such a course would involve the Commonwealth
in extra expense. I should like to ask what thanks are due to
the learned gentleman from the Commonwealth, for subjecting it to
continued reproach and disgrace for the sake of a few dollars. Or, can
it be that there is no disgrace in persisting in wrong toward Indians?
Let those who think so, think so still; but there are many who think
otherwise, and there is one above who knows that they think rightly.

When the witnesses and the pleadings had been heard, the jury retired,
for the sake of decency, and presently returned with a verdict of
_guilty_. I thought that his Honor appeared to be pleased with it. The
judgment was suspended about two hours, when the Court again sat, and
the matter was called up. There was not a little said concerning
the case. Messrs. Reed, Sumner, Holmes and Nye, of Yarmouth, Boston,
Rochester, and Sandwich, all professional men, were opposed to the
course pursued by the Court, and thought that an exposition of the
law to us and reprimand would be productive of a better effect, than
imprisonment, or other severe punishment, which they justly believed
would do no good whatever. Their judgment has since been confirmed by
public opinion, and by the acts of the Legislature.

Since this affair took place, I have been kindly informed by a
gentleman of Barnstable, that my punishment was not half severe
enough. I replied that, in my mind, it was no punishment at all; and I
am yet to learn what punishment can dismay a man conscious of his own
innocence. Lightning, tempest and battle, wreck, pain, buffeting and
torture have small terror to a pure conscience. The body they may
afflict, but the mind is beyond their power.

The gentleman above mentioned, and one other, have frequently said to
the Marshpees, "If you will only get rid of Apes, and drive him off
the plantation, we will be your friends." This has been their continued
cry since I began to use my poor endeavors to get the Indians righted;
and if it is not now universally believed that it is impossible to
benefit and befriend the Indians while I am among them, it is not
because they have spared any pains to propagate the doctrine. One
would think, to hear these gentlemen talk, that they have a strong
desire to benefit the Marshpees; and the question naturally arises,
what steps they would take to this end, if they had the power. If
we are to judge of the future by experience of the past, we may
reaso