifm and a Regard to the good of the Community was the inducement to Rob and fpoil your memorst of His property.
To the allegation of the petitioners that they acted by the concur- rence and advice of two of the General Committee of said town, being all of that body that lived in that Parish, the remonstrant gives a brief statement of the circumstances of the transaction, and then shows that the petitioners really acted in direct opposition to the advice of the committees of the town, and of the several towns in this section met in convention.
In July 1776 a Great Number of Perfons Blackt and in Difguife Affembled To- gether at a late Hour of the Night at your Memorsts Houfe, He and his family being then within and Retird to Reft upon which he begs Leave to observe that pure Honeft Patriotifm Does not need any Difguife neither does it feek the Darknefs of the Night for a Covering. thefe are rather the marks of Spoilers and Robbers and no Doubt their Number and Difguife were Difignd to Terrify and intimidate your Memor&t and Being thus affemd they forcibly Took and Carried away a Large Quan- tity of his Goods, to the amount of about Two or Three Hundred pound Hard Money. it is True your Memorst obtaind and got Back a part of thefe goods again into his Poffeffion But not many Days after without any new Caufe given the fame Perfons and perhaps others with them affembled again in the Night, forcibly Brake open his Store Locks and Took and Carried away the whole of his Rum and Salt &c, Except a Trifle Left for private ufe, Ranfacking and Searching his Houfe from top to bottom Plundering and Carrying away what they Saw fit-this a True ac- count of the Manner and Circumftances attending the Transaction. How Thefe Goods were afterwards Difpofed of is Beft known to y' Petitioners nor is it of any
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Confequence to your Hon's tho' we Cannot keep from obferving that it is impoffi- ble for the Petiti'' or any perfon elfe to know or afcertain what Goods were taken or what Quantity or that the whole was ever Brought to Any Account what ever. Suffice it to Say that the whole were Divided among them or Difpof of as they faw fit and no part were ever Reftord to ye Rightful Owner, Contrary to the Ad- vife of the Comtee of the Town and of the Comteer of the Several Towns in this County met and affembled in a County Convention at Northampton foon after ; who upon application to them made in this Behalf advifed and Earneftly Recommended to all the good People of the County to abftain from all acts of violence upon the per- fons or Properties of others and to Rettore to the Rightful Owners Whatever had been in any inftance Taken away as Appears by a Coppy of their proceedings ready to be Shown to your Hon" and fo far is it from being True What is pretended by the Petiti"" that they acted by the Advife and Concurrence of the Comtec they acted in Direct Oppofition thereto.
To the claim of the petitioners that they kept a fair account of the sales and disposals of all the goods taken away, and soon after brought and offered the whole of the money received for them to the memorialist which, upon his refusing to accept, they left with him, the remonstrant replies that
He has to obferve that the Money was not Brought and offerd till fome time in the Year next after, when paper Bills had Confiderably fallen and Depreciated and probably would not fetch and purchafe more than one half the Goods that were taken away from your Memorst. he therefore abfolutely Refufed to Receive it or have any Thing to do with it whatever ; and as to what the Petion Mentions of their having Been fued already by M' Church and his Recovering Judgment againft them for one Hogfhead of Rum taken out of your Memoralist's Store at this Same Time, it is True that M' Church Recovd Judgment upon a fair Trial at Law in ye infe- rior Court and afterwards in the Sup' Court upon a Reference to three very Judi- cious Difinterefted Perfours who all Lived at a Diftance from the parties and Unani- moufly after a full and fair Hearing Reported in favour of fd Church.
To the further allegation of the petitioners that
They have great Reafon to believe that between the Time of the firft and fecond taking of fd Rum Salt &c from fd Colton he applied to Several People out of his own Parifh to befriend him and to take of him a Hogfhead of Rum or Salt &c each, and that Sham Bargains with that View only were made, and that in fact if any Money was ever paid to fd Colton therefor, that the fame has long fince been paid again by 1ª Colton as the Goods were never Delivered to the pretended purchafers and now we are threatened by fd Colton and others the pretended purchafers to be Sued for the Remainder of fd Rum Salt &c which may prove our total Ruin at the prefent Price of fl Articles. and that they Have Endeavored to fettle with fd Col- ton by leaving the whole affair to Difinterefted and Judicious Men, but he will not confent thereto excepting we will agree wholly to leave out of the Submiffion the Confideration of his Inimical conduct and Character and alfo the Money we left at his Houfe to pay for the Rum Salt &c which propofal of his is fo unfair and Difhonerable that we Cannot and we Truft your Hon' will think we ought not in Juftice to our own Selves to Comply therewith.
