Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLISH COLONIAL LITERATURE
from us. And wheras it is objected to us, that we refused to aide you against ye
French; we conceive ye case was not alicke; yet we cannot wholy excuse our
failing in that matter. (4ly.) Weras you objecte that we began ye warr without
your privitie, & managed it contrary to your advise; the truth is, that our rst
intentions being only against Block Iland, and ye interprice seeming of small
dicultie, we did not so much as consider of taking advice, or looking out for
aide abroad. And when we had resolved upon ye Pequents, we sent presently,
or not long after, to you aboute it; but ye answer received, it was not seasonable
for us to chaing our counsells, excepte we had seen and waighed your grounds,
which might have out wayed our owne.
(5ly.) For our peoples trading at Kenebeck, we assure you (to our knowledge)
it hath not been by any allowance from us; and what we have provided in this
and like cases, at our last Courte, Mr. E. W. can certie you.
And (6ly); wheras you objecte to us yt we should hold trade & correspondancie
with ye French, your enemise; we answer, you are misinformed, for, besids
some letters which hath passed betweene our late Govr and them, to which
we were privie, we have neither sente nor incouraged ours to trade with them;
only one vessell or tow, for ye better convece of our letters, had licens from
our Govr to sayle thither.
Diverce other things have been privatly objected to us, by our worthy
freind, wherunto he received some answer; but most of them concerning ye
apprehention of perticuler discurteseis, or injueries from some perticuler
persons amongst us. It concernes us not to give any other answer to them
then this; that, if ye oenders shall be brought forth in a right way, we shall
be ready to doe justice as ye case shall require. In the meane time, we desire
you to rest assured, that such things are without our privity, and not a litle
greeveous to us.
Now for ye joyning with us in this warr, which indeed concerns us no other
wise then it may your selves, viz.: the releeving of our freinds & Christian
breethren, who are now rst in ye danger; though you may thinke us able
to make it good without you, (as, if ye Lord please to be with us, we may,)
yet 3. things we oer to your consideration, which (we conceive) may have
some waight with you. (First) yt if we should sinck under this burden, your
opportunitie of seasonable help would be lost in 3. respects. 1. You cannot
recover us, or secure your selves ther, with 3. times ye charge & hazard which
now ye may. 2ly. The sorrowes which we should lye under (if through your
neglect) would much abate of ye acceptablenes of your help afterwards. 3ly.
Those of yours who are now full of courage and forwardnes, would be much
damped, and so less able to undergoe so great a burden. The (2.) thing is this,
that it concernes us much to hasten this warr to an end before ye end of this
somer, otherwise ye newes of it will discourage both your & our freinds from
coming to us next year; with what further hazard & losse it may expose us unto,
your selves may judge.
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