1775. liament. that no governor may be allowed to dissolve or prorogue them when he shall be informed that they are preparing a petition to our gracious king and parliament of Great Britain. On motion Act of parof lord North, the proposition contained in the address, petition, and memorial, of granting to his majesty in perpetuity, a duty of poundage ad valorem, upon all commodities imported into the said province, not being the produce of the British dominions in Europe and America (bay salt excepted), the said duty to be under the disposition of parliament, is fit to be accepted; and that the amount of said duty shall be eight pounds per cent. upon all such commodities.1 har.isses Captain Wallace, commanding a king's ship with other armed Captain vessels, greatly harassed the commerce of Rhode Island. On Wallace the 7th of October he came from Newport into Bristol harbour R. Island; with several ships of war, and several armed tenders and transports, made a furious attack upon the town of Bristol, and did attacks Bristol; great damage to the houses, stores, and churches. Within an hour, 120 cannon were fired upon the defenceless town. Some houses were set on fire; and the inhabitants, among whom there had been for some time a prevalent sickness, were hurried into the streets in their beds, to save them from the flames. Mr. Burt, the minister of Bristol, who was one of the sick, having fled from his bed to escape the fire that was consuming his house, was found dead in the field, the morning after the conflagration. On the 10th of December, captain Wallace landed about 200 burns Co. marines, sailors, and negroes, on Conanicut, and burned the nanicut. houses and barns on that island. R. Island A detachment was sent from the army in Massachusetts, under Vigorous the command of general Lee, to the relief of Rhode Island. measures of The assembly of that colony passed an act, that those of the assembly. inhabitants, who should hold intelligence with the British ministers or with their agents, or should supply the armies or fleets with arms or military stores, or should serve as pilots to the English ships, should incur pain of death, and the confiscation of their estates. The estates of some persons, whom they declared enemies to the liberties of America, they pronounced to be confiscated. The assembly emitted £20,000 sterling in bills of credit. These decisive measures, with the presence of general Lee, restored the tranquillity of that colony. A speech was prepared in congress 3 July, to the Six Confede- Speech of rate Nations, the Mohawks, Oneidas, Tuscaroras, Onondagas, congress to Cayugas, and Senecas, from the Twelve United Colonies convened Nations. 1 Parliamentary Register. The address is dated at " Halifax, June 24, 1775; " it was acted upon in parliament 15 November. the Six 1775. in council at Philadelphia. They address them as "Brothers," and assign to them, as the purpose of their Talk, "that you may be informed of the reasons of this great Council, the situation of our civil constitution, and our disposition towards you, our Indian brothers of the Six Nations and their allies." After a recital of the history of the emigration of their fathers from England, and of the chartered privileges granted by their king, they proceed to tell them of the quarrel betwixt the counsellors of king George and the Inhabitants and Colonies of America; and say, it is a family quarrel between themselves and Old England; "you Indians are not concerned in it. We do'nt wish you to take up the hatchet against the king's troops. We desire you to remain at home and not join either side; but keep the hatchet buried deep." They say, in conclusion: "Let us both be cautious in our behaviour towards each other at this critical state of affairs. This Island now trembles, the wind whistles from almost every quarter . . . let us fortify our minds and shut our ear against false rumours . . . let us be cautious what we receive for truth, unless spoken by wise and good men. If any thing disagreeable should ever fall out between us, the Twelve United Colonies, and you, the Six Nations, to wound our peace, let us immediately seek measures for healing the breach. From the present situation of our affairs, we judge it wise and expedient to kindle up a small Council-Fire at Albany, where we may hear each other's voice, and disclose our minds more fully to one another." The customary belts were presented. It was ordered, that a similar talk be prepared for the other Indian Nations; and commissioners for Indian affairs