prejudice was strong against the poor children of the woods, and that any aid we might receive must come from the more hospitable Indians, among whom we arrived on the twenty-first, and rested till the twenty-fifth.  We regarded ourselves, in some sort, as a tribe of Israelites suffering under the rod of despotic Pharaohs; for thus far, our cries and remonstrances had been of no avail.  We were compelled to make our bricks without straw.

We now, in our synagogue, for the first time, concerted the form of a government, suited to the spirit and capacity of free born sons of the forest; after the pattern set us by our white brethren.  There was but one exception, viz. that all who dwelt in our precincts were to be held free and equal, in truth, as well as in letter.  Several officers, twelve in all, were elected to give effect to this novelty of a government; the chief of whom were Daniel Amos, President, and Israel Amos, Secretary.  Having thus organized ourselves, we gave notice to the former board of overseers, and the public at large, of our intentions.  This was the form of our proclamation: 

    NOTICE.

    Marshpee Plantation, June 25th, 1833.

Having heretofore been distressed, and degraded, and robbed daily, we have taken measures to put a stop to these things.—­And having made choice of our own town officers to act instead of the whites, and having acquainted the Governor of our affairs and resolutions, he has nothing against our putting them in force.[1] And now we would say to our white friends, we are wanting nothing but our rights betwixt man and man.  And now, rest assured that said resolutions will be enforced after the first day of July, 1833.  Done at the National Assembly of the Marshpee Tribe, and by the authority of the same.

        DANIEL AMOS, President.

        ISRAEL AMOS, Secretary.

Hereupon the Missionary and agents and all who put faith in them, combined together to work our destruction, as is well known to all men.

We then proceeded to discharge all the officers appointed by the Governor and Council, firmly believing that each and every one of the existing laws concerning the poor Israelites of Marshpee was founded on wrong and misconception.  We also forwarded a letter and resolution to Gideon Hawley, to the effect that we were dissatisfied with his proceedings with regard to our affairs and with those of the other officers, that we desired their stay among us no longer, that we were seeking our rights and meant to have them, and we therefore demanded of them all a final settlement, and warned them not to violate our regulations.  The resolution was as follows: 

    Resolved, That we will no longer accede to your terms after
    the first day of July next, 1833.

    Done by the authority of the Marshpee Tribe.

        DANIEL AMOS, President.