The Legal Battle and Spiritual War against the Native People
Sir George Peckham.
1582.
| The leaders of the effort to colonize the new world faced a double challenge: They had to win royal approval for their enterprise, and they had to persuade people to become colonists. In addition, they had to assure their investors that the colonization effort would be a commercial success and repay the investors with large profits. The late Sixteenth and early Seventeenth Centuries saw the appearance of numerous treatises, essays, travel narratives, and advertisements which set forth the advantages of colonization. Among the advantages often mentioned were the propagation of the Gospel among savages, the establishment of Protestant religion in the new world, the interdiction of Spanish (and later French) expansion in the new world, the promise of gold and the securing of inexhaustible natural resources, and, in Peckham’s view, the provision of work for the idle. Peckham was an associate and partner of the adventurer, Sir Humphrey Gilbert, and an organizer of several colonization schemes. |
The second Chapter
sheweth, that it is lawful and necessary to trade and traffique with the
Savages: And to plant in their Countries: And divideth planting into two
sorts.
And first for
traffique, I say that the Christians may lawfully travel into those Countries
and abide there: whom the Savages may not justly impugne and forbidden
in respect of the mutual society and fellowship between man and man prescribed
by the Law of Nations....
The first, when
Christians by the good liking and willing assent of the Savages, are admitted
by them to quiet possession.
The second,
when Christians being unjustly repulsed, do seek to attain and maintain
the right for which they do come. . . .
Moreover, it
shall be requisite either by speech, if it be possible, either by some
other certain means, to signify unto them, that once league of friendship
with all loving conversation being admitted between the Christians and
them: that then the Christians from thenceforth will always be ready with
force of Arms to assist and defend them in their just quarrels, from all
invasions, spoils and oppressions offered them by any Tryants, Adversaries,
or their next borderers: and a benefit is so much the more to be esteemed,
by how much the person upon whom it is bestowed standeth in need thereof.
For it appeareth
by a relation of a Countryman of ours, namely David Ingram, (who traveled
in those countries xi. Months and more) That the Savages generally for
the most part, are at continual war with their next adjoining neighbours,
and especially the Cannibals, being a cruel kind of people whose food
is mans flesh, and have teeth like dogs, and do pursue them with ravenous
minds to eat their flesh, and devour them.
And it is not
to be doubted, but that the Christians may in this case justly and lawfully
aid the Savages against the Cannibals....
But if after
these good and fair means used, the Savages nevertheless will not be herewithall
satisfied, but barbarously will go about to practise violence either in
repelling the Christians from their Ports and safelandings, or in withstanding
them afterwards to enjoy the rights for which both painfully and lawfully
they have adventured themselves thither:
Then in such
a case I hold it no breach of equity for the Christians to defend themselves,
to pursue revenge with force, and to do whatsoever is necessary for the
attaining of their safety: For it is allowable by all Laws in such distresses,
to resist violence with violence: And for their more security to increase
their strength by building of Forts for avoiding the extremity of injurious
dealing....
The fourth chapter
sheweth how that the trade, traffic, and planting in those countries,
is likely to prove very profitable to the whole realm in general.
Moreover, it
is well known that all Savages, as well those that dwell in the South,
as those that dwell in the North, so soon as they shall begin but a little
to taste of civility, will take marvelous delight in any garment, be it
never so simple; as a shirt, a blue, yellow, read or green cotton cassocke,
a cap, or such like, and will take incredible paines for such a trifle....
Besides this,
it will prove a general benefit unto our country, that through this occasion,
not only a great number of men which do now live idlely at home, and are
burdenous, chargeable and profitable to this realm, shall hereby be set
on work, but also children of twelve or fourteen years of age, or under,
may be kept from idleness, in making of a thousand kinds of trifling things,
which will be good merchandise for that country. And moreover, our idle
women (which the Realm may well spare) shall also be imployed on plucking,
drying, and sorting of feathers, in pulling, beating, and working of hempe,
and in gathering of cotton, and divers things right necessary for dying.
All which things are to be found in those countries most plentifully.
And the men may imploy themselves in dragging for pearl, working for mines,
and in matters of husbandry, and likewise in hunting the Whale for Trane
[oil], and making caskes to put the same in: besides in fishing for cod,
salmon, and herring, drying, salting and barrelling the same, and felling
of trees, hewing and sawing of them, and such like work, meet for those
persons that are no men of Art or science.
The sixth Chapter
shows that the traffique and planting in those countries, shall be unto
the Savage themselves very beneficial and gainefull. Now to the end it
may appear that this voyage is not undertaken altogether for the peculiar
commodity of ourselves and our country (as generally other trades and
journeis be) it shall fall out in proof, that the Savages shall hereby
have just cause to bless the hour when this enterprise was undertaken.
First and chiefly,
in respect of the most happy and gladsome tidings of the most glorious
Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ, whereby they may be brought from falsehood
to truth, from darkness to light, from the highway of death, to the path
of life, from superstitious idolatrie to sincere Christianity, from the
devil to Christ, from hell to heaven. And if in respect of all the commodities
they can yield us (were they many more) that they should but receive this
only benefit of Christianity, they were more then fully recompensed....
I say and affirm
that God hath provided such means for the furtherance of this enterprise,
as do stand us in stead of great treasure: for first by reason that it
hath pleased God of his great goodness, of long time to hold his merciful
hand over this realm, in preserving the people of the same, both from
slaughter by the sword, and great death by plague, pestilence, or otherwise,
there are at this day great numbers (God he knoweth) which live in such
penurie and want, as they could be contented to hazard their lives, and
to serve one year for meat, drink and apparel only, without wages, in
hope thereby to amend their estates: which is a matter in such like journeys,
of no small charge to the prince. Moreover, things in the like journeys,
of greatest price and cost as victuall (whereof there is great plenty
to be had in that country without money) and powder, great artillery,
or corselets are not needefull in so plentiful and chargeable manner,
as the show of such a journey may present: for a small quantities of all
these, to furnish the Fort only, will suffice until such time as divers
commodities may be found out in those parts, which may be thought well
worthy a greater charge. Also the peculiar benefit of archers which God
hath blessed this land withall before all other nations, will stand us
in great stead amongst those naked people....
To conclude, since by Christian duty we stand bound chiefly to further all such acts as do tend to the encreasing the true Flock of Christ by reducing into the right way those lost sheep which are yet astray: And that we shall therein follow the example of our right vertuous predecessors of renown memory, and leave unto our posterity a divine memorial of so godly an enterprise: Let us I say for the considerations alleged, enter into judgement with ourselves, whether this action may belong to us or not, the rather for that this voyage through the mighty assistance of the omnipotent God, shall take our desired effect (whereof there is no just cause of doubt.) Then shall her Majesties dominions be enlarged, her highness ancient titles justly confirmed, all odious idleness from this our Realm utterly banished, divers decayed towns repaired, and many poore and needy persons relived, and estates of such as now live in want shall be embettered, the ignorant and barbarous idolaters taught to know Christ, the innocent defended from their bloody tyrannicale neighbours, the diabolical custom of sacrificing human creatures abolished....