The Lord having so disposed that your letters to our late Governor have fallen to my lot to answer, I could wish I had more freedom of time and thought so that I might do it more to your and my own satisfaction. But what is wanting now can be supplied later. As for the matters which you and your Council submit to our consideration, we did not think it advisable to make them so public as by bringing them to the cognizance of our General Court. But having been considered by our Council, this answer we think fit to return to you.
1. Whereas you signify your willingness to join us in this war against the Pequots, though you cannot bind yourselves without the consent of your General Court, we acknowledge your good feeling towards us, which we never had cause to doubt, and await your full resolution in due course.
2. Whereas you consider this war concerns us, and not you, except incidentally, we partly agree with you; but we suppose that in case of peril you will not act upon that consideration any more than we should do in like case. We suppose you look upon the Pequots and all other Indians as a common enemy, who though he may vent the first outburst of his rage upon some one section of the English, nevertheless, if he succeed, will thereupon pursue his advantage to the undoing of the whole nation. Therefore, in soliciting your help, we do so with respect to your own safety as well as ours.
3. Whereas you desire that we should bind ourselves to help you on all similar occasions, we are convinced you cannot doubt it; but as we now deal with you as an independent colony, recognizing that we cannot involve you in this campaign against your consent, so we desire the same freedom of decision if at any time you make a similar call upon us; and whereas it is objected that we refused to aid you against the French, we consider the cases are not quite equivalent, though we cannot wholly excuse our failing you on that occasion.
4. Whereas you object that we began the war without consulting you, and have since managed it contrary to your advice; the truth is that our first intentions being only against Block Island and the enterprise seeming of small difficulty, we did not so much as consider taking advice or looking for aid. When we had decided to include the Pequots, we sent to you at once, or very shortly after, and by the time your answer was received it seemed unadvisable for us to change our plans.
5. As for our people trading at Kennebec, we assure you it has not been with our permission; and what we have provided to meet such cases at our last court, Mr. Winslow can inform you.
6. Whereas you object to our trading and corresponding with your enemies the French, we answer you are misinformed. Except for some letters which have passed between our late Governor and them, of which we were cognizant, we have neither traded nor encouraged our people to trade with them; and only one or two vessels taking letters had permission from our Governor to go there.[10]
Several other objections have been made to us privately by our worthy friend, to which he has received some answer; but as most of them concern particular discourtesies or injuries from individuals here, we cannot say more than this: that if the offenders are exposed in the right way, we shall be ready to do justice as the cases require. In the meantime we desire you to rest assured, that such things are done without our knowledge, and are not a little grievous to us.
Now as to joining us in this war, which only concerns us to the same extent as it does yourselves, viz., the relief of our friends and Christian brethren who are now first in danger. Though you may think us able to carry it through without you,—and if the Lord please to be with us, so we may,—nevertheless three things we offer for your consideration, which we think will have some weight with you.
First, if we should sink under this burden, your opportunity of seasonable help would be lost in three respects; you could then only reinforce us or secure yourselves there at three times the risk and expense of the present undertaking; the suffering we should have borne, if through your neglect, would much reduce the acceptableness of your help afterwards; those amongst you who are now full of courage and zeal, would be dispirited and less able to support so great a burden.