declared, "that the making provifion for his excellency's support, independent of the grants and acts of general affembly, and the governor's receiving the fame, is an infraction upon the rights of the inhabitants granted by the royal charter." An unfortunate incident about this time took place at Rhode Island, which proved a new fource of animofity and difcord. Lieutenant Duddington, commander of the Gafpee armed schooner, an officer very obnoxious by his extraordinary zeal and vigilance in the execution of the revenue laws, falling in with the Providence packet, employed in the transportation of goods and paffengers to Newport, ordered by fignal the master to lower his colors; which being difregarded, he fired a fhot at the packet and chafed. It being near high water, the packet stood close in with the land, defigning that the Gafpee should be run aground in the chase. The Gafpee accordingly was foon faft: and, the tide having now done flowing, could by no means difengage herself. So favorable an opportunity of revenge on a man universally detefted, could not easily again occur. In the night a number of whale-boats filled with armed men boarded the schooner, and after fome refiftance made themselves mafters of the vefsel, which they immediately set on fire and burnt with all her ftores; and though a reward of 500l. was offered for the discovery of these daring offenders, no evidence could be obtained against them. This event gave rise to an act of the British parliament, by which wilfully and maliciously to deftroy his majesty's fhips, ammunition, or ftores, is made capital, and fubjects the offender, as well in America as England, to a trial at the pleasure of his majesty in any county of Great-Britain. Such are the progreffive steps by which Tyranny forges his chains, and peoples his dungeons. A government which has loft the confidence of its fubjects is urged to oppreffion not lefs by neceffity than inclination.

The judges of the fuperior court of the Massachusetts province, though removeable at the pleasure of the crown, had

hitherto

hitherto depended on the general affembly for the continuance of their falaries; but they had now falaries fettled upon them by his majefty, fo that the balance of the conftitution was in this respect entirely fubverted; both the weights of juftice, as was obferved, being by this means put into the fame scale. Of all the arbitrary innovations of the British government, none excited greater refentment, or was deemed more dangerous, than this. Nothing, indeed, could be more oppofite to the genius of the British conftitution, which regards the independency of the judicial power on the executive as one of the most important bulwarks of liberty. Committees of correfpondence had been recently established in the different towns and townships throughout the province; and the spirit which now pervaded the continent may be conjectured from the refolutions paffed by the municipal bodies, amongst which, thofe of the town of Petersham may be cited as exhibiting a curious fpecimen of that religious enthusiasm by which the inhabitants of New England were once so strongly marked, and which combined with political enthusiasm— and experience shows how eafily they coalefce-gives to the human mind, perhaps, the utmoft momentum and energy of which it is capable. I. Refolved, that with the governor appointed from Great Britain during pleafure, with a large ftipend dependent upon the will of the crown, with all officers, civil and military, fubject to his appointment or confent, with a caffle in the hands of a standing army ftationed in the very bowels of the land, no people can ever be truly free. II. That the parliament of Great Britain ufurping and exercifing a legislative authority over, and extorting an unrighteous revenue from these colonies, is against all divine. and human laws. The late appointment of falaries to be paid to our fuperior court judges, whofe creation, pay, and commiffion depend on mere will and pleasure, completes a fyftem of bondage equal to any ever fabricated by the combined efforts of the ingenuity, malice, fraud, and wickedness of man, III. That it is the opinion of this town, that a defpotic ar

