New London
June 27. 1765.
To the Hon.ble
And.w Oliver
Esq.r,
Sir,
I'm blam'd, extreemly
blam'd, for Writting to you
againſt
M.r Occom; And I blame myſelf for Saying any^thing^
y.t was
needleſs for me to say about him. I tho't, and do ſtill think, that it was my proper Buſineſs to inform you what part he Acted in the Differences, &
Dificulties which have ariſen at Mohegan, reſpecting both the School; & Lectures; nor am I conſcious of knowingly mis‐ repreſenting
any thing to you in his Conduct; tho' I've reaſon to
ſuſpect
myſelf in what is Matter of Judgement upon it; as I cant clear myſelf of having been prejudiced againſt him: And therefore hope that Nothing will be layd up againſt him meerly from ^my^ Opinion of him. Beſides, Sir, I muſt in faithfulneſs relate what has
occurd
ſince I wrote to you. At a meeting of the
Correspondents, in
Lebanon
last March, many things which had been publickly reported of M.r Occom were diſcoursed of by the Gent.n of that Board; and ſome things which they apprehended he was to blame in were pointed out to
him. He ſubmitted to their Judgm.t, and promiſed a ſtrict regard to their Counſel. More particularly, those things which had been grievous to me in his
Con‐ duct at Mohegan,
were debated before them. He Acknowledged his Mis‐ conduct in the
Manner of rejecting their School Master; declared his In‐ nocency as to any Intention of promoting the Separation at Mohegan; or elſwhere; That it was his deſire, and ſhould be his endeavour to pro‐ mote my Uſefulneſs among the Indians; That he never underſtood the
Pleaſure of the Hon.ble
Com̅iſs.rs to be otherwiſe than that he ſhould Settle his family upon his own Lands at Mohegan; Nor was it with any
vew of making Overtures [illegible] contrary the
appointment of the Com‐ miſsioners, that he came there. And as to his Saying "that he would turn Church-man and be above y.e Miniſters around, or the like, as was reported, he declard it was ſpoke only in Jest, & in a way of Banter ariſing from the preſent
Diſensſions: had two who were pre‐ sent w.n he ſpoke it, teſtified that they underſtood him in no other Light Upon the whole M.r Occom, & I renewed our Friendſhip, and in the
Preſence of the Board, burnt the Papers of
Controversy. As I had layd before you what dash'd my Hopes concerning him, I purpoſed to offer you what had now revivd
'em; and promiſed to write you aſsoon as I could. I Accordingly wrote the next Week, and went to [illegible]^[illegible]^
Norwich in hopes of Conveyance, but was
disappointed. I had no other Intention but to imbrace
y.e first Opportunity to send it; but before any preſented, (being loth to send by ye Post) I took notice that M.r Occom
ſtill
forſook my Lectures, which I promiſed
myſelf he would Attend, for as I said, I had his promiſe "That to his best
Diſcretion, he would endeavour to promote my Services [illegible] among
the Indians: and I had inſstanc'd
[illegible] that to him as a Proof I ſhould look for; and w.t I was ready to think, would have the happiest In‐ fluence.
This hath
occaſioned the long delay; nor has he once attended my Lectures ſince, 'till
To Day, when I rec.d the follg Letter.
Mohegan
June 26 1765.
Rev.d Sir,
You are very ſenſable of the difficult Cituation of
our Indians , Old Prejudices are not dead, but rather
revive of
late, and new bias have ſprung up, And it is very difficult to deal
^[below]with them.^
with them. There needs a great deal of Chriſtian
Polacy (If I may
so expreſs myself) And this is one Reaſon why I have not as yet
attended Your Lecture; And indeed I ſhould before now, if you
did not delay Writting to the
Hon.ble
Com̅iſs.rs of Boston. And it is
my purpoſe to attend your Lecture, as Buſineſs, & Peregrinations will
permit. And will by degrees, endeavour to conciliate
the Indians;
only let me not be drove, &
Urgd to it to hard, And I ſhall not
be wanting in your Service — only let me be Aſsured of a Friend,
if not, I must defend myself as I can. This is from
Y.r
ſincere
& very humble Sert
Samſon Occom
To the Rev.d
David Jewett. PS. You may Com̅unicate
w.t you please of this to the Hon.ble
Com̅iſs.rs of Boston —
I ſhall add but this, That I hope his future Conduct will Witneſs for him to your Hon.ble Board, to this Gov.t, and to the World. Pray forgive my tediouſneſs, and ſtill give me leave as Occaſion
ſhall call for, to ſpread my Complaints before you. I'm not only heartily wearied, but almost diſtracted, with Con‐ tentions; But when I am myself,
I'm
With dutifull
Reſpect to ye
Hon.ble Board
y.r ready Serv.t
David Jewett
[right]Mr
Jewet's Letter to the
Honble
Andrew Oliver
Eſqr
June 26th 1765
about
occom
^[bottom]A Copy.^