cannot describe, we should not wish to conceal. Feeling as men, and thinking as subjects, in the manner we do, silence would be disloyalty. By giving this faithful information, we do all in our power to promote the great objects of your royal cares, the tranquillity of your government, and the welfare of your people.

"Duty to your majesty, and regard for the preservation of ourselves and our posterity, the primary obligations of nature, and society, command us to entreat your royal attention; and as your majesty enjoys the signal distinction of reigning over freemen, we apprehend the language of freemen cannot be displeasing. Your royal indignation, we hope, will rather fall on those designing and dangerous men, who daringly interposing themselves between your royal person, and your faithful subjects, and for several years past, incessantly employed to dissolve the bonds of society, by abusing your majesty's authority, misrepresenting your American subjects, and prosecuting the most desperate and irritating projects of oppression, have at length compelled us, by the force of accumulated injuries, to be any longer tolerable, to disturb your majesty's repose by our complaints.

"These sentiments are extorted from hearts that would much more willingly bleed in your majesty's service; yet so greatly have we been misrepresented, that a necessity has been alleged of taking our property from us, without our consent, to defray the charge of the administration of justice, the support of civil government, and the defence, protection, and security of the colonies." These allegations being promptly denied, they proceed-" Yielding to no British subjects in attachment to your majesty's per on, family and government, we too dearly prize the pleasure of expressing that attachment, by those proofs that are honourable to the prince that receives them, and to the

people that give them, ever to resign it to any body of men on earth.

"We ask but for peace, liberty and safety. We wish not a diminution of the prerogative, nor do we solicit the grant of any new right in our favour; your royal authority over us, and our connection with Great Britain, we shall always carefully, and zealously endeavour to support, and maintain."

Here follows a summary of the grievances of which they complained, with the purity, and sincerity of the motives of this appeal; they then proceed.

"Permit us, then, most gracious sovereign, in the name of all your faithful people in America, with the utmost humility, to implore you, for the honour of Almighty God, whose pure religion our enemies are undermining; for your glory, which can be advanced only by rendering your subjects happy, and keeping them united; for the interests of your family, depending on an adherance to the principles that enthroned it; for the safety and welfare of your kingdom and dominions, threatened with almost unavoidable dangers and distresses; that your majesty, as the loving father of your whole people, connected by the bonds of law, loyalty, faith, and blood, though dwelling in various countries, will not suffer the transcendent relation, formed by these ties, to be violated, in uncertain expectation of effects, that, if attained, can never compensate for the calamities through which they must be gained."

Congress next resolved that an address be prepared and presented to their constituents, and Messrs. Lee, Livingston, and Jay were appointed as a committee to prepare the same, which is summarily comprised in the following extract. After stating the causes of the present troubles, and

the measures of Congress to remove them, they thus conclude:

"Your own salvation, and that of your posterity, now depends upon yourselves. You have already shewn that you entertain a proper sense of the blessings you are striving to retain. Against the temporary inconveniences you may experience from the stoppage of trade, you will weigh in the opposite balance the endless miseries you and your descendants must endure, from an established arbitrary power. You will not forget the honour of your country, that must, from your behaviour, take its title in the estimation of the world, to glory or to shame; and you will with the deepest attention reflect, that the peaceable mode of opposition recommended by us, be broken and rendered ineffectual, as your haughty and cruel ministerial enemies, from a contemptuous opinion of your firmness, insolently predict will be the case, you must inevitably be reduced to choose either a more dangerous contest, or a final, ruinous, and infamous submission.

"Motives thus cogent, arising from the emergency of your unhappy condition, must excite your utmost diligence and zeal, to give all possible strength and energy to the pacific measures calculated for your relief. But we think ourselves bound in duty to observe to you, that the schemes agitated against the colonies have been so conducted, as to render it prudent that you should extend your views to mournful events, and be in all respects prepared for every contingency. Above all things, we earnestly entreat you, with devotion of spirit, penitence of heart, and amendment of life, to humble yourselves, and implore the favour of God Almighty; and we fervently beseech his divine goodness to take you into his gracious keeping."

Letters were also addressed to Canada, Novascotia, St. Johns, and Georgia, inviting them to mutual aid in the common cause of British America.*

These were all masterly and dignified productions; did honour to the illustrious statesmen of the day, and were of great utility in carrying forward and supporting the common cause of the colonies, both in Europe and America. Congress further agreed that another Congress should be called on the 10th day of May next, unless the obnoxious acts should be repealed; and on the 26th of October, they dissolved their sittings.

The wisdom, firmness, dignity, and patriotic spirit of this Congress, will shed a lustre on the American character to the latest generation.

"Pending the session of Congress, Gen. Gage issued his writs, and called an assembly in Massachusetts, to be held at Salem on the 5th of October, but he afterwards countermanded the session by his proclamation. This the members disregarded, and assembled at Salem according to order.

"The governor not having appeared on that day, they proceeded on the 6th to appoint a committee to consider the proclamation, and resolved themselves into a provincial congress, to be joined by such as have been, or may be chosen, to take into consideration the alarming state of public affairs." They met again the following day, and adjourned to Concord, where they again assembled, agreeable to adjournment, and chose John Hancock, Esq. president. They next proceeded to appoint a committee to wait on the governor and present their remonstrance, in which they explain the causes and motives of their present proceedings, and spread before the governor a sketch of their grievances, in long detail, and remonstrate

*

Messrs. Cushing, Lee, and Dickinson, were the committee who prepared these addresses.

very pointedly against the fortress then erecting by his orders upon Boston neck. The governor remonstrated in his turn, with much warmth of feeling, against their proceeding, which he was pleased to term illegal and unconstitutional; but they disregarded his remonstrances, and proceeded to adjourn, to meet at Cambridge.

The provincial congress met at Cambridge, according to adjournment, on the 17th, and proceeded to appoint a committee to take into consideration the immediate defence of the province. The result of the enquiry of this committee was expressed in their report--" That a corps of minute men should be immediately raised, by regular draughts from the militia, and equipped for actual service, and two thousand pounds were voted to be raised for the service; and the whole was placed at the disposal and orders of the committees of safety and supplies. Power was also voted to these committees to regulate this force, and purchase munitions of war, to the amount of 20,8371. if the exigencies of the province should require it. These committees had power to hold sittings in the recess of the provincial congress, and become the guardians of the province. On the 27th, this congress proceeded to appoint the Hon. Jedediah Pribble, the Hon. Artemas Ward, and Col. Pomeroy, as general officers, to take the command of the minute men and the militia, as circumstances might require. And on the 29th they adjourned to Nov. 23d.

It had now become necessary to erect barracks for the troops in Boston, to protect them from the severities of winter; but a difficulty arose, not contemplated by Gen. Gage; he had no artists under his command sufficient for the purpose, and the provincials would not engage; he sent to New-York, but without success; they would not engage; and it was with the greatest difficulty that he could procure even temporary sheds for the purpose. The general next attempted to procure supplies of clothing for the