“ [436] slave for a servant for less time than one year, unless he be a settled housekeep.” Men sold their labor for a certain number of years, or to pay the expenses of immigration; and, in such cases, were sometimes called slaves. Referring to such cases, we find the following: “Ordered that no servant shall be set free, or have any lot, until he has served out the time covenanted.” April 1, 1634, the General Court passed an order, “that if any boy (that hath been whipped for running away from his master) be taken in any other plantation, not having a note from his master to testify his business there, it shall be lawful for the constable of said plantation to whip him, and send him home.” One hundred years after this time, our Medford ancestors found themselves willing to pass the following:--
Sept. 17, 1734: “Voted that all negro, Indian, and mulatto servants that are found abroad without leave, and not in their masters' business, shall be taken up and whipped, ten stripes on their naked body, by any freeholder of the town, and be carried to their respective masters; and said master shall be obliged to pay the sum of 2s. 6d. in money to said person that shall so do.”This vote, we presume, must have been imported from Jamaica. Did our progenitors so learn Christ? 1680: “There are as many (one hundred and twenty) Scots brought hither and sold for servants in time of the war with England, and most now married and living here, and about half so many Irish brought hither at several times as servants.” Judge Sewall, of Massachusetts, June 22, 1716, says, “I essayed to prevent negroes and Indians being rated with horses and cattle, but could not succeed.” No cargoes of slaves were brought into Medford; but how many cargoes of Medford rum went to Africa and the West Indies, and were returned in slaves to Carolina or Rhode Island, we cannot say. The gentlemen of Medford have always disclaimed any participation in the slave-trade. The following extract from a letter, dated Boston, 14th January, 1759, may show what was done at that time. It is as follows :--
