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having been elected by the very privates they command; and to the refignations of a number who had governmental commiffions, but have thrown them up, from an apprehenfion that the Americans will not fucceed; this gave an opening for a fet of fellows totally deftitute of both courage and honor, to push themselves forward and get chofen.

General Gage iffued a proclamation offering a pardon in the king's name, to all who fhould forthwith lay down their arms, and return to their peaceable occupations, except Samuel Adams and John Hancock. All, who did not accept of the proffered mercy, who should protect, affift, conceal or correfpond with fuch, were to be treated as rebels and traitors. It alfo declared, that as a ftop was put to the due courfe of juftice, martial law fhould take place till the laws were reftored to their due efficacy. The proclamation had no other effect than to put the provincials upon looking out for the opera14. tions which were to fucceed. The Maffachusetts con

grefs chose their prefident, Dr. Warren, fecond major general in their own forces; the firft having been chofen the day before.

A discovery has been made, which will deliver down to posterity the name of governor Hutchinfon, loaded with infamy. An accident has thrown into the hands of the Americans, the books of his copied letters to the ministry and others, in his own hand writing. By means of them, the several charges brought against him, of his enmity to his own colony, of his confummate duplicity, of his advising miniftry to alter the charter, and to ufe force for the establishment of their plans, and of his affuring them that they would meet with no effectual

refiftance from the boafting fons of liberty, whofe courage would certainly fail them when put to the trial, have been authenticated beyond the poffibility of a denial.

When he quitted the province, all his furniture was left behind in his feat at Milton. After the Lexington engagement, the committee of the town removed it, in order to fave it from being totally ruined. Mr. Samuel Henshaw*, defirous of feeing how the house looked, when stript of all the furniture, repaired thither with the gentleman who had the key. He went at length up into a dark garret, where he discovered an old trunk, which he was told was left behind, as it contained nothing but a parcel of useless papers. Curiofity led him to examine them, when he foon difcovered a letter book of Mr. Hutchinfon's, which he fecured, and then posted away to Dr. Warren, to whom he related what had happened; on which an order was foon fent to general Thomas at Roxbury, to poffefs himself of the trunk. It was brought to his quarters: and there, through the imprudent exultations of fome about the general, the contents were too often expofed to perfons reforting thither, and fome fingle letters conveyed away: one for the public good, it being thought that if the fame was generally known, it might be of differvice in the prefent moment, as it had not a favorable afpect upon the ftaunch patriotifin of Mr. Hancock. The letter books and other papers were afterward taken proper care of; and have been fubmitted to my infpection. Many of his letters, befide what have already appeared, will be printed: thofe you meet with as his, in the Boston * Since collector of impoft and excife for the county of Suffolk in the Maffachusetts,

Gazette, or actually taken from it, you may depend upon as genuine, and faithfully copied.

Mr. Hutchinfon behaved much to the fatisfaction of the public as judge of probates. He was ready to affift, in a moft obliging manner, the widow and the orphan with his advice, whenever their bufinefs called them before him. As chief juftice he was not exceptionable, only when he supported the cause of government against the claims of the people. When in the chair of the first magiftrate, his appointments to different offices were generally of men well qualified for discharging the duties of the fame, though moftly fupporters of government: he was advised by a British naval officer to fecure Meff. Hancock and S. Adams by promoting them; but replied, that though such a scheme might answer in regard to Mr. H. it would not as to Mr. A. for it would be only giving him more power to aid him in his opposition, and that he should not be able afterward to remove him. Under the charter the governor cannot remove from offices without the confent of the council; and Mr. Hutchinson knew that Mr. S. Adams's intereft in the council would be greater than his own. He was used to profess the warmest attachment to the good of his native colony, and that he was ever aiming to promote its happinefs; and would frequently fhow the letters he had written about the time of the ftamp-act, in opposition to that measure. He ingratiated himself by his free, familiar, and condefcending intercourfe with the common people, whom he would join, walk and converse with, in his way, from the meeting to his feat. On these accounts he had a number of friends and advocates, who thought highly of him; but fince the difco

very of his letters, they begin to own that they were deceived in the man, and wofully mistaken in the good opinion they entertained of him. He will be execrated in America if not in Great Britain.

The dispatches forwarded to the general congrefs from the Maffachusetts the beginning of May, led on to their refolving themselves into a committee of the whole to take into confideration the ftate of America. Before they finished this great business, they refolved unanimously "That all exportations to Quebec, Nova Scotia, the island of St. John's, Newfoundland, Georgia, except the parish of St. John's, and to East and West Florida, immediately ceafe, and that no provision of any kind, or other neceffaries, be furnished to the British fisheries, on the American coafts, until it be otherwife determined by the congress." The parish of St. John's was excepted, as it had fent a delegate to congrefs. They continued to fit in committee from day to day till the 24th, when the honorable Peyton Randolph, being under a neceffity of returning home, and the chair being thereby vacated, they unanimously chofe the honorable John Hancock efq; prefident.

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A report from the committee being read, the congress May. came unanimously into certain refolutions; and among other matters they refolved, "That the colonies be immediately put into a state of defence: but that, as they moft ardently wifh for a restoration of the harmony formerly fubfifting between the mother country and these colonies, for the promotion of this moft defirable reconciliation, an humble and dutiful petition be presented to his majesty." It was then refolved, but not unanimously," That measures be entered into for opening

a negotiation, in order to accommodate the unhappy difputes fubfifting between Great Britain and thefe colonies, and that this be made a part of the petition to the king."-Afterward "That the militia of New York be armed and trained, and in conftant readiness to act at a moment's warning."

Mr. Dickinson, the author of the farmer's letters, is now a member of congrefs for Pennsylvania. His heart was much engaged in bringing about a reconciliation, and he labored hard in procuring a fecond petition to the king; but it was oppofed by feveral, and occafioned ftrong debates for fome days. However for the fake of congreffional harmony it was at length unanimoufly agreed to; as they that oppofed it had not the leaft idea of its proving effectual, from a full perfuafion that the British ministry would be fo irritated, by what had happened on April the nineteenth, as to reject all tenders fhort of full fubmiffion. Thefe nevertheless declined voting, that measures for a negotiation fhould make a part of the petition. Since the Lexington engagement, many of the New Englanders believe, that the conteft muft end in abfolute slavery or real independence.

Congress wrote a letter to the Canadians, ftiling them the oppreffed inhabitants of Canada, and themselves friends and countrymen. It was defigned to perfuade them, that their prefent form of government is a form of tyranny, and that they, their wives and children, are made flaves ; to prevent their taking a part against the colonies in the prefent conteft; and to procure a union of all in defence of common liberty.