try the gentle mode of ftating their grievances, and making a firm and decent claim of redrefs. They conclude with warning dealers not to raife the price of their merchandife beyond the ufual rates, on account of any refolutions that might be taken with respect to importation; and by a declaration, that that province would break off all dealing and commercial intercourfe whatsoever, with any town, city, or colony on the continent, or with any individuals in them, who fhould refufe, decline, or neglect to adopt and carry into execution fuch general plan as fhould be agreed upon in the congrefs. August 1st. At a meeting of

the delegates of the feveral counties of Virginia at Williamsburgh, which lafted for, fix days, befides profeffions of allegiance and loyalty, of regard and affection for their fellow-fubjects in Great-Britain, equally strongly expreffed with thole which we have mentioned, and several refolutions in common with the other colonies, they paffed others which were peculiar, and confidering the flate and circumstances of that province, with its immediate dependence on the mother country for the difpofal of its only ftaple commodity, muft be confidered very deferving of attention, becaufe ftrongly indicating the true fpirit of that people.

Among thefe, they refolved not to parchafe any more flaves from Africa, the West-Indies, or any other place; that their non-importation agreement fhould take place on the first of the following November; and that if the American grievances were not redreffed by the 10th of August 1775, they would export, after that time, no

tobacco, nor any other goods whatever, to Great-Britain; and to render this laft refolution the more effectual, they strongly recommended the cultivation of fuch articles of husbandry, inftead of tobacco, as might form a proper bafis for manufactures of all forts; and particularly to improve the breed of their fheep, to multiply them, and to kill as few of them as poffible. They alfo refolved to declare those enemies to their country, who fhould break through the non-importation refolution. The people of Maryland, the other great tobacco colony, were not behindhand with thofe of Virginia in their determinations; and the two Carolinas, whofe exiftence feemed to depend upon their exportation, were by no means among the leaft violent.

Thus the Bofton Port-Bill and its companions had even exceeded the prognoflications of their most violent opponents. They had raifed a flame from one end to the other of the continent of America, and united all the old colonies in one common caufe. A fimilar language was every where held; or if there was any difference in the language, the measures that were adopted were every where directed to the fame object. They all agreed in the main points, of holding a congrefs, of not fubmitting to the payment of any internal taxes, that were not, as ufual, impofed by their own affemblies, and of fufpending all commerce with the mother country, until the American grievances in general, and thofe of Maffachufett's-Bay in particular, were fully redreffed.

The people, as is always the cafe, were, from circumstances or

temper,

temper, more or lefs violent in different places; but the refolution as to the great object of debate, the point of taxation, was every where the fame, and the most moderate, even at New-York, feemed determined to endure any evils, rather than fubmit to that. At Newport, in Rhode Island, the flame burned higher than in fome other places; an inflammatory paper was there published, with a motto in capitals Join or Die;" in this piece the ftate of Bofton was reprefented as a fiege, and as a direct and hoftile invafion of all the colonics; "the generals of defpotifm," it fays, "are now drawing the lines of circumvallation around our bulwarks of liberty, and nothing but unity, refolution, and perfeverance can fave ourselves and our potterity from what is worfe than death, Slavery."

66

What rendered this state of affairs the more dangerous, was, that it did not arife from the difcontent of a turbulent or oppreffed nobility, where, by bringing over a few of the leaders, the reft must follow of course, or perfift only to their ruin; nor did it depend upon the refolution or perfeverance of a body of merchants and dealers, where every man habitually fludious of his immediate intereft, would tremble at the thought of thofe confequences, which might effentially affect it; and where a few lucrative jobs or contracts, properly applied, would fplit them into numberless factions; on the contrary, in this inftance, the great force of the oppofition to government confifted in the land-holders throughout America. The British lands in that vaft continent are generally portioned out in numberlefs fmall

freeholds, and afford that mediocrity of condition to the poffeffors, which is fufficient to raife ftrong bodies and vigorous minds; but feldom that fuperabundance, which proves fo fatal to both in old and refined countries. The American freeholders at prefent, are nearly, in point of condition, what the English Yeomen were of old, when they rendered us formidable to all Europe, and our name celebrated throughout the world. The former, from many obvious circumstances, are more enthufiaftical lovers of li berty, than even our Yeomen were. Such a body was too numerous to be bribed, and too bold to be def pifed without great danger.

