sion that it would be the last of the kind. Their forebodings were increased, by the number and characters of the elected counsellors whom governor Gage negatived, not less than thirteen. He laid nothing before the court more than the ordinary besiness of the province; but gave them notice of their removal to Salem on the first of June in pursuance of the act, Learning that the house of assembly, to avoid removing were hastening through the necessary business, with the greatest expedition, he adjourned the general court to the seventh of June, then to meet at Salem. Before that day the inhabitants of several towns and cities, in different parts of the continent, concurred in expressing the greatest disapprobation of the measures pursued against Boston, an abhorrence of the new act, and a condemna-tion of the principles on which it was founded, with a resolution to oppose its effects in every manner, and to support their distressed brethren, who were to be the immediate victims. At Philadelphia a subscription was set on foot for the support of such poor inhabitants of Boston, as should be deprived of the means of subsistence by the operation of the act.. The Virginia house of burgesses appointed the first of June to be set apart as a day of fasting and humiliation, devoutly to implore the divine interposition, for averting the heavy calamity which threatened destruction to their civil rights, and the evils of a civil war; and for giving one heart and one mind to the people, firmly to oppose every injury to the American rights. This occasioned their dissolution; but before they separated, eighty nine of the members entered into an association, in which they declared, "That an attack made on one of our sister colonies, to compel submission to arbritrary taxes, is an attack made on all British America, and threatens ruin to the rights of all, unless the united wisdom of the whole be applied." They recommended to the committee of correspondence, to communicate with the several committees of the other provinces, on the expediency of appointing deputics from the different colonies, to meet annually in general congress, to deliberate on those measures, which the united interests of America might from time to time require. [June 1.] Business was finished at the custom-house in Boston at twelve o'clock at noon, and the harbour shut up against all vessels bound thither; and after the fourteenth none were to be allowed to depart. The day was devoutly kept at Williamsburgh in Virginia, as a day of fasting and humiliation. There was a solemn pause in the business of Philadelphia. If we except the Quakers, near nine-tenths of the citizens shut up their houses; and the bells were rung, muffled, all the day. It was observed in other places as a day of mourning. [June 7.] The Massachusetts general court met at Salem ac cording cording to adjournment, and a committee was appointed to consider and report the state of the province. Mr. Samuel Adams observed, that some of the committee were for mild measures, which he judged no way suited to the present emergency. He conferred with Mr. Warren of Plymouth upon the necessity of giving into spirited measures, and then said, "Do you keep the committee in play, and I will go and make a caucus* against the evening; and do you meet me." Mr. Samuel Adams secured a meeting of about five principal members of the house, at the time specified; and repeated his endeavours against the next night; and so as to the third, when they were more than thirty: the friends of administration knew nothing of the matter. The popular leaders took the sense of the members in a private way, and found that they should be able to carry their scheme by a sufficient majority. They had their whole plan compleated, prepared their resolves, and then determined upon bringing the business forward. But before they went upon it, the door-keeper was ordered to let no one whatsoever in, and no one was to go out however, when the business opened, a ministerial member pleaded a call of nature, which is always regarded, and was allowed to go out. He then ran to give information of what was doing, and a messenger was dispatched to general Gage, who lived at some distance. The secretary was sent off to dissolve the general court; found the door fastened; knocked for entrance, but was answered, that the house was upon very important business, which when they had finished they would let him in. As he could obtain no entrance, he read the proclamation upon the steps leading to the representatives' chamber, in the hearing of several members and others on the out-side with him, and immediately after in the council, thus dissolving the general court. The house, while sitting with their doors shut, appointed Thomas Cushing, Samuel Adams, Robert Treat Pain, James Bowdoin and John Adams, esqrs. as their committee to * The word caucus, and its derivative caucusing,are often used in Bofton. The laft answers much to what we flile parliamenteering or electioneering. All my repeated applications to different gentlemen have not furnished me with a fat isfactory account of the origin of caucus. It seems to mean a number of perfons, whether more or lefs, met together to confult upon adopting and profecuting fome fcheme of policy, for carrying a favorite point. The word is not of novel invention. More thango years ago, Mr.S.Adam's father, and 20 others, one or two from the north end of the town, where all the fhip bufinefs is carried on, ufed to meet, make a caucus, and lay their plan for introducing certain perfons into places of truft and power. When they had fettled it, they feparated, and ufed each their particular influence within his own circle. He and his friends would furnish themselves with ballots, including the names of the parties fixed upon,which they diftributed on the days of election. By acting in concert together, with a careful and extenfive diftribution of ballots, they generally carried the elections to their own mind. In like manner it was, that Mr. Samuel Adams firft became a reprefentative for Bofton. meet meet other committees, that might be convened the first of September at Philadelphia, voted them five hundred pounds lawful (seventy-five pounds sterling) each, and chose a treasurer. They recommended also to the several towns and districts, the raising the said sum, by equitable proportions, according to the last provincial tax--a recommendation which had all the force of a law. It was a triumph to many of the sons of liberty to think that the house had out-generalled the governor. Sometime before the dissolution of the general court, near upon three hundred citizens of Philadelphia met and appointed a committee to write to Boston. Their letter was temperate and firm. They acknowledged the difficulty of offering the inhabitants advice upon the sad occasion that existed; wished first to have the sense of the province in general; and observed that all lenient applications for obtaining redress should be tried, before recourse was had to extremities. They remarked that it might perhaps be right to take the sense of a general congress, before the