XXIII. 1774. CHA P. and the unwillingness continually to impute principles which were conftantly denied, diminished the alertness of their opponents, while the temper infufed into the populace, the frequent meffages from the provincial congrefs of Maffachufet's Bay, and the examples daily exhibited, of tarring and feathering obnoxious perfons, gave additional spirit to the violent, and increased the timidity of the moderate. THESE differences of opinion, and neceffities of conciliation, account for fome incongruities in the proceedings. The declaration of rights is a strong inftance; it is founded at once on the laws of nature, thofe of fociety, and royal charters; profeffes at once a duty of obedience, and right of felf-government; avows a dependence on British acts of parliament, to the period of the colonization of America, yet denies the right of the mother-country to a fubfequent power of legiflation. It would refult from these principles, that colonies planted at different periods were fubjects in different degrees, and that the parliament of Great Britain, repealing one of the ancient ftatutes, could not give force to the repeal in America, without feparately confulting each of the governments. The charters were appealed to as the bafis of rights, and yet fuch of them as appointed an independent legiflative council were to be abrogated as derogatory to the rights of nature. The petition to the king was merely an infidious mockery; the profeffions of loyalty were not calculated to give the fovereign affurances of peaceable domination, but to vindicate the petitioners from well-merited charges of difaffection, without renouncing the mode of conduct by which those charges were incurred. The addrefs to the people of America breathes a fpirit of hoftility and refiftance alone; that to the Canadians difcovers the deepest and most inveterate malignity against Great Britain, and is replete with mean artifices to cajole the people into difaffection: the appeal to the people of Great Britain is of the fame order, tending to diffeminate alarms XXIII. 1774. alarms and jealoufies, and create, by means of terror, cCHA P. intereft, or policy, a party favourable to the American caufe. Their committees were always compofed of the most fiery republicans, which may account for the extent and prefumption of fome of their claims, fuch as those of repealing all the acts made to affect them fince the peace, of infifting on a change of minifters, and of obtaining every demand without the least conceffion or promife of reparation for the wrong avowedly committed. Yet whatever arts were used in conciliation, or whatever advantages gained in debate, the general congrefs feemed fo little likely to gratify, in their utmost extent, the wifhes of the leaders, that it was on the point of feparating without paffing a refolution to re-affemble, until Silas Deane, one of the members for Connecticut, without previous communication, introduced the propofition . AFTER the feparation of congrefs, the middle and Effects of fouthern colonies, where infubordination had before the congress. made but little progrefs, appeared actuated by the fame spirit as the inhabitants of New England. The intention of military refiftance was openly avowed and cherifhed; the militia were affiduoufly drilled, and arms were provided with great industry and perseverance. On the information of the different governors, Royal prothe ministry found it neceffary to iffue a proclamation, clamation. forbidding the export of warlike stores; but this prohibition produced only a greater degree of eagerness, and some riots. Mills and manufactories were eftablifhed for the structure of arms and compofition of gun-powder, and premiums were offered for the production of falt-petre. On the proclamation reaching Rhode Island, forty Infurrection pieces of cannon belonging to the crown were feized, and. * This account is derived from the journal of proceedings of congrefs, and extracts from the votes, &c. Philadelphia, printed; re-printed by Almon, London, 1775. Alfo from several tracts, both American and Englith, particularly, "What think ye of the Congress now?"-Galloway's tracts-and Tucker's fifth tract on American fubjects. £ From private information, by one who had the fact from Silas Deane. with at Rhode 1774. CHAP. with the avowed intention of preventing them from falling into the hands of the king's troops, and the declaration was accompanied with a threat of refiltance, fhould the recovery be attempted. The affembly of the province fanctioned these proceedings, by paffing refolutions for procuring, at the public expence, arms and military ftores, and for training the militia. 