we know you dare not," and much more to the fame purpose. The reason for faying, "you dare not fire,” is probably to be found in the doctrine lately advanced, "that foldiers, while on duty, may upon no occafion whatever fire upon their fellow fubjects, without the order of a civil magiftrate." The mob prefs in upon the foldiers; advance to the points of the bayonets; are defired to keep off; and are treated with cautious attention. This may be owing to apprehenfions of danger to themselves in cafe of a contrary conduct. The fhouts, huzzas, threats, screams, and almost yells of the mob, with the ringing of the. bells to increase the general confufion, may juftly alarm them; but their precaution foon avails nothing. While they are pufhing off the people, without once leaving their ftation or attempting to follow them, the Mulatto, and about a dozen perfons, feveral in failors habits, come down to the fpot, give three cheers, furround the foldiers, and ftrike their guns with clubs, crying out to the others, "Do not be afraid of them, they dare not fire; kill them; kill them; knock them over." The Mulatto aims a blow at captain Preston, ftrikes down one of the guns, feizes the bayonet with his left hand, and shows a hardy difpofition anfwering to the threats which have been uttered. At this inftant, there is a confused cry of "damn your bloods, why don't you fire," and partly from perfons behind the captain. Firing fucceeds. Montgomery, whom the Mulatto has affaulted, after recovering his legs, and relieving his gun by a fudden twitch, is the first that fires, and his affailant falls. After fix or eight feconds, another fires, the other five follow in quick fucceffion. It is agreed, that only seven out

of

of the eight foldiers difcharge their pieces, and that no one fires twice. Three perfons are killed; five are very dangerously wounded, and a few flightly. Moft are either paffengers going through the ftreet, or unaffisting spectators. It is well that no more are killed, confidering that there were from fifty to a hundred about the foldiers. They ran off at the firing, but foon afsemble again to take away the dead and wounded.

The whole town is immediately in the greatest commotion. Their drums beat to arms, and there is a conftant calling out" to arms, to arms, turn out with your guns." The townfmen affemble in the next street, to the amount of fome thousands. The lieutenant governor repairs to captain Preston, and upon coming up asks him, “ how came you to fire upon the people without the orders of a civil magiftrate?" The captain begins to apologize for what had happened, by faying, "we were infulted;" and is about adding more, but recollecting the impropriety of the place, ftops fhort, and afks Mr. Hutchinson to walk up into the guard room, where he means to finish what he has begun; but the lieutenant governor goes to the council chamber. The captain's words are observed by fome gentlemen, who attend Mr. Hutchinson, and are confidered as conceding. to the implied charge of having given direction to fire; and are remembered to his disadvantage. Mr. Hutchinson cannot avoid expofing himself in the midst of the enraged inhabitants, upon whom he prevails to difperfe till morning. It having been a clear moon light night, perfons have been enabled to distinguish what paffed.

The next morning the people collect in vaft bodies. The Mar, lieutenant governor fummons a council.

Before any 6.

debate

that they might be allowed to houfe their goods, but it was not granted. One who had been pretty sturdy, had a committee of tradefmen fent him, with an axe-man, a carpenter, at their head, who told him that there were a 1000 men waiting for his anfwer, and if he did not comply, there was no faying what would be the confequences. The ftrength of the argument prevailed; and a day or two after the paper published that he complied voluntarily. The Boftonians moreover refolved to leave off all trade with the Newport people, because of their duplicity, and breaking through the non-importation agreement. The next month Hartford followed the example of Boston. But about the fame, time, the New Yorkers, by dexterous management, were brought to agree to import every thing, except fuch articles as are, or may hereafter be, subject to duty for the purpofe of raifing a revenue in America." Government gained a party in the committee of merchants, who took advantage of the charges brought against Boston of importing large quantities of goods; and Mr. Hancock was complained of for fuffering them to be brought in his veffels. By thefe means they prepared the minds of the people for the execution of the plan they had concerted. They did not call a meeting of the citizens, in which the vote of the populace, procured by the arts of individuals, might prevail; but went through the several wards, and took the fense of the principal inhabitants feparately, when it appeared that the majority were for importing. Upon the receipt of letters from Philadelphia and Bofton, the fenfe of the inhabitants was again taken, and turned out as before. They were feverely cenfured by the Philadelphians for their defection,

and

and by others alfo. The letter of the committee to the merchants at Bofton, informing them what agreement they had adopted, was contemptuously torn to pieces. When those Yorkers, who were in the intereft of government, began to concert their plan, they refted on af furances of what would be done in parliament, and knew not, for certain, that the duties on glass, paper, and colours, had been taken off; but the news of the obnoxious act being fo far repealed, reached the continent before they had fully perfected the business on the tenth of July *.

The New Yorkers were in general faithful, while their non-importation agreement lafted; more fo, it was thought, than the Boftonians. Thefe fuffered much in their reputation among the fons of liberty at New York and Philadelphia, for the large quantities of goods found by fome of the newspaper publications, to have been imported into Boston. Some of the inhabitants were defirous of rolling away much of the reproach, by pointing out, that a confiderable part of the goods charged to the score of Boston, belonged to Salem, Marblehead, and other ports; but when the non-importation agreements were ended, it was omitted, and thus they continued to lie under greater difgrace than really belonged to them. While the New York plan was carrying on, a trial was made by about a dozen perfons, to frighten the gentlemen who were inclined to import from fo doing, but it failed; the populace had been fecured.

The king gave his affent to the act for repealing the April duties on glass, paper, and colours. The tea duty was

The date of the committee's letter to the Philadelphians, after taking the fenfe of the inhabitants a fecond time.

12.

profeffedly continued as a pepper-corn rent, for the point of honor, and as a badge of fovereignty over the colonies. The miniftry might also mean to use it in fome future period, for deeper purposes than could be then fathomed. They intended in the beginning of the feffion to bring in a bill against American affociations; but the violence of party was fuch, that it was thought the times would not admit of it. The strong oppofition made to minifterial measures at home, was certainly helpful to the cause of the colonies, and encouraged them to go thofe lengths which they would otherwife have scarce ventured upon. This however was not to be charged to the anti-ministerialists, as an evil for which they were answerable. Let ministers attempt at any time, to make unjuftifiable inroads upon the liberties of British fubjects, their opponents are bound in duty, as the guardians of the public, to ufe all warrantable efforts to disconcert them; and the mischief which follows is to be placed to the account of thofe who render, the oppofition a neceffary meafure.

The news of a partial repeal did not fatisfy the colonifts. But they attempted in vain to keep up the nonimportation agreement after the defection of New York, The Boston merchants at length, in a meeting held at the coffee-house in October, unanimously voted to alter it, and adopt the fame plan of importing with that of the New Yorkers. It appeared to be the fenfe of the one and the other, and alfo of the Philadelphians, that no tea fhould be imported; and that if any was brought into the feveral ports, it fhould be fmuggled to avoid paying the duty. The Virginia houfe of burgeffes, in a petition to his majefty, expreffed their exceeding great

concern