charters, profeffes at once a duty of obedience, CHAP. and right of felf-government; avows a depend- XXIII. ence on British acts of parliament, to the pe- 1774. riod of the colonization of America, yet denies the right of the mother-country to a fubfequent power of legiflation. It would refult from thefe 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 thofe 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 moft 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 and jealousies, and create, by means of terror, 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 M 4 change 1774. CHAP. change of minifters, and of obtaining every deXXIII. mand without the leaft conceffion or promise of reparation for the wrong avowedly committed. Yet whatever arts were ufed in conciliation, or whatever advantages gained in debate, the general congrefs feemed fo little likely to gratify, in their utmost extent, the wishes of the leaders, that it was on the point of feparating without paffing a refolution to re-afiemble, until Silas Deane, one of the members for Connecticut, without previous communication, introduced the propofition. Effects of the con grefs. AFTER the feparation of congrefs, the middle and fouthern colonies, where infubordination had before made but little progrefs, appeared actuated by the fame fpirit as the inhabitants of New England. The intention of military refifiance was openly avowed and cherifhed; the militia were affiduoufly drilled, and arms were provided with great industry and Royal pro- perfeverence. On the information of the difclamation. ferent governors, the miniiry found it necef - Infurrec tion at Rhode Inland. fary to itlue a proclamation, forbidding the export of warlike ftores; but this prohibition produced only a greater degree of eagerness, and fome riots. Mills and nianufactories were efìablifhed for the firucture of arms and compofition of gunpowder, and premiums were offered for the production of falt-petre. On the proclamation reaching Rhode Island, forty pieces of cannon belonging to the crown This account is derived from the journal of proceedings of congrefs, and extracts from the votes, &c. Philadelphia, printed; reprinted by Almon, London, 1775. Alfo from feveral tracts, both American and English, particularly, "What think ye of the congrefs now?"-Galloway's tracts-and Tucker's fifth tract on American fubje&s. f From private information, by one who had the fact from Silas Deane. 1 were were feized, with the avowed intention of pre- CHAP. venting them from falling into the hands of XXIII. the king's troops, and the declaration was ac- 1774companied with a threat of refiftance, fhould the recovery be attempted. The affembly of the province fanctioned thefe proceedings, by pailing refolutions for procuring, at the public expence, arms and military ftores, and for training the militia. New THE proclamation alfo occafioned an infur- 14th Dec rection in New Hampshire, where a number of And in armed men furprized a fmall fort, called William Hamp and Mary, imprifoned the garrifon, confifting fhire. only of an officer and five men, and did not release them till they obtained poffeffion of the ordnance, gunpowder, and military ftores." In this chapter, reference has been had to the papers laid before parliament, the periodical publications, Almon's collection of papers, and Remembrancer; Stedman, Andrews, and Ramfay; the hiftory of lord North's administration, and a great variety of tracts and pamphlets. XXIV. 1774. CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FOURTH: 1774. View of government and oppofition. — Inde- - Of the proceedings in Maffachuffet'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 miniftry. - Diffolution of parliament. Tefs propofed.-Characters of leading men :-the lord Chancellor lord Mansfield - lord Sandwich-lord Hillsborough-lord Gowerlord Dartmouth. Lords in oppofition: lord Chatham the marquis of Rockingham-the duke of Richmondlord Shelburne - lord Camden- the dukes of Devonshire and Portland.— Principal members of the lower houfe:- Mr. Rigby -Sir Gilbert Elliott-Sir Grey Cooper Mr. Dundas - Mr. Jenkinfon - Mr. Thurlow - Mr. Vedderburne.-Oppofition: -Serjeant Glynn -Mr. Dunning George Saville-Mr. Burke-Mr. Charles For Sir CHAP. As we are now entering on the period when Great Britain was about to commence a fevere and arduous conteft, it will be proper briefly to review the motives and principles of ent and action on cach fide, to consider the means of opofition. View of govern information XXIV. information which government poffeffed, or CHAP. might have obtained, to examine the theories and arguments of oppofition, and to delineate 1774. the chief political characters who fupported and oppugned the measures of adminiftration. aim, inde THE thin veil with which the Americans The Ame covered their defigns, rendered only a fmall ricans' real degree of penetration neceffary to discover that pendency. abfolute independence 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 horrors 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 comprized in their late petitions and addreffes, extended beyond the poffible hope of royal interpofition or parliamentary redrefs: no body of men who had formed or fupported any adminiftration fince 1764, efcaped cenfure, nor could any party attempt conciliation, without dereliction of fome principle, or the establishment of fome claim derogatory to the intereft and honour of the country. Nor was cordial conciliation probable on any terms; the hour of feparation from the dominion of parent land was anticipated with anxiety; America, flattered by political prophets, proud of her ftrength, her extenfive domain, her wealth and population, undoubtedly increafing, though greatly exaggerated by the demagogues, and flufhed with eager hope of augmenting her fubjects by immenfe emigrations from Europe, bore with impatience the yoke of fubjection, |