bitrary

bitrary government is the kingdom of this world, as fet forth in the New Teftament, and has a direct tendency to fink a people into a profound ftate of ignorance and irreligion; and that if we have an eye to our own and pofterity's happiness, not only in this world but in the world to come, it is our duty to oppose such a government. The inhabitants of Petersham conclude with a declaration, "that it is highly becoming towns and individuals to humble themselves before Almighty GoD, feriously to commune with their own hearts, and feek carefully with tears for the caufes of the prevailing diftreffes of the land; and they express their confidence that God will not suffer this land, where the gospel hath flourished, to become a slave of the world. He will ftir up witneffes of the truth, and in his own time spirit his people to stand up for his cause, and deliver them. In a fimilar belief that patriot of patriots the great Algernon Sydney lived and died, and dying breathed a like fentiment and prophecy touching his own and the then approaching times-a prophecy however not accomplished until a glorious REVOLUTION." The extravagant and exaggerated language of thefe refolutions is itself a 'most striking evidence of that diseased and dangerous state of the public mind which could prompt thefe effufions of enthusiastic zeal. By a long feries of acts of irritation and oppreffion on the part of Britain, a spirit of refentment, fcarcely fhort of phrenfy, was excited throughout America. All feemed to feel the influence of "the madding hour;" and by the natural and determinate operation of. a fyftem detefted and deteftable, a fyftem by which the present reign has been fo confpicuoufly and fatally marked, was this change wrought in a loyal, orderly, and peaceable people, diftinguished above all others, for their love of liberty and hatred of licentioufnefs-all ranks and conditions of whom gloried in their connection with Britain, rejoiced in her friendship and protection, and triumphed in her profperity.

During the feffion of the Massachusetts affembly, in the fummer of 1773, a difcovery was made which added fresh fuel to the flame long fince kindled in that province. The celebrated Dr. Franklin, agent of the house of reprefentatives in England, had by fome unknown means acquired poffeffion of certain letters written in confidence by the governor Hutchinfon, the lieutenant governor Oliver, and others, to divers of their friends and correspondents in England, in which they exprefs themselves very freely on the fituation of affairs in America; and their fentiments are fuch as might reasonably be expected from their public conduct. The writers appear to have been men very refpectable in their private characters; but viewing the tranfactions which were paffing before them through athick cloud of prejudice, refentment, and interest, they discover an eager folicitude that government fhould adopt more violent, or in their language more vigorous, meafures in fupport of its authority; and in their laudable anxiety for the re-establishment of order and tranquillity, they feemed not in the least to fufpect, that of fuch meafures a civil war must be the inevitable refult: nor had they the wisdom or magnanimity to comprehend, that far other ties than military force and imperious edicts were neceffary to form that bond of connection which could alone reftore peace and profperity to the colonies, or render the connection itself advantageous or honorable to the mother country. These letters were, by a licenfe which cannot be justified, even though prompted by motives the moft patriotic, tranfmitted by Dr. Franklin to his constituents at Boston, upon whom they made an impreffion much eafier to conceive than to defcribe. "This, fays Mr. Hutchinfon, in one of his letters, is moft certainly a crifis. If no measures fhall have been taken to fecure the dependence of the colonies, befides fome declaratory acts and refolves, it is all over with us. There must be an abridgement of what are called English liberties; and he lays it

down

down as a maxim, that a colony cannot enjoy all the liberty of the parent ftate. I wish, fays he, the good of the colony, when I wish to fee fome farther reftraint of liberty rather than the connection with the parent state should be broken. In another letter he expreffes his hopes that provifions for diffolving the commercial combinations, and for inflicting penalties on those who do not renounce them, would be made as foon as parliament meets." Mr. Oliver, the lieutenant governor, intimates that the officers of the crown, i. e. the governor, lieutenant governor, and judges, ought to be made independent of the people; for, fays he, it is a difficult matter to ferve two masters. The government, he affirms, has been too weak to fubdue the turbulent fpirits. He infinuates the expediency of " TAKING OFF" thofe perfons whom he ftyles "the original incendiaries." He wishes for the inftitution of an order of patricians, and afferts the neceffity of an ALTERATION OF THE CHARTERS." The affembly, thrown into a violent flame by the reading of these letters, unanimoufly refolved, "that the tendency and defign of the faid letters was to overthrow the conftitution of this government, and to introduce árbitrary power into the province;" and a petition was immediately voted to the king, to remove the governor Hutchinson, and the lieutenant governor Oliver, for ever from the government of the province.

The PETITION being transmitted to the agent of the asfembly, Dr. Franklin, was by him delivered to lord Dartmouth; and on its being presented to the king, his majefty fignified his pleasure that it fhould be laid before him in council. On the 29th of January 1774, Dr. Franklin was fummoned in his official capacity as agent of the province in fupport of the petition. Mr. Wedderburn, now, lord Loughborough and chancellor of Great Britain*, appearing as counsel for the defendants, delivered in that capacity against the agent, the house of reprefentatives, the