faid, "I should advise persisting in our struggle, though it were revealed from Heaven that nine hundred and ninety-nine were to perish in the contest, and one only of a thousand to survive and retain his liberty." The last resolution of this Assembly imported that another Congress shall be held the 10th day of May 1775, unless redress of grievances be obtained before that time. General Gage had issued writs for convoking the General Court of Massachusetts at Salem on the 5th of October, which subsequent events induced him to recall; but the Court nevertheless met, and, voting themselves into a Provincial Congress, appointed a Committee to present a Remonstrance to the Governor, complaining in strong terms of the late arbitrary laws, and the hoftile preparations making to enforce them. The Governor refused to recognize them as a lawful assembly, and warned them at their peril to desist from their illegal and unconstitutional proceedings. To this requifition or menace little regard was paid, and at a subsequent meeting a plan was drawn up for the immediate defence of the province; magazines of ammunition and stores were provided for twelve thousand militia, and an enrolment made of a number of minute men, so called from their engaging to turn out with their arms at a minute's warning. Winter approaching, the Governor was defirous of providing barracks and clothing for the foldiers ; but no workmen could be procured; and the merchants returned for answer, that they never would supply any article for the benefit of men who were sent as enemies to their country. Every thing now served to increase the mutual apprehenfion and animofity. A magazine of powder at Charlestown, near Boston, had been seized by General Gage's order, and a battery of cannon spiked by a detachment from the shipping. On the other hand, the fort at Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, was affaulted by an armed body of provincials, and after a flight resistance carried by storm, and the powder it contained was sent off in boats to a place of fafcty. A fimilar spirit of retaliation and refistance almost every where discovered itself. The resolutions of the Continental Congrefs were universally confirmed by the Provincial Assemblies or Conventions, and Committees of inspection and observation were appointed in order to enforce due obedience to the public decisions. It is now necessary to revert to the state of affairs in England, where paffion had during this interval sufficient leifure to cool, and the greatest anxiety began to prevail as to the result of the late measures of Administration. Lord Chatham, whose sentiments and feelings on all subjects of public concern must be regarded as peculiarly interesting, in a confidential letter to a friend, dated August 1774, writes, "Every step on the fide of Government, vernment, in America, seems calculated to drive the Americans into open resistance, vainly hoping to crush the spirit of liberty in that vast continent at one successful blow; but millions must perish there before the feeds of freedom will cease to grow and spread in so favorable a foil: and in the mean time devoted England must sink herself under the ruins of her own foolish and inhuman fyftem of destruction." In a subsequent letter, he says, "It is plain that America cannot wear chains. Would to Heaven it were equally plain that the oppreffor England is not doomed one day to bind them round her own hands, and wear them patiently! -Sævior armis Luxuria incubuit, victumque ulcifcitur orbem. Happily beyond the Atlantic this poison has not reached the heart. When then will infatuated Administration begin to fear that freedom they cannot destroy, and which they do not know how to love?" And in a third letter he says, "I have not words to express my fatisfaction that the Congress had conducted this most arduous and delicate business with such manly wisdom and calm resolution as does the highest honor to their deliberations. Very few are the things contained in their refolves that I could wish had been otherwise. Upon the whole I think it must be evident to every unprejudiced F3 diced man in England, who feels for the rights of mankind, that America, under all her oppreffions and provocations, holds forth to us the most fair and just opening for restoring harmony and affectionate intercourse as heretofore. I trust that the minds of men are more than beginning to change on this great subject; and that it will be found impossible for freemen in England to wish to fee three millions of Englishmen slaves in America." The PARLIAMENT, which had fat fix years only, was suddenly and unexpectedly diffolved in the month of September, and a new Parliament immediately convened, which met on the ensuing 29th November 1774, and of which Sir Fletcher Norton, a Lawyer of great eminence, was unanimoufly re-chosen Speaker; for, this high office he had already occupied several years, in confequence of the resignation of Sir John Cust. The King, in his opening speech, acquainted the two Houses, "that a most daring spirit of resistance and disobedience still prevailed in the Province of Maffachusetts Bay, and had broke forth in fresh violences of a very criminal nature; that the most proper and effectual measures had been taken to prevent these mischiefs; and that they might depend upon a firm resolution to with stand every attempt to weaken or impair the fupreme authority of this Legislature over all the dominions of the Crown." The Address propofed posed in the House of Commons produced a warm and animated debate. The Minifter was reminded of the mighty effects he had predicted from the late Acts against America. They were to humble the whole Continent in the dust, and the punishment of Boston was to strike an universal terror into all the Colonies; that refractory town would be totally abandoned; and, instead of obtaining relief, a dread of the same fate would even prevent the appearances of pity, An amendment being at length offered, that his Majesty would be graciously pleased to communicate the letters, orders, and instructions, relative to the execution of the late Acts, it was negatived by a majority of 264 to 73. In the House of Lords, the numbers on the division were 63 to 13; but a Protest against the Address, the first which had ever appeared on the Journals of the House, was figned by the Lords in the Minority; who, at the conclufion of it, thus express themselves: " It affords us a melancholy prospect of the disposition of Lords in the present Parliament, when we fee the House, under the pressure of so severe and uniform an experience, again ready, without inquiry, to countenance, if not to adopt, the spirit of former fatal proceedings, But whatever may be the mischievous designs, or the inconfiderate temerity which leads others to this defperate course, we wish to be known |