In this untoward ftate of public affairs, General Gage had the confolation to receive a congratulatory addrefs from the Justices of the Peace of Plymouth county, affembled at their general feffions, in which, befides the cuftomary com. pliments, they expreffed great concern at feeing that the inhabitants of fome towns, influenced by certain perfons, calling themselves committees of correfpendence, and encouraged by fome, whofe bufinefs it was as preachers of the Gofpel, to inculcate principles of loyalty and obedience to the laws, entering into a league, calculated to increafe the difpleafure of the fovereign, to exafperate the parent country, and to interrupt the harmony of fociety. A protest was alío paffed by feveral gentlemen of the county of Worcester, against all riotous diforders, and feditious practices. Thefe efforts had however no other effect, than probably to lead the governor as well as adminiftration into an erroneous opinion, as to the strength and number

of

of the friends of government in that province

Though liberal contributions were raifed in the different colonies for the relief of the fuffering inhabitants of Bofton; yet it may be eafily conceived, that in a town, containing above 20,000 inhabitants, who had always fubfifted by commerce, and the feveral trades and kinds of business fubfervient to it, and where the maintenance of numberless families depended merely upon locality, that the cutting off of that grand fource of their employment and fubfiftence, muft, notwithstanding any temporary reliefs, occafion great and numerous diftreffes. Even the rich were not exempt from this general calamity, as a very great part of their property confifted in wharfs, warehoufes, fheds, and all thofe numerous erections, which are deftined to the purposes of commerce in a great trading port, and were no longer of any value.

They, however, bore their misfortunes with a wonderful conftancy, and met with a general fympathy and tenderness, which much confirmed their refolution. Their neighbours, the merchants and inhabitants of the town and port of Marblehead, who were among those who were to profit the moft by their ruin, instead of endeavouring to reap the fruits of their calamity, fent them a generous offer of the ufe of their ftores and wharfs, of attending to the lading and unlading of their goods, and of tranfacting all the bufinefs they fhould do at their port, without putting them to the fmalleft expence; but they at the fame time exhorted them to perfevere in that

patience and refolution, which had ever been their characteristic.

Soon after the General's arrival in his government, two regiments of foot, with a fmall detachment of the artillery, and fome cannon, were landed at Boston, and encamped on the common, which lies within the Peninsula on which the town ftands. These troops were by degrees reinforced by the arrival of feveral regiments from Ireland, New York, Hallifax, and at length from Quebec. It may be eafily conceived, that the arrival and ftation of thefe troops was far from being agreeable to the inha bitants; nor was the jealoufy in any degree lefs, in the minds of their neighbours of the furrounding counties. This diffatisfaction was further increased by the placing of a guard at Bofton Neck: (which is the narrow Ifthmus that joins the Peninsula to the continent), a measure of which the frequent desertion of the foldiers was either the caufe, or the pretext.

In.this ftate, a trifling circumftance gave the people of Boston a full earneft of the fupport they might expect from the country in cafe of extremity, and an opportunity of knowing the general temper of the people. A report had been fpread, perhaps indu ftrioufly, that a regiment pofted at the neck had cut off all communication with the country, in order to ftarve the town into a compliance with any meafures that might be propofed to them. Upon this vague report, a large body of the inhabitants of the county of Worce fter immediately affembled, and difpatched two meffengers exprefs to Bofton, to difcover the truth of

the

the intelligence. Thefe envoys informed the town, that if the report had been true, there were feveral thousand armed men, ready to have marched to their affiftance; and told them further, that they were commiffioned to acquaint them, that even though they might be difpofed to a furrender of their liberties, the people of the country would not think themselves at all included in their act. That by the late acts of the British parliament, and the bills which were pending therein, when the laft intelligence was received, their charter was utterly vacated; and that the compact between Great-Britain and the colony being thus diffolved, they were at full liberty to combine together in what manner and form they thought beft for mutual fecurity.

Not long after, the governor if August 4th. for fued a proclamation the encouragement of piety and virtue, and for the preventing and punishing of vice, prophanenefs, and immorality. This proclamation, which was avowedly in imitation of that iffued by his majesty upon his acceffion, feems, like moft acts of government about this time, to have been wrong placed, and ill-timed. The people of that province had always been fcoffed at, and reproached by their enemies, as well as by thofe of loofe manners, for a pharifaical attention to outward forms, and to the appearances of religious piety and virtue. It is fcarcely worth an obfervation, that neither proclamations or laws can reach farther than external appearBut in this proclamation Hypocrify" being inferted a

ances.

mong the immoralities, again which the people were warned, it feemed as if an act of state were turned into a libel on the people; and this infult exafperated greatly the rage of minds already fufficiently difcontented.

Along with the new laws, which did not arrive till the beginning of Auguft, Governor Gage received a lift of 36 new counfellors, who in conformity to the new regulations of them, were appointed by the crown, contrary to the method prefcribed by the charter, of their being chofen by the representatives in each affembly. Of thefe gentlemen, about 24 accepted the office, which was a fufficient number to carry on the bufinefs of government, until a fresh nomination fhould arrive for filling up the vacancies.

Matters were now, however, unfortunately tending to that crifis, which was to put an end to all eftablished government in the province. The people in the different counties became every day more outrageous, and every thing bore the femblance of refiftance and war; in Berkshire and Worcefter counties in particular, nothing was to be seen or heard of, but the purchafing and providing of arms, the procuring of ammunition, the cafting of balls, and all thofe other preparations, which teftify the most immediate danger, and determined refiftance. All thofe, who accepted of offices under the new laws, or prepared to act in conformity with them, were every where declared to be enemies to their country, and threatened with all the confequences due to fuch a character. The people of Connecticut,

looking