1774.

The Iriends

of govern ment obli

ged to take refuge in Boston.

CHAP. fhip was kept up. Every thing now wore the appearance X. of enmity and war. The custom-houfe officers had already found it neceffary to abandon Salem and return to Boston, to which they carried the apparatus of a customhoufe, though an act of parliament had put an end to all trade in the place. No refidence was found throughout the province for any of the friends of government; nor was the behaviour of the Bostonians themselves more friendly, had the terrors of the military power been removed. Every token of hatred and contempt that with impunity could be shewn, was poured upon the foldiers; a piece of very bad policy on the part of the Americans, as they could not but expect that the former would revenge themselves by innumerable cruelties, as foon as a declaration of war gave them full liberty to vent their paflions. The approach of winter rendered it neceffary to provide quarters for the troops; and as general Gage rightly fuppofed, that the greatest disturbances would be occafioned by an attempt to quarter them on the inhabitants, he thought of erecting temporary barracks for them. Even this, however, was oppofed with vehemence; the felect-men obliged the labourers to defift from their work, though government had engaged to pay them. He fent to New-York for carpenters, but the rulers of that city refufed to fuffer any to depart.Nor was his fuccefs better in an attempt to procure winter cloathing from thence; the merchants, to a man, returning for anfwer, that they never would fupply any article for those who were fent as enemies to their country. In every other refpect, the greateft difguft, apprehenfion, and animofity, fubfifted between the two parties. The Bostonians pretended to be under continual apprehenfions of immediate danger to their lives and properties; while, on the other hand, the foldiers confidered themselves as in an enemy's country, and prepared for the worft extre

mities.

This univerfal discontent and jealoufy was heightened by a measure on the part of government, which feemed not to be dictated by any immediate neceffity. This was the landing of a detachment of failors by night, whọ fpiked up all the cannon on one of the principal batteries of the town. Such an evident indication of the governor's fufpicion of hostile intentions, could not fail to imprefs the Americans with an idea of his entertaining defigns equally hoftile with regard to them. The provincial congrefs continued their fittings, and, under the title of recommendations, had, in fact, established a new go

X.

1774.

vernment. They had fettled the militia, regulated the CHAP. public treasures, provided arms, and appointed a day of public thanksgiving, in which, among other bleffings, they particularly returned thanks to the Almighty for the general union which prevailed among the colonies. To all this general Gage oppofed the ineffectual remedy of a proclamation, dated November 10, in which he indirectly charged them with treafon and rebellion, prohibiting the.. inhabitants, in the king's name, from complying with the requifitions of fuch an unlawful affembly.

This proclamation was not attended with the smallest effect either on the proceedings of the provincial congress in particular, or the conduct of the people in general; and as expreffes were continually paffing between the provincial congrefs at Concord, and the general one at Philadelphia, there is no doubt that the fentiments of the former were regulated by those of the latter.

Nov. 1

Among the objects taken into confideration by this Schemesf affembly, a principal one was the fituation of the capital, the relief

of Boston.

for the relief of whofe inhabitants various schemes were propofed. One was, fimply to remove the inhabitants; another, to fet a valuation upon their eítates, and reimburfe the proprietors for their loffes: but both these were found to be fo much incumbered with difficulties, that it was impoffible to put either of them in execution; and it was thought improper as yet to have recourfe to force. Great numbers of the principal inhabitants, however, now quitted the town, from the apprehension, as they pretended, of immediate violence from the troops, or of being kidnapped and fent over to England to be tried for their fuppofed offences. In this ftate, things continued till the commencement of hoftilities in 1775, when the city being closely blocked up on all fides, both parties began to experience great diftrefs; and as the inhabitants had now no other means of fubfiftence but from the king's ftores, the provincials were the more ftrict in preventing any supplies, as being in hopes that the want of provifions would lay the governor under a neceflity of confenting to their departure from the town; or at least, fuffer the women and children to depart, which had been repeatedly applied for. At laft, from what motives cannot General well be afcertained, he entered into a capitulation with Gage acthe inhabitants, by which, on condition of delivering up cufed of their arms, they were to have free liberty to depart with breach of all their effects. This condition was punctually fulfilled the inhabion the part of the inhabitants; but, when they came totants. demand leave to depart, as had been promised, to their

faith with

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1774.

CHAP. utter confufion and aftonifhment, it was refufed. This piece of treachery did not fail to add to that general opinion of British want of faith, which the Americans, from the very beginning, had entertained, and which appears to have remained with them to the laft. Many inhabitants, indeed, from time to time, obtained leave to depart, but they were obliged to leave all their effects; and the general congrefs complained, that paffports were granted or refufed in fuch a manner that families were broken, and the dearest connections feparated; part of them being obliged to depart, while the reft were retained againft their will. Of this tranfaction, fo difgraceful to government, no account was ever published by the ministerial party; that juft now given, therefore, and which is collected from the American accounts, muft be fuppofed to be the true onc.-The poor and helpless, however, were all fent off.

General congrefs

meets at

Philadelphia,

Sep. 5, 1774.