The remonstrant replies that
This is what he often propofed and withd for Himfelf and by them as often Declin d
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unlefs to fuch Men and upon Such Terms as he would not by any means Confent To. not but that he thinks it may be fettled with as much Juftice and fairnefs and Quite as Little Expenfe in a Courfe of Law. he knows and feels himfelf greatly in- jured and abufed and at the Same time is confcious to himfelf that he Hath never de- ferved it. he therefore hopes in fome way or other He fhall obtain perfonable Satif- faction either in a Legal Courfe Or By the Judgment of Indifferent perfons either of which are very immaterial to him.
To the final appeal of the petitioners that
Being informed that no Provifion that is yet made by the Legiflature Will Extend to our Cafe and that being no general Comtee of a Town we are not included in any Indemnification that has been paffed by the General Court, we yet Truft your Hon's will think that our Cafe comes within the fame Reafon as that of general Comtts, and that a Veil of Eternal Oblivion ought to be Drawn over the Tranfactions of thofe unhappy Times and that the Law which was defigned for the Protection of the In- nocent, fhould not now be ufed to their Ruin and Deftruction.
The remonstrant replies that
For Your Hon's to now interfere and by Act of Supreme Sovereign Power preclude and Cut off your Memorialift from all Tryal of his Right in any Way which is the thing prayd for he apprehends to be Contrary to the Principles of Natural Juftice and tho' it may be Reafonable that a veil of eternal Oblivion fhould be Drawn Over many Tranfactions of the Late times when we were without the Due administration of Justice in Courfe of Law, fo far as the publick is Concerned and that Men fhould not be Cald in Queftion or Punifhd for Crimes Againft the peace by them Committed and this were what found Policy may Dictate, vet it will not from thence follow that it will be Either Juft Reafonable or Politick to Preclude any one from Obtaining Due Reparation and Legal Satiffaction for any violation of Private property, fo far as the Publick are concerned. the Publick Legiflature No Doubt have a Right to Decide But in all Matters of Private Right and Queftions of Private property your Memost apprehends with all due Submiffion the Legiflature have no Right to interpofe and Deprive any one of a Tryal in the Due Courfe of Law. The Law of the Land by the Great Charter and the Bill of Rights as well as the Exprefs Provifions of the Lately Eftablithd Happy Conftitution is the Birthright of every free Man and by This Law every one Who is injurd in his Property hath full Right and Liberty to Seek Redrefs and Endeavour to obtain Satiffaction in a legal Way-and with all due Submiffion your Memost apprehends That the Legiflature themfelves are as Much Bound and will Conform themfelves to the Principles of the Conftitution and Bill of Rights as the Executive are Bound and obliged to.Conform to the Laws Themfelves. your Memo" has Recd Manifeft Injury his Rights and property openly invaded and violated attended with Circumftance of Great Infult and abufe as every unpreju- diced Perfon in the world muft acknowledge for which he hath Recd no Legal Satif- faction and Shall he now by an act of Sovereign power be Cut off from all hopes of Redrefs and Deprivd of his Birth Right the Benefit of the Law which is the Birth Right of Every Englifhman. this favours So much of Cruelty as well as injuftice that he Trufts Your Hon's will not be induced by any Confideration to Comply therewith or pafs any act of Indemnity as Prayd for.
To the final plea of the petitioners that
Your Hon's would pafs an Act of Indemnification for us or others under like Cir- cumftances or find out fome Method to Save us from that Ruin and Deftruction which threatens us.
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The remonstrant replies, with shrewdness and earnestness, that He Can't but Obferve what Little Reafon the Petition"" have to Cry out of the Dan- ger of their being Ruind if Your Memost fhould obtain a Juft Recompenfe for What hath Been fo unjuftly taken from him fince they are Supported by fuch Members who no doubt ought and will and Many of them have engagd to bear their Due propor- tion. this in ftead of a Reafon for the Indemnity Prayd is a very good Reafon againft it Since the Lofs Whatever it be will be lefs felt and eafier Bourn by a Number than by one Individual.
