THOMAS] MASSACHUSETTS' POLICY TOWARD THE INDIANS 601 



Winslow, William Brewster, Isaac Allerton, and the rest of our associates, entering 

 into a league of peace with Massasoit, since called Woosamequin, Prince or Sachem 

 of those parts: he, the said Massasoit, freely gave them all the lands adjacent to 

 them, and their heirs forever.' 



lu the " Journal of a Plantation," first printed in 1022, and abbrevi- 

 ated in Purchas' Pilgrimes,- occurs the following passage, which 

 accounts for the absence of natives at this time and place: 



He [Samoset] told us the place where we now live is called Patuxet, and that 

 about four years ago all the inhabitants died of an extraoidiuary plague, and there 

 is neither man, woman, or child remaining as indeed we have found none; so as 

 there is none to hinder our possession, or lay claim to it. 



It would seem from the evidence furnished by the old records that 

 as this colony began to increase, it adopted the Just policy of purchas- 

 ing from the native.s the lands they desired to obtain. "It is a con- 

 soling fact," says Dr Holmes, "that our ancestors purchased of the 

 natives theii land for an equivalent consideration, as a])pears by a 

 letter from the pious governor Winslow, dated at Marshflekl, May 1st, 

 1G7C, as follows: 'I think I can clearly say, that before tliese present 

 troubles broke out, the English did not possess one foot of land in this 

 colony but what was fairly obtained by honest purchase of the Indian 

 proprietors. We first made a law that none should purchase or receive 

 of gift any land of the Indians, without the knowledge of our court. 

 And lest they should be straitened, we ordered that Mount Hope, 

 Pocasset, and several other necks of the best land in the colony, 

 because most suitable and convenient for them, should never be 

 bought out ot their hands.' "^ 



This letter brings out two important facts: First, that the people of 

 Plymouth recognized the Indian occupants as the proprietors; second, 

 that they adopted at an early day the rule that no purchases of land 

 should be made without the con.sent of the court. It is to be noticed 

 that Peter Oliver,^ in his severe charge against the Puritans of over- 

 looking the Indians' rights, does not include Plymouth. However, it 

 may not be amiss to add Bancroft's comment on the last clause of 

 Winslow's letter: "Repeated sales had narrowed their [the ludians'] 

 domains, and the English had artfully crowded them into the tongues 

 of land as 'most suitable and convenient for them.' There they could 

 be more easily watched, for the frontiers of the narrow peninsulas were 

 inconsiderable." This, after all. is but a sample on a small scale of 

 what has been done on a much grander plan during the march of 

 civilization over the territory of the United States. 



As indicated above, the theory held by the colonists of Massachusetts 

 in regard to the Indian title to tiie laud was not the same as that held 

 by the people of other colonies. This theory as given by one, though 



1 Th.icher, History of Plymoutli, p. 38, note. ' Thacher, History of Plymouth, p. 145. 



2Book 10, chapter 4. 'Puritau C'ommouweaUli. 



