American provinces, on the 26th of October, ter- CHAP. minated its meeting. XIII. General proceedings. The amount of the reasonings and the spirit of the 1774 proceedings, in either partial meetings, provincial fpirit of the affemblies, or the general congrefs, may be exhibited colonial in few words: "The British system from 1763 has violated the chartered and conftitutional rights of us, the British subjects in the American colonies: we will not fubmit to fuch ufurpation: we will not pay duties unjuftly impofed, and we will have no commerce with Britain until the obnoxious acts be repealed. If the British government attempt to enforce its unconstitutional decrees, felf-prefervation compels us, and our condition enables us, to resist force by force. Yet that extremity we deprecate, as pernicious to both parties: we pray our fovereign, and request our fellow-fubjects, to co-operate with us in averting fo deplorable a calamity. We ask no new privilege; we defire only the reftoration of those rights which, until 1763, we enjoyed without interruption." Such were the fentiments and acts of the colonists in North America; fuch the first confequences of the ministerial fyftem of 1774. Before the meeting of the general congrefs, none of the middle or fouthern colonies had commenced preparations for war; but when that convention broke up, and its members returned to their conftituents, the other provinces became actuated by the fpirit of New England. The militia were very frequently affembled for the purpose of difcipline; arms were provided for thofe who were without them; and refiftance, by open force, to the power of the mother-country, was made the fubject of com mon Military preparation & XIII. 8774. CHAP. mon difcourfe. Soon afterwards a copy arrived of a proclamation iffued in England, to prevent war. like stores from being exported; and this prohibition rendered the inhabitants of the colonies more eager to procure fupplies of the various kinds of ammunition. Maffachu fets Bay the of peace and war. In confequence of the determination of congress, grand hinge all the colonies deeply interested themselves in the affairs of Maffachufets Bay; and upon the tranfactions in that province, depended more immedi ately the doubtful iffue of peace and war. and war. The governor and council had iffued writs for holding a general affembly; but the events that afterwards took place, and the heat and violence which every where prevailed, made them think it expedient to countermand their writs by a proclamation, and to defer holding the affembly to a feason of more fecurity. The election, however, was carried on, without regard to the proclamation; the new members Contention met at Salem, but the governor did not attend to administer the oaths and open the feffion. Having waited a day, and neither the governor nor any fubftitute for him arriving, they voted themfelves into a provincial congrefs, to be joined by fuch others as had been or should be elected for that purpose. Mr. Hancock*, who was offenfive to the governor's party, was chofen chairman, and they adjourned to the town of Concord, about twenty miles from Boston. with the governor. Forms a provincial This was the fame gentleman, the feizure of whofe floop for contraband practices had occafioned an infurrection at Boston in the year 1768; and the confequences of which infurrection are fuppofed by many to have precipitated the difpute between the mother-country and her colonies toward its crifis. Thence XIII, 1774 Thence they presented a remonftrance to the go. CHA P. vernor, on the subject of the fortifications at Bofton. neck, and the alarm occafioned by the collection of military force at Boston, tending to endanger the lives, liberty, and property, not only of the Bo ftonians, but of the whole province. The general, though unwilling to return an answer to an illegal affembly, thought it expedient in the prefent cafe to overlook forms. In replying to the provincial congrefs, he told them, that the lives and liberties of none but avowed enemies of Britain could be in danger from British foldiers, who, notwithstanding the enmity which had been fhewn to them in withholding what was neceffary for their prefervation, had not discovered that refentment which might have been expected from fuch hoftile treatment. He reminded them, that while they were complaining of alterations made in their charter, they were themselves fubverting it by their present illegal meeting; and he admonished them to defift from fuch unconstitutional proceedings. Boston was now become the place of refuge to all the friends of British government. On the approach of winter, the governor thought it necessary to erect temporary barracks for the troops, not only to accommodate his foldiers, but to prevent them from being quartered on the inhabitants; which, in the present state and temper of both, might be attended with dangerous confequences. The Bostonians did every thing in their power, without employing open violence, to obftruct the erections. Very great mutual distrust and animofity prevailed between the government and the people. Bofton, however, was now VOL. II. P the XIII. 1774 which affumes the fupreme power. CHAP. the only place in Maffachufets that contained Britifh forces; and from the hoftile difpofition of the provincials, and the infulated fituation which they occupied, their circumftances were not much unlike to thofe of perfons befieged by open enemies. The provincial congrefs not only continued their fittings, but paffed refolutions which, from the difpofition and promptitude of the people, had all the weight and efficacy of laws; their injunctions, under the form of advice, directed the regulation and exercife of the militia, the collection and difpofition of the public revenue, and the provifion of arms and military stores. Thus they affumed the powers of the fupreme government; and in the first provincial congrefs of Maffachusets, we see, strongly drawn, the outlines of American independence. The governor thought it neceffary to iffue a proclamation, warning the inhabitants of the province against suffering themselves to be enfnared by the provincial congrefs, or led by their influence to incur the penalties of fedition and rebellion; and ftrictly prohibiting all his majesty's loyal fubjects from paying any regard to the recommendations and refolves of fuch an unlawful affembly. But the governor's proclamation was treated with contempt, while the requifitions of the provincial congrefs were obeyed as laws. That affembly appointed another congrefs to be held in the month of February 1775, and toward the end of November diffolved itself. CHAP. XIV. Impreffion in Britain from the American difputes.-Diffolution of parliament.-General election.-Leading characters in the new parliament.-Meeting of parliament-king's fpeech-address-indecifion of minifters.-Character and policy of lord North-opinions of his power and effi ciency.-Petitions presented from America, and American merchants, to parliament and the king-difmiffed without a hearing.-Lord Chatham, though loaded with infirmities, returns to the house-his introductory Speech-his plan of conciliation rejected.-Conquest of America conceived by minifters to be eafy.—Americans afferted to be all cowards. Mr. Fox's obfervations on the inspiring efficacy of liberty.Parliament declares Massachusets Bay to be in a flate of rebellion-Meffage from the king, requiring an augmentation of forces.-Bill for prohibiting the New England provinces from commerce and fifhery.-Lord North's plan of conciliation-apprehended by courtiers to concede too much, by oppofition to concede too little.-Mr. Fox oppofes its inconfiflency.-Lord North's policy wavering and irrefolute.Dexterous retreat to fatisfy the fupporters of coercion.—Mr. Burke's conciliatory plan, on the grounds of expediency-outlines and character-predicts civil and foreign war from the conduct of ministers-rejected.—Mr. Hartley's conciliatory bill rejected.-Minifters averfe to all conciliatory overtures.- Bill for extending commercial prohibitions.Loyalty of New York province-reprefentation from it to the commons-difmiffed unheard.-Supplies.-Seffion clofes.War unavoidable.-Literary advocates for and against America. H CHAP. XIV. WHILE the proceedings in and concerning America were fo extremely important, they did not, in Britain, appear to attract the attention of the nation in proportion to their magnitude. There Impreffion 1774. in Britain |