But Concerning this Multitude of Subfcribers with Which the Pet" is Backd he craves leave to fay a few Words. Many of thefe perfons were Children and Minors when thefe Matters were Tranfacted and fome of them perfect fttrangers who have come into the Place Since, others of them were Parties and as much Concernd in the original Treffpafs and Violence as the Pet's Themfelves and have ingagd and obligd themfelves to Indemnify them or at Leaft Bear their Proportion of any Dam- age or Expenfe that may Be fuftained. many Others are Nearly related and Intimately Connected with Thofe that Did it. others have Shard in the Spoil and plunder and think themfelves obligd in Juftice and Hon' to Endeavour to Serve thofe that have Supplied them at Such Reafonable Prices and no Doubt many others have signd their names Mearly through importunity and Solicitation. But Let the Cafe be what- ever it may and how Great foever the Number be, itill the Nature of things is not Altered by any fuch Circumftances. Truth and Juftice Remain Still the Same And he Trufts that Your Hon's will not be induced thereby to do anything against the Principles of Natural Juftice and Sound Policy-and he Humbly hopes your Hon's Will be thereby induced to Difmifs the Pet" intirely. But if notwithftanding anything he hath already Said and urgd againft it your Hon's Should give Leave and a Bill Should be Brought in agreable to the prayer of the Pet" he hopes and Earnestly prays your Hon's Would give him Leave to be Heard by his Councel Againft its being Paffª into a Law, who he Doubts Not will be able much more Clearly and fully to Shew and State to your Hon's the Injustice and Inexpediency of Pafiing the Same and as in Duty Bound Shall Ever Pray.
Springfield (Longmeadow) May 30. 1781.
SAMI COLTON.
The desired act of indemnity was, however, granted and no subse- quent efforts of Merchant Colton availed to obtain any redress. Is it strange that the old man, conscious to himself of his own loyalty, not only to his king but to his native country, but broken now in health and in heart by what seemed to him such cruel injustice, should ever after refuse to exchange even a word with any of those who had thus injured him ?
The actors in an exciting drama are not the best critics of its pass- ing scenes. A century's remove is an interval none too long for ripen- ing that historical candor essential to a just judgment of the men and measures of such an excited period as our Revolutionary struggle. Nothing is more certain than that our liberty-loving ancestors were sometimes hurried by the very passion of their patriotism into acts which neither their own cooler judgment, nor that of their descend- ants, can wholly approve, as in the case here described.
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J .- THE WILLIAMS DIARY.
Among the superior advantages for illuminating Longmeadow his- tory, by no means exhausted in this volume, not the least is the diary of Stephen Williams, in ten manuscript volumes, beginning January I, 1716, and ending June 1, 1782. Its peculiar value consists in its quaint simplicity, and perfectly ingenuous record of daily occurrences. The thorough internal evidence that it was never meant for the public eye makes it all the more valuable, and imposes a sacred obligation to use as not abusing it. Aside from its historical utility in illustrating particular periods or events, a somewhat continuous section of it can- not fail to interest the reader, not only for its personal revelations of the man, but also for its incidental contributions to the history of the period.
Opening then the diary at hap-hazard, without any search for mat- ters of peculiar interest, let a few glances from page to page suffice the present purpose.
May 30, 1754 .- I preached to ye convention (the Massachusetts Con- vention of Congregational ministers still continuing its annual meetings in Boston). I believe some were gratified by my sermon-some I conclude were not pleased. I endeavored to deal faithfully concerning some matters, and I hope I delivered the mind of God ; and if God approves, I disregard ye displeasure of men.
September 6 .- The Bears are about in great numbers ; they kill hogs and sheep. (On the 9th he goes out into the woods with his neighbors on a . bear hunt.) On the 26th .- Was at ye tryall of poor Michael Fowler ; fair and impartial ; found guilty. Oh, that God would pity and pardon ye poor man and have mercy on his soul.' Blessed Jesus, pity him as thou didst ye poor thief when thou wast upon ye cross. (His visits to this prisoner are quite frequent.) 28 .- One Newton convicted of making and uttering counterfeit coin ; sentenced to be pilloried and whipt. Joseph S- and Eunice W- convicted of incest, and are to stand upon the gallows, &c. Oct. 5 .- One Taylor and Crawfort got some hair from a dead Indian at Stockbridge and pretended that they had killed an enemy ; but their sin has found them out. 16 .- Reuben W. has run away with John W.'s wife. 22 .- I am much concerned for Billy Stebbins who is weak and discouraged. I have been to see him, and am glad to find his spirits up so well as they be.
Nov. 14 .- Attended at ye vendue of some land sold by ye proprietors committee and proposed that they put off ye sale of the land below my pas- ture to see whether the town inhabitants or ye proprietors would not consent that the land might be left for ye use of ye ministry in Longmeadow in case they relinquish their right to the ministry land in ye Town. I hope that I did not go beyond my line in what I did. Dec. 10 .- Wife went out to her daughter Eunice. Came home in safety, tho' the beast she rode on fell.