desperate measure of putting an entire stop to commerce was adopted; and that it might be right at any rate, to reserve that measure as the last resource when all other means had failed. They mentioned, that if the making of restitution to the East-India Company for their teas would put an end to the unhappy controversy, and leave the people of Boston upon their ancient footing of constitutional liberty, it could not admit of a moment's doubt what part they should take; but they added, it was not the value of the tea, it was the indefeasible right of giving and granting their own money, a right from which they could never recede, that was now the matter of consideration. The importance and necessity of a general congress was soon felt by every colony, so that the measure taken by the Massachusetts was gradually adopted by the others. Maryland, whose zeal in the cause of liberty was ardent, had a meeting of the committees appointed by the several counties, at the city of Annopolis, who elected five deputies for that province [June 25.] "to attend a general congress, at such time and place as may be agreed on, to effect one general plan of conduct, operating on the commercial connection of the colonies with the mother country, for the relief of Boston and preservation of American liberty." This meeting commenced three days before the election of deputies; and considering the distance of Salem from Annopolis, cannot be ascribed to the transaction of the Massachusetts assembly on the seventeenth; beside it appears from the words at such time and place as may be agreed on, that the committees did not know that the Massachusetts assembly had mentioned the con VOL. I. Hh vening vening of a general congress on the first of September at Philadelphia. When the opinion of the Boston town-meeting respecting a joint resolution of the colonies to stop all importation and exportation till the port-bill was repealed, arrived in South-Carolina, it was represented to a number of the principal gentlemen in Charlestown. The mode proposed was thought to be of too much consequence to be adopted without the universai consent of the people. It was therefore determined to request a meeting of the inhabitants. That this might be as general as possible, circular letters were sent by express to every parish and dis trict within the colony. [July 6.] A great number from almost every part of SouthCarolina met at Charlestown. The proceedings of parliament against Boston and the Massachusetts Bay were distinctly related to this convention of the people; on which, without one dissenting voice, they came into various resolutions. Among others they resolved, "That five gentlemen be appointed deputies on the behalf of this colony, to meet the deputies of the several colonies in North-America in general congress, to consider the act Lately passed, and bills depending in parliament, with regard to the port of Boston and province of Massachusetts, also the grievances under which America labors, with full power and authority, in behalf of us and our constituents, to concert, and effectually to prosecute, such legal measures (by which we for ourselves and them most solemnly engage to abide) as in the opini on of the said deputies, and of the deputies so to be assembled, shall be most likely to obtain a repeal of the said acts, and a redress of these grievances."-That, while the oppressive acts relative to Boston are enforced, we will cheerfully, from time to time, contribute toward the relief of such persons there, whose unfortunate circumstances may be thought to stand in need of most assistance:""That a committee of ninety-nine persons be now appointed, to act as a general committee, to correspond with the committees of the other colonies, and to do all matters and things necessary to carry the resolutions into execution; and that any twenty-one of them met together, may proceed on businesstheir power to continue till the next general meeting." The appointment of the above-mentioned deputies was recognized, ratified and confirmed by the house of assembly, at their next session, on the second of August. The Connecticut house of representatives, in expectation of he event during their recess, empowered a committee of nine, in ase a congress of commissioners from the several colonies should convened, to meet and choose delegates to serve for that co lony lony, and to correspond with other committees. Mr. Silas Deane was of the committee, and being ambitious of going to congress, schemed their meeting at New-London, (instead of Hartford) where through the influence of a most worthy fatherin-law, his own policy, and his own vote, he obtained a majority of one, and became one of the four Connecticut delegates, though not viewed by those who know him most, as a person of the greatest integrity, or the truest patriotism. At Philadelphia, a petition signed by near nine hundred freeholders was presented to Mr. Penn, the governor, entreating hint to call a general assembly as soon as possible. This request being.refused, the province proceeded to the election of deputies, who soon after met at Philadelphia. The resolutions passed at this meeting, carry the marks of cool and temperate deliberation, as well as affection to the mother country, more than those of any others; and are at the same time equally firm in the deter mination of supporting the colonial rights. In them the deputies set out with the strongest professions of duty and allegiance, and express their abhorence of every idea of an unconstitutial dependence on the parent state, and the most ardent wishes for a restoration of the former harmony. They reprobate in the strongest terms the act and bills relative to the Massachusetts-Bay, and declare that they consider their brethren at Boston, as suffering in the common cause. They insist upon the absolute necessity of a congress to consult together and forni a general plan of conduct for all the colonies. They acknow ledge, that a suspension of the commerce of that large trading province with Great-Britain, will greatly distress multitudes of their industrious inhabitants, but pronounce themselves ready to offer that sacrifice, and much greater, for the preservation of their liberties; however, they express their desire, that congress will first try the gentle mode of stating their grievances, and making a firm and decent claim of redress. They conclude with declar ing, that that province will break off all commercial intercourse whatever, with any town, city or colony, and individuals in them. who shall refuse, or neglect to adopt and carry into execution, such general plan as shall be agreed upon in the congress. They did not undertake to appoint the delegates, but left it to the Pennsylvania assembly, [July 22.] who soon after fixed upon seven gentlemen. At a meeting of delegates, from the different counties in Vi ginia at Williamsburgh, beside the warmest professions of allegiance and loyalty, and several resolutions in common with the other colonies, they passed others, which considering the cir cumstances of the colony, with its immediate dependence on the mother |