and of fuch abilities as qualified him for the CHAP. IL exigencies of the day. Fearless of the cry of 'treafon,' echoed against him from feveral quarters, he justified the measure, and supported the refolves, in a speech, that did honor both to his understanding, and his patriotism. The governor, to check the progress of fuch daring principles, immediately diffolved the affembly. But the difpofition of the people was discovered, when, on a new election, thofe gentlemen were every where re-chofen, who had fhewn the moft firmness and zeal, in oppofition to the ftamp-act. Indeed, from New Hampshire to the Carolinas, a general averfion appeared against this experiment of administration. Nor was the flame confined to the continent; it had fpread to the infular regions, whose inhabitants, constitutionally more fanguine than those born in colder climates, discovered ftronger marks of refentment, and prouder tokens of disobedience to minifterial authority. Thus feveral of the Weft India iflands fhewed equal violence, in the deftruction of the ftamp papers, disgust at the act, and indignation towards the officers who were bold enough to attempt its execution. Nor did they at this period appear lefs determined to refift the operation of all unconftitutional mandates, than the generous planters of the fouthern, or the independent spirits of the northern colonies. 1764. CHAP. II. 1764. When the general affembly of the Maffachusetts met this year, it appeared that most of the members of the house of reprefentatives had inftructions from their conftituents to make every legal and spirited oppofition to the distribution of the ftamped papers, to the execution of the act in any form, and to every other parliamentary infringement on the rights of the people of the colonies. A fpecimen of the spirit of the times may be feen in a fingle inftance of those inftructions, which were given to the reprefentative of the town of Plymouth, the capital of the old colony.* Similar measures were adopted in most of the other provinces. In confequence of which, petitions from the refpective affemblies, replete with the strongest expreffions of loyalty and affection to the king, and a regard to the British nation, were prefented to his majefty, through the hands of the colonial agents. The ferment was however too general, and the fpirits of the people too much agitated, to wait patiently the refult of their own applications. So univerfal was the refentment and difcontent of the people, that the more judicious and difcreet characters were exceedingly apprehensive that the general clamor might terminate in the extremes of anarchy. Heavy duties had been. laid on all goods imported from fuch of the Weft India iflands as did not belong to Great Britain, *See Appendix, Note, No. III. These duties were to be paid into the exchequer, and all penalties incurred, were to be recovered in the courts of vice-admiralty, by the determination of a single judge, without trial by jury, and the judge's falary was to be paid out of the fruits of the forfeiture. All remonftrances against this innovating fyftem had hitherto been without effect; and in this period of suspense, apprehension and anxiety, a general congrefs of delegates from the several provinces was propofed by the honorable James Otis, of Barnftable, in the Massachusetts. He was a gentleman of great probity, experience, and parliamentary abilities, whofe religious adherence to the rights of his country had distinguished him through a long course of years, in which he had fuftained fome of the first offices in government. This proposal, from a man of his acknowledged judgment, difcretion and firmness, was univerfally pleafing. The measure was communicated to fome of the principal members of the two houses of affembly, and immediately adopted, not only by the Maffachusetts, but very foon after by most of the other colonies. Thus originated the first congress ever convened in America by the united voice of the people, in order to justify their claims to the rights of Englishmen, and the privileges of the British conftitution. CHAP. II. 1764. СНАР. П. 1764. 1765. It has been obferved that Virginia and thê Maffachusetts made the first oppofition to parliamentary measures, on different grounds. The Virginians, in their refolves, came forward, conscious of their own independence, and at once afferted their rights as men. The Maffachusetts generally founded their claims on the rights of British subjects, and the privileges of their Englifh ancestors; but the era was not far diftant, when the united colonies took the fame ground, the claim of native independence, regardless of charters or foreign restrictions. At a period when the taste and opinions of Americans were comparatively pure and fimple, while they poffeffed that independence and dignity of mind, which is loft only by a multiplicity of wants and interefts, new scenes were opening, beyond the reach of human calculation. At this important crifis, the delegates appointed from several of the colonies, to deliberate on the lowering afpect of political affairs, met at New York, on the first Tuesday of October, one thousand feven hundred and fixty-five.* The moderate demands of this body, and the fhort period of its exiftence, discovered at once the affectionate attachment of its memberst *Several of the colonies were prevented fending delegates to the congress at New York, by the royal governors, who would not permit the assemblies to meet. See Appendix, Note, No. IV. to the parent state and their dread of a general rupture, which at that time universally prevailed. They stated their claims as subjects to the crown of Great Britain; appointed agents to enforce them in the national councils; and agreed on petitions for the repeal of the ftampact, which had fown the feeds of difcord throughout the colonies. The prayer of their conftituents was, in a fpirited, yet respectful manner, offered through them to the king, lords, and commons of Great Britain: they then separated, to wait the event.* A majority of the principal merchants of the city of London, the opulent West India proprietors who refided in England, and moft of the manufacturing towns through the kingdom, accompanied with fimilar petitions, thofe offered by the congrefs convened at New York. In confequence of the general averfion to the ftamp-act, the British ministry were changed in appearance, though the fame men who had fabricated the American fyftem, ftill retained their influence on the mind of the king, and in the councils of the nation. The parliamentary debates of the winter of one thousand seven hundred and fixty-fix, evinced the important confequences expected from the decifion of the queftion, relative to an American taxation. * See their petition in the records of the congrefs at New York, in one thousand seven hundred and fixty-five. CHAP. IL 1765. 1766. |