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Jan. 18, 1755 .- Precinct met to set price upon grain. They sent for me to pray with them, and they desired me to tarry-they proceeded, and that without heat-and concluded peaceably and without confusion. I rejoyce at it. Pardon for Michael Fowler-tho' he doesn't know it. 21 .- Went to Town to consult with ye gentlemen there about the publishing the pardon of poor Fowler, and they have thôt best to do it before ye day appointed for ye execution-to prevent the meeting of ye people which will occasion much expense of time and money.
March 7 .- This day my neighbors sledded wood for me. They appeared in general engaged in ye affair, and brót me more wood than common. The Lord grant love and unity may be encouraged. Samuel Cooley died in a fainting fit. 9-Sabbath .- I endeavored to back ye late Providence by a discourse, Matt. 13. 33.
March 11 .- Fifty-one years ago I was taken prisoner and carried to Can- ada. Oh, that God would affect me with his dealing toward me, in preserv- ing me among ye Barbarous Heathen ; in returning me and continuing me to this day. Repeated a sermon to Capt. I. Colton who is still confined and a number of neighbors attended. 22 .- Sore broken and grieved because of ye uneasiness of my dear wife. Know not what to do. O, that God would shew me my duty ; compose and calm me. (The trouble that afflicts his wife is elsewhere spoken of as " the vapours.") 29 .- Hear my poor sister Eunice was alive at last January in Canada. O, that the Lord will have mercy on her soul. (Notwithstanding these constant prayers for his captive sister, she remained to the end of her life wedded to her Indian life and her Roman Catholic faith.)
30 .- This day I began to read ye Scriptures publickly in ye congregation. wish and pray it may be serviceable and a means to promote Scripture knowledge among us. (This was an innovation which Stephen Williams had some difficulty in sustaining. The first pulpit Bible was used Jan. I, 1808, 54 years afterwards; a royal folio, price $30, the gift of Lieutenant Hezekiah Hale.)
April 1, 1755 .- Have been into ye woods to look after spruce that they make beer with. I think we have found it, and if so, I hope it may be of advantage, since 'tis reckoned very wholesome. ("Tar water " was one of Stephen Williams' favorite panaceas and tea of violets another.) April 3 .- Son Nathan home from college. God be praised that we see ye child so comfortably of it.
8 .- Noise of the expedition against Crown Point begins to increase. II .- Military companies of ye Town called together in order to enlisting of men. 14 .- Mr. Breck here-tells me that I shall be applyed to, to go on ye present expedition. If I should, I entreat the Lord would make ye way of my duty plain before me. May 5 .- Received a letter from ye Hon. J. Osborn, Esq., desiring me to go as a chaplain in ye expedition. I know not what to do. 6 .- Went to Town to discourse with Col. Worthington, but I desire to have my eyes with ye Lord, to show me what He wd have me to do.
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(The neighbors come in and greatly perplex the good parson about his invitation.) 8 .- This day I referred ye matter of my going to my Heavenly Father. I enjoyed an happy serenity and calm. Here I am-the Lord do as it seemeth him good. 9 .- Lecture. Mr. Breck preached from 2 Chron. 14, II, a pertinent sermon, and then the congregation were asked whether they wd consent, if I should comply with the call given me to engage in ye expedition. Ye major part voted affirmatively. Thus I have the voice of ye people-but yet, after all, I refer the matter repeatedly to God. Col. Worthington and J. W. and E. W. (Ephraim Williams) were here to dis- course, &c. I am still at a loss. (He goes to Boston, finds his friends there generally desirous of his going.) "Ye Rev. Dr. Sewall, who has treated me as a familiar friend, joined with me in special prayers to God for direc- tion in ye affair. We prayed in his chamber. O, how good it is to draw nigh to God and ask His counsel in difficult affairs. I have been brôt to think it my duty to go."
26. Dear Mr Raynolds (the Enfield minister) and his consort here. We had an opportunity to confer &c and we prayed together. June 16. Fast in the Parish-M Hopkins and Raynolds preached. IS. Lecture at Town by M' Breck who addressed the soldiers a pertinent sermon. 19. Companies mustered. Officers took the oaths. I took ye oaths with the rest. 25. The soldiers of this place gathered at Dea" (Lieut.) Burts. I went over to the Deacons (opposite the present parsonage.) We sang the 121. Psalm and prayed together and then they went off to town.
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