14th Dec. Hampshire. THE proclamation alfo occafioned an infurrection And in New in New Hampshire, where a number of armed men furprized a small fort, called William and Mary, imprifoned the garrifon, confifting only of an officer and five men, and did not release them till they obtained poffeffion of the ordnance, gun-powder, and military ftores &. • In this chapter, reference has been had to the papers laid before parliament, the periodical publications, Almon's collections of papers, and Remembrancer ; Stedman, Andrews, and Ramfay; the hiftory of lord North's adminiftration, and a great variety of tracts and pamphlets. CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FOURTH : -- 1774. View of government and oppofition.-Independency the real aim of the Americans.-Effect of corresponding committees.-Of the proceedings in Mafachufet's Bay.-Of the acquifition of Canada. Of the proceedings of congrefs.-Of the efforts of oppofition. Of the acts of last feffion.—Of the debates on them. -Error of confidering the tax on tea the real caufe of difturbances.-Firft effects of the Boston port act.-Publications in England.-Irrefolution of ministry.-Diffolution of parliament.-Tefts proposed-Characters of leading men :—the lord Chancellor-lord Mansfield-lord Sandwich-lord Hillbo rough-lord Gower-lord Dartmouth.-Lords in oppofition: lord Chatham-the marquis of Rockingham--the duke of Richmond-lord Shelburne-lord Camden--the dukes of Devonshire and Portland.-Principal members of the lower boufe:-Mr. Rigby-Sir Gilbert Elliott-Sir Grey Cooper --Mr. Dundas-Mr. Jenkinson--Mr. Thurlow--Mr. Wedderburne.-Oppofition:-Serjeant Glynn-Mr. Dunning Sir George Savile Mr. Burke-Mr. Charles Fox. As on 1774. S we are now entering on the period when Great CHAP, Britain was about to commence a severe and XXIV. arduous conteft, it will be proper briefly to review the motives and principles of action on each fide; to con- View of fider the means of information which government pof- and oppofifeffed, or might have obtained; to examine the theories tion. and arguments of oppofition, and to delineate the chief political characters who fupported and oppugned the measures of administration. cans' real THE thin veil with which the Americans covered The Ameri their defigns rendered only a fmall degree of penetra- aim, indetion neceffary to difcover that abfolute independence pendency. was the aim of the principal leaders; that they contemplated a revolution as a glorious era, and were prepared rather to plunge their country into the hor XXIV. 1774. CHAP. rors of civil war than renounce their favourite project. Hence their complaints of grievances were clamorous, frequent, and fpecific; while their profeffions of attachment and loyalty were merely general, and attended with no precife offers of conciliation or fatisfaction. The range of complaint comprised in their late petitions and addreffes, extended beyond the poffible hope of royal interpofition or parliamentary redress: no body of men who had formed or fupported any administration since 1764, escaped cenfure; nor could any party attempt conciliation, without dereliction of fome principle, or the establishment of fome claim derogatory to the interest and honour of the country. Nor was cordial conciliation probable on any terms; the hour of feparation from the dominion of the parent land was anticipated with anxiety. America, flattered by political prophets, proud of her strength, her extenfive domain, her wealth and population, (undoubtedly increafing, though greatly exaggerated by the demagogues,) and flushed with eager hope of augmenting her fubjects by immenfe emigrations from Europe, bore with impatience the yoke of fubjection, and made ftrenuous exertions to accelerate the period of emancipation. Efforts of ing commit tees. THE union, effected among the colonies, by means correfpond of correfponding committees, was a death-blow to the authority of Britain; the Americans were fenfible of the advantage, and as foon as the co-operation of all parts of the continent was enfured, advanced bolder claims, diffufed broader principles of government, and affumed with lefs difguile the port and mien of defiance. The references made in their declaration to the rights of nature, the intimation that like their ancestors they proceeded before the adoption of other measures, to ftate their grievances and their rights, and their frequent exhortations to arms, all prove that plans of revolution and refiftance were already meditated and digested. Motives of common fafety, when they had once affumed an hoftile pofition, cemented the |