History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

Personal Sketches 199
warned off their prospectors and claimed the territory as Plymouth's.
This counter-claim was in the interest of the persecuted Gortonians, with
whom Brown was "very familiar." The matter came more than once
before the Commissioners, who, with sapient vagueness, decided as to the
tract, that "the right owners ought to have it,
In 1651 Massachusetts renewed her claim, and prepared fresh warrants
for seizing Gorton and his men. Brown, supported by his colleague, Hatherly,
boldly resisted the claim before the Commissioners, and condemned
the officers of Massachusetts. The latter pleaded a waiver in their behalf
by the Plymouth Government. Brown stoutly re-a£Grmed Plymouth's
right to Shawomet, and declared any waiver of that right wholly vedueless,
though made by the governor and magistrates of Plymouth; for not an
inch of her soil could be alienated except by vote of the whole lx>dy of
freemen in General Court assembled. So vigorous and fearless were
Brown and Hatherly in pushing their rival claim that the efforts of Massachusetts
were neutralized, and the Gortonians no more persecuted. When
at length the demand of the Bay was dropped (1658), so was that of
Plymouth, its chief object having been accomplished.
Probably an ill-feeling growing out of this sharp contest of 1651 led
to an occurrence at the next session (1652). The meeting was to be at
Plymouth; but on the day set, only five members appeared,—a quorum
being six. Late the second day Astwood, of New Haven, arrived, having
been hindered by bad roads. John Brown also came in. That httle congress
had no lack of ceremony,—the Massachusetts members being
especially given to it, and it was in order for Brown to render his excuse.
He gravely announced that he had been plagued with a toothache, and
might not have come sooner if he could have had all Plymouth. This, or
something else on Brown's part, gave great offence to the ceremonious
Boston members,—Speaker Hathorne and Bradstreet; and, contrary to
Bradford's appeals, the unparliamentary decision was forced through, that
when no quorum should appear at the opening hour on the first day no
session could be held that year, even though a quorum should come in
later.
The members dispersed with unpleasantness. The General Court of
Massachusetts was so unwise as to mix in the affair; for it formally indorsed
the course of its two members, and insolently voted that it should
expect an apology from one of the Plymouth members for incivility to one
of hers from the Bay. Plymouth evidently took this as a threat that Brown
must apologize or be refused his seat, for she manfully re-elected both him
and Bradford, and voted not only that a Commissioner arriving late was
entitled to act, but if both her members should be in attendance, and for
any reason one should not take part, neither should the other. This was
a bolder action than at first appears. It was quite intelligible notice to the
Bay men that their position was untenable, and that any interference with
Brown would be followed by a dissolution of the congress through the
non-representation of one of the Colonies. The matters involved do not
seem to have been again mentioned.
In 1652 the independent ways of the old shipwright called down some
high-handed censure from his stern and sturdy pastor, Newman. Brown
sued the minister for slander, and the General Court gave him a verdict of
£100 damages, and 23s. costs. Brown at once arose in court and, Hke
Holmes, remitted the £100; vindication was all he wanted.
In 1655, while Brown sat in the court, certain men of Rehoboth, complaining
of the backwardness of their people in contributing for public
worship, asked that all the people be compelled by tax to pay their part,
as in "the other Colonies." Bradford had favored this plan, but Brown
opposed it. The petition came from his town, he said, but he had not before
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