While thefe tranfactions were going forward, the miniftry beheld their unhappy fchemes of dividing the colonies, terminate in the most extraordinary union the world had ever feen fince the union of the Arab tribes by Mahomet. The twelve old American colonies, inhabiting a coaft extended for more than 2000 miles in length, clashing in manners, interefts, and religious principles, had with one voice appointed delegates to meet in a general congrefs at Philadelphia. This extraordinary affembly fat down for the first time in that city, September 5, 1774. Several of the colonies had given inftructions to their deputies. In general, they contained the ftrongest profeffions of loyalty and allegiance, as well as of affection and gratitude to the mother country and a defire of conftitutional dependence on her, with other things to the fame purpofe. At the fame time, however, they unanimoufly concurred in declaring, that they never would give up thofe rights and liberties, which, they said, had defcended to them from their ancestors; and which, by all laws divine and human, they were bound to tranfmit whole and pure to their pofterity. They maintained that they were entitled to all the rights and privileges of British fubjects; that the power lately affumed by parliament was unjuft, and the only caufe of the difturbances which had taken place; and the late acts refpecting the province and capital of Maffachuffetts-Bay were unconftitutional, oppreffive, and dangerous. Others were more violent; but all concurred in complaining of their grievances, and in an abfolute determination never to submit to the obnoxious acts of parliament. Some proposed terms of re

X.

n

1774.

conciliation, which, on their part, were an obedience to CHAP. all the trade-laws paffed or to be paffed, excepting fuch as were specified; the fettling an annual revenue on the crown for public purposes, and to be difpofed of by parliament. In every thing, however, they were to adhere to the decifion of the majority; and this majority was to be determined by confidering each of the colonies as having a fingle vote, without any regard to the number of deputies they fhould fend.

with ref

The first public act of congrefs was a declaratory refo- Their de lution with refpect to the people of Maffachusetts-Bay, claratory in which they expreffed, in the most pathetic terms, their refolution concern for the fufferings of that people, under the ope- pect to ration of the late unjuft, cruel, and oppreflive acts of the Maffachu British parliament; and a thorough approbation of the fetts-Bay. wisdom and fortitude with which their oppofition to these minifterial meafures had hitherto been conducted, as well as of the conduct of the Suffolk delegates; earnestly recommending, at the fame time, a perfeverance in such conduct, with a continuance of the contributions from the other colonies for the relief of the city, as long as their neceflities might require. By fome after-declarations they formally approved of the oppofition fhown to government in that province, and hoped that all America fhould fupport them in cafe there was occafion. To the province in general, they recommended to submit to a sufpenfion of the adminiftration of juftice until the effect of their petition to the king for the repeal of obnoxious acts fhould be known. They determined alfo, that every perfon who fhall accept, or act, under any commiffion or authority derived from the late act of parliament, changing the form of government, and violating the charter of that province, ought to be held in deteftation, as the wicked tool of defpotifm. To the inhabitants, however, they recommended to behave themfelves peaceably towards general Gage and his troops, as far as couldpoffibly be done confiftently with public fafety; and they concluded that an attempt to transport any person beyond fea, in order to try him for offences done in America, is contrary to law, and deferves to meet with resistance and reprifal.

The congrefs next wrote a letter to general Gage, in Letter te which, after the ufual complaints relative to the blocking general up Boston harbour, &c. they declared the determined re- Gage, folution of the colonies to unite for the preservation of their common rights, in oppofition to the late acts of liament, under the execution of which the unhappy people of that province had been fo much oppreffed. The

par

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1774.

CHAP. congrefs had been appointed guardians of the liberties of America; and they regretted that while they pursued every dutiful and peaceable measure for reftoring friendfhip between Great-Britain and her colonies, his excellency fhould adopt a behaviour fo exceedingly hoftile, that it did not feem to be warranted even by the oppreffive acts of parliament themfelves. Such conduct, they said, must have a tendency to provoke the people ftill more, and ultimately bring on all the horrors of a civil war. To prevent thofe evils, they intreated that the general would difcontinue the fortifications at Bofton Neck, prevent any further invafions of private property, reftrain the irregularities of the foldiers, and give orders that the communication between the town and country fhould reman open and free.

Declaration

A declaration of rights was afterwards published, to of rights. which they said the British colonics were entitled by the immutable laws of nature, the principles of the British conftitution, and their feveral charters or compacts. Their ancestors, at the time of their migration, were entitled to all the rights, liberties, and immunities of free natural born fubjects; and by such emigration, they neither forfeited, furrendered, nor loft any of their rights. They then ftated, that the foundation of English liberty, as well as of all free government, is a right in the people to participate in their legislative council. They next proceeded to fhew, that as the colonifts were not, and from various causes could not be reprefented in the British parliament, they were entitled to a free and exclufive power of legislation in the feveral provincial legislatures, where their right of representation could alone be preferved, in all cafes of taxation and internal policy, fubject only to the negative of their sovereign, in fuch manner as had been heretofore ufed and accustomed. To qualify this extenfive demand of legislation, however, they consented to the operation of fuch acts of the British parliament as were, bona fide, reftrained to the regulation of their external commerce, for the purpose of fecuring the commercial advantages of the whole empire to the mother-country, and the commercial benefits of its refpective members, excluding every idea of taxation, internal or external, for raising a revenue on the fubjects in America, without their confent.

Their other refolves, in this declaration, had an imme diate refpect to the late acts of parliament. They maintained, that the colonies were entitled to the common law of England, but more especially to the great and ineftimable privilege of being tried by their peers: that they