Nevertheless, it seemed to be the common opinion that the imprisonment of Apes would frighten the rest of the tribe, and cause them to forego their efforts to recover their rights.  Had this been the case, they might have carted a few more good suppers and dinners out of our woods, and have eaten them on their town meeting days, for two or three days together, twice in the year, and have thrown the bones and crusts to the poor, old and ignorant, among the natives, as they had done, year after year.  The missionary, as usual, might have helped them to devour the spoil, and have seen his flock degraded and abused, before his eyes.  Much was also said about the pains that had been taken to educate the Marshpees, and it was averred, that, instead of going to the schools opened for them, they preferred going about the country picking berries, and basket making.  Mr. Crocker said he had been at great pains to induce the Indians to go to school.  Let him who has been prejudiced against the Marshpees, by such argument, look at the legislative act of 1789, section 5, for the regulation of the plantation, prohibiting the instruction of the Marshpees, in reading and writing, under pain of death.  Who, then, dared to teach them?

Mr. Hawley, the former missionary, spent fifty or sixty years in Marshpee.  He is mentioned in the history of Berkshire County, as a schoolmaster, for the Mohawks, Onedias and Tuscaroras, in 1748, and nothing more is known of him, up to his arrival in Marshpee.  Thither he came to teach, in A.D. 1757, and there he staid till his death.  What his care to educate the tribe was, may be judged from the facts that he did not teach one Indian to read during his residence among them, as I am informed by those who knew him.  He had probably imbibed the opinion that the natives were incapable of being taught, and therefore spared himself trouble that he thought would be of no use.  Nevertheless, he was willing to preach to them, and had a good portion of their land set off for his support.  Truth obliges me to say that not one Indian was converted during the fifty years of his ministry.  The neighbouring whites were the sole recipients of the good resulting from his labors, if there was any.  Speaking on this subject, the Rev. Cotton Mather Smith says that the arrangements for managing Indian schools were never thoroughly made; admirable as was the general plan, and much as it promised.  I think I may safely vouch for the truth and honesty of the reverend gentleman’s admission.

Mr. Fish succeeded Mr. Hawley, in 1809, and was confirmed in his office by the authorities at Harvard, and the white overseers at Marshpee.  The arrangement was sanctioned by the General Court, in 1811; contrary to law, as we think.  Surely it takes two sides to make a bargain, and the consent of the Indians was never asked or obtained.  Both of the divines mentioned above were willing to have the use of the property of the Marshpees; I fear, under a mere pretext of doing them good; and, therefore, that they and the overseers might have a support from the plantation, the owners were constantly proclaimed to be savages.  I wonder what the whites would say, should the Indians take possession of any part of their property.  Many and many a red man has been butchered for a less wrong than the Marshpees complain of.