Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 02.pdf/190

 In the Name of the Law.

IN THE NAME OF THE LAW. TN this enlightened age of tolerance and forbearance, it is difficult for us to under stand the bigotry and intolerance which distinguished our forefathers in the Old Colony days. Fleeing as they did from civil and religious persecution, one would naturally suppose that the early settlers of New England would have been actuated by feelings of sympathy for others in like cir cumstances. Strange as it may appear, the Pilgrim Fathers proved no better than the oppressors from whose intolerance they sought a refuge on o'ur shores. The early colonial records are filled with acts of the colonists which bring the blush of shame to the cheeks of their descendants. In fanatical persecution Massachusetts easily takes the lead; and the opening chap ters of her history are black indeed, filled as they are with cruel, bloody deeds, executed in the name of the law. In his "American Criminal Trials" Mr. Chandler has given us graphic accounts of the persecution of the Quakers, and from them we may extract some sad but very interesting material. In the year 1656 the colonists of Massa chusetts were very much surprised to learn that two women of the sect which had begun to be called Quakers had arrived in Boston from Barbadoes. There was no law in the colony against such persons, but that was considered unimportant; it was easy to make a law for the occasion, or easier still to act without any law at all. This last alternative was adopted. These two poor women, irreproachable in character, were seized and put in prison; and after suffering great indignities, they were driven from the country. It would seem as if the misusage of these two women caused a flocking of Quakers from all points of the compass to Boston, only for the sake of getting ill-treated. In this respect they were certainly gratified; for eight, who made their

appearance within a short time, were in like manner imprisoned and banished. As deal ing with this peculiar class now seemed likely to require much attention from the authorities, it was thought the time had come to have a little law to regulate pro ceedings; and a local court passed an enact ment declaring that any Quakers who should hereafter arrive in the colony should be se verely whipped, and confined at hard labor in the house of correction. Shortly after this several came, were whipped, confined, and dismissed; and others took their places. Finding that the law was apparently too lenient for the purpose for which it was designed, a fresh enactment was passed. Fines were imposed on every person who gave house-room to Quakers, or who at tended their meetings, or otherwise sanc tioned their pernicious opinions. After a first conviction every Quaker, if a man, was to lose one ear, and after a second, the other; if a woman, she was each time to be severely whipped; and for the third offence, both men and women were to have their tongues bored through with a red-hot iron. These harsh enactments, however, did not deter the Quakers, who continued to arrive in great numbers and seemed to glory in their persecution. Whippings, confinement, hard labor, fines, cutting off the ears, and boring the tongue proving utterly ineffectual, a new law was passed in 1658, declaring that all Quakers who in the future intruded themselves into Massachusetts should be banished on the pain of death. Three Quakers forthwith offered themselves as the first victims. Their names were Mary Dyer, Marmaduke Stephenson, and William Robin son. Their defence at their trial clearly showed that they were persons in a state of frenzy; they asserted that by means of visions they had been induced to come to Massachusetts and brave the worst that could be done to them. On the 19th of