blifhment. It will be needlefs for me to affure you, that you may upon all occafions, command the affistance of

Your, &c.

N. B. Some of the captains have refused to take the tea on board.

1773.

May

14.

B

LETTER VII.

Roxbury, March 28, 1774.

EFORE you have an account of the American proceedings in refpect to the teas of the EaftIndia Company, you must be presented with fome matters of an earlier date.

The Bostonians perfifted in difcovering on every occafion, a determined oppofition to minifterial measures. Twelve days before the election day the town refolved, "That if the council apply for Faneuil-hall for to dine in on the anniversary election day, the select men fhall not grant it but it but upon the exprefs conditions, that neither the commiffioners of the customs, nor their attendants, nor the officers of the army and navy, ftationed here for the purpose of enforcing unconstitutional acts of parliament by military execution, be invited." It has been an established cuftom for the governor, council, and many other gentlemen, to dine there on that day:

but

but the refolve prevented an application, and occafioned their dining elsewhere, with the commiffioners and officers.

Whether the votes of Boston fent to Virginia, as the patriots fay, or their own private letters might or might not lead to it, the house of burgeffes refolved, in the beginning of March, to maintain an intercourfe with the fifter colonies. They therefore appointed a committee of eleven perfons "whose business it should be to obtain the most early and authentic intelligence of all fuch acts and refolutions of the British parliament, or proceedings of adminiftration, as may relate to or affect the British colonies, and to keep up and maintain a correfpondence and communication with their fifter colonies." They then refolved, "That their fpeaker tranfmit to the speakers of the different affemblies their refolutions to be laid before their affemblies, and requesting their appointing committees." Nothing could be more acceptable to the Maffachufett's affembly. It was the firft particular bufinefs they en- May tered upon when they met. They came to several refölves, and were careful in the first to speak highly in praise of Virginia. They appointed a committee of fifteen members, and directed them "to prepare a circular letter to the fpeakers, requefting them to lay the fame before their refpective affemblies, in confidence that they will comply with the wife and falutary réfolves of the house of burgeffes of Virginia." Connecticut, Rhode Iland, Maryland, and New Hampshire, entered into fimilar measures: but the answer ordered by the New Hampshire affembly, to be given to the speakers of Virginia and Rhode Island, was guardedly expreffed; they gave affurance, that their fifter colonies might rely upon their

Y 4

28.

of a standing army, ftationed in the very bowels of the land; and that amazing number of placemen and de pendants, with which every maritime town already fwarms, no people can ever be truly virtuous, free, or brave:

Refolved, That the parliament of Great Britain, ufurping and exercising a legislative authority over, and extorting an unrighteous revenue from thefe colonies, is against all divine and human laws. The late appointment of falaries to be paid to our fuperior court judges, whofe creation pay and commiffion depend on mere will and pleasure, completes a fyftem of bondage, equal to any ever fabricated, by the combined efforts of the ingenuity, malice, fraud and wickedness of man:

* Refolved, That it is the opinion of this town, that a defpotic arbitrary government is the kingdom of this world, as fet forth in the New Teftament, and is diametrically oppofite to the establishment of Christianity in a fociety, and has a direct tendency to fink a people into a profound state of ignorance and irreligion; and that, if we have an eye to our own and pofterity's happiness (not only in this world, but the world to come) it is our duty to oppofe fuch a government:

* And further refolved, That the depriving the colonies of their conftitutional rights, may be fitly com pared to the difmembering the natural body, which will foon affect the heart; and it would be nothing unexpected for us to hear, that thofe very perfons, who have been fo active in robbing the colonies of their conftitutional rights, have alfo delivered up the conftitution of our mother country into the hands of our

There

Therefore refolved, That it is the first and highest focial duty of this people, to confider of, and feek ways and means, for a speedy redress of these mighty grievances and intolerable wrongs; and that for the obtaining of this end, this people are warranted, by the laws of God and nature, in the ufe of every rightful art and energy of policy, ftratagem and force.

* And while we are thus under thefe awful frowns of divine Providence, and involved as this people are in heavy calamities, which daily increase in number and feverity, it is highly becoming towns and individuals to humble themfelves before Almighty God, feriously to commune with their own hearts, and feek carefully with tears, for the caufes of the prevailing diftreffes of the land; and while it is apparent, that priftine piety and purity of morals, have given place to infidelity, diffipation, luxury, and grofs corruption of mind and morals, there is a loud call for public humility, lamentings and reformation; and it is at this time eminently incumbent on one and all, to feek at the throne of the Great God for those special and remarkable interpofitions of divine Providence, grace and mercy, which have so often faved New England from both public and private diftrefs and mifery and as there is great reason to believe, that in past times we have too much depended upon the exer tions of worldly wisdom and political devices, it be comes us in our prefent melancholy fituation, to rely no longer on an arm of flefh, but on the arms of that allpowerful God, who is able to unite the numerous inhabitants of this extenfive territory, as a band of brothers in one common caufe who can eafily give that true religion, which fhall make us his people indeed; that

fpirit

fpirit, which fhall fit us to endure temporal hardships for the procurement of future happiness; that fpirit of valor and irrefiftible courage, which fhall occafion our aged and our youth to jeopard their lives with joy, in the high places of the field, for his name and fervice fake, for the prefervation alfo of this goodly heritage of our fathers, for the fake of the living children of our loins, and the unborn millions of pofterity.

* We believe that there are very many, who in the fe days have kept their integrity and garments unfpotted, and hope that God will deliver them and our nation for their fake. God will not fuffer this land, where the gofpel hath flourished, to become a flave of the world; he will ftir up witneffes of the truth; and in his own time fpirit his people to ftand up for his caufe, and deliver them. In a fimilar belief, that patriot of patriots the great Algernon Sidney lived and died, and dying breathed a like fentiment and prophecy, touching his own and the then approaching times, a prophecy however not accomplished until a glorious revolution.

Approved of by vote of the town, without contradiction.

SYLVANUS HOW, per order.

The governor, instead of over-looking in his speech, the proceedings of the towns, has been induced by them to broach the difpute about the fupremacy of the parliament; and has fallen into the fnare, which probably fome of the politicians laid for him, expecting to get the majority of the general court to declare against it. He defigned to recommend himself to the miniftry by obtaining a victory; but they will not thank him for increafing their embarraffments.

The