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" calls of his country; that these manly fenti- CHAP. II. "ments in private life made the good citizen, "in public, the patriot and the hero."-Thus was verified in his conduct the obfervation of a writer of merit and celebrity, that "it was "as difficult for Great Britain to frighten as to "cheat Americans into fervitude; that the 'ought to leave them in the peacable poffeffion "of that liberty which they received at their "birth, and were refolved to retain to their "death."

When the new parliamentary regulations reached America, all the colonies in their feveral departments petitioned in the moft ftrenuous manner against any American taxation, and all other recent innovations relative to the government of the British provinces. Thefe petitions were, when received by the miniftry, treated by them with the utmost contempt. But they were fupported by a respectable party in the parliament of Britain, who did not neglect to warn the administration of the danger of precipitating measures, that might require before the termination of a conteft thus hurried

* Mr. Dickenson, author of the much admired Farmer's Letters, the first copy of which he inclosed to his friend, Mr. Otis, and obferved to him, that "the examples of "public spirit in the cold regions of the north, had roused "the languid latitudes of the fouth, to a proper vindica"tion of their rights." See Appendix, Note, No. V.

CHAP. II.

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on, "more virtue and abilities than the ministry "poffeffed."

By some steps taken by administration previous to the present period, there was reason to suppose that they were themselves apprehensive, that their fyftem for governing the colonies in a more arbitrary manner would give great offence, and create disturbances of so alarming at nature, that perhaps the aid of military power might become neceffary to enforce the completion of their designs. Doubtless it was with a view of facilitating the new projects, that an extraordinary bill had been paffed in-parliament, making it lawful for the officers of the British army to quarter their troops in private houses throughout the colonies. Thus while mixed in every family, it might become more easy to awe the people into fubmiffion, and compel them by military terrors to the basest compliances. But the colony agents refiding in London, and the merchants concerned in the American trade, remonftrated fo warmly against the injustice and cruelty of fuch a procedure, that a part of the bill was dropped. Yet it was too important a point wholly to relinquish; of consequence a clause was left, obliging the feveral legislative affemblies to provide quarters for the king's marching regiments, and to furnish a number of specified articles at the expense of the province, wherever they might be ftationed.

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This act continued in full force after the CHAP II. ftamp-act was repealed, though it equally militated with that part of the British conftitution which provides that no monies should be raised on the subject without his consent. Yet rather than enter on a new difpute, the colonists in general chose to evade it for the present, and without many obfervations thereon had occafionally made fome voluntary provisions for the fupport of the king's troops. It was hoped the act might be only a temporary expedient to hold up the authority of parliament, and that in a short time the claim might die of itself without any attempt to revive fuch an unreasonable demand. But New York, more explicit in her refufal to obey, was fufpended from all powers of legislation until the quartering act should be complied with in the fullest extent. By this unprecedented treatment of one of the colonies, and the innumerable exactions and restrictions on all, a general apprehenfion prevailed, that nothing but a firm, vigorous and united refiftance could fhield from the attacks that threatened the total extinction of civil lib. erty through the continent.

CHAP. III.

CHAPTER III.

Curfory Obfervations.-Maffachusetts Circular Letter.-A new House of Representatives called.-Governor Bernard impeached.-A Riot on the Seizure of a Veffel.Troops applied for to protect the King's Officers.-A Convention at Boston.-Troops arrive.-A Combination against all Commerce with Great Britain.-A General Affembly convened at Boston-removed to Cambridge. -Governor Bernard after his Impeachment repairs to England.

THE British colonies at this period through the American continent contained, exclufive of Canada and Nova Scotia, the provinces of New Hampshire, and Maffachusetts Bay, of Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the Delaware counties, Virginia, Maryland, the two Carolinas, and Georgia, befides the Floridas, and an unbounded tract of wilderness not yet explored. These several provinces had been always governed by their own diftinct legiflatures. It is true there was fome variety in their religious opinions, but a ftriking fimilarity in their political institutions, except in the proprietary governments. At the fame time the colonies, afterwards the thirteen ftates, were equally marked with that manly fpirit of freedom, characteristic of Americans from New Hampshire to Georgia.

Aroused by the fame injuries from the parent ftate, threatened in the fame manner by the

common enemies to the rights of society among themselves, their petitions to the throne had been fuppreffed without even a reading, their remonftrances were ridiculed and their fupplications rejected. They determined no longer to fubmit. All ftood ready to unite in the fame measures to obtain that redress of grievances they had fo long requested, and that relief from burdens they had fo long complained of, to fo little purpose. Yet there was no bond of connexion by which a fimilarity of fentiment and concord in action might appear, whether they were again difpofed to revert to the hitherto fruitless mode of petition and remonftrance, or to leave that humiliating path for a line of conduct more cogent and influential in the contests of nations.

A circular letter dated February the elev enth, one thousand seven hundred and fixtyeight, by the legiflature of Maffachusetts, directed to the representatives and burgeffes of the people through the continent, was a meafure well calculated for this falutary purpose.* This letter painted in the strongest colors the difficulties they apprehended, the embarraffments they felt, and the steps already taken to obtain relief. It contained the full opinion of that affembly relative to the late acts of parliament; while at the fame time they expatiated

* See Appendix, Note, No. VI.

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1768.