were appointed.1 These Indians not induced to The desire of congress to maintain the Indians in neutrality was frustrated. Towards the last of July, colonel Guy Johnson, be neutral, intendant general of the king for Indian affairs, accompanied by a great number of chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations, arespouse the rived at Montreal, and, in the presence of general Carleton, cause of the offered to support the cause of the king. This was the origin of the Indian war. king. Dr. Church convicted of a traiterous corres In October, Dr. Benjamin Church was detected in a traiterous correspondence with the British in Boston. He had sustained a high reputation as a patriot, was at this time a member pondence. of the Massachusetts house of representatives, and had been appointed surgeon and director of the American hospital. He was tried, convicted, and expelled from the house of representatives; and congress afterwards resolved, that he be closely con 1 Journals of Congress, 1775. fined in some secure jail in Connecticut, without the use of pen, 1775. ink, or paper; and that no person be allowed to converse with him, except in the presence and hearing of a magistrate, or the sheriff of the county.1 mands the In the autumn of this year, governor Gage obtained leave to Gen. Gage repair to England; and the command of the British army de- goes to England, volved on Sir William Howe. The offer of this command had and Sir W. been first made to general Oglethorpe, his senior officer, who Howe comagreed to accept the appointment, on the condition, that the British ministry would authorize him to assure the colonies that justice army. should be done them. This veteran and patriotic general declared at the same time, that he knew the people of America well; that they never would be subdued by arms; but that their obedience would be ever secured by doing them justice.2 Peyton Randolph died at Philadelphia, aged 52 years.3 Deaths. Josiah Quincy died at sea, near Cape Ann, on his return from England, aged 31 years.* 1 Gordon, (Lond. edit.) ii. Lett. 2. Thacher's Military Journal. Bradford, Mass. ii. 76. Dr. Church being at length permitted to depart from the country, he embarked with his family for the West Indies; but the vessel foundered at sea, and all were lost. 2 General authorities for this year: Gordon, Hist. U. States; Ramsay, Amer. Revolution, i. c. 5—9, Revol. S. Carolina, c. 2; Journals of Congress; Annual Register; Remembrancer; Parliamentary Register; Stedman, Hist. Amer. War, i. c. 1, 4; Marshall, Life of Washington, i. c. 3-6; Adams, Hist. N. England, c. 23-26; Bradford, Hist. Massachusetts, vol. 2; Pres. Stiles, MSS. and Moultrie's Memoirs of Amer. Revolution. 3 Mr. Randolph was born in Virginia, of which colony he was attorney general as early as 1756. In 1766 he was elected speaker of the house of burgesses, and in 1773, a member of the committee of correspondence. In 1774 he was chosen a delegate to the first congress which assembled at Philadelphia; and was elected its president. He was also elected president of the second congress in 1775; but being soon obliged to return to Virginia, Mr. Hancock was chosen his successor. He resumed his seat in congress, but died suddenly of an apoplexy on the 22d of October. 4 Mr. Quincy died on the 26th of April," within sight of that beloved country which he was not permitted to reach. He expired, not as, a few weeks afterwards, did his friend and co-patriot, Warren, in battle, on a field ever memorable and ever glorious; but in solitude, amidst suffering, without associate, and without witness; yet breathing forth a dying wish for his country, desiring to live only to perform towards her a last and signal service."-A few hours after his death, the ship, with his lifeless remains, entered the harbour of Gloucester, at Cape Ann. Life of Josiah Quincy, Jun. 348. Mr. Quincy was the son of Josiah Quincy, a merchant in Boston, who, having acquired a handsome fortune, retired to Braintree, the seat of his ancestors. Josiah Quincy, junior, was educated at Harvard College, where he was graduated in 1763. He was the grandson of Edmund Quincy, agent at London, who died there in 1738. See that year. It has been observed, "that the Quincys have been friends to liberty and the rights of the people from the most ancient times. When the English barons made that noble stand in the beginning of the 13th century, that obliged king John to grant the Magna Charta, Sieur de Quincy was one of them." The late president Adams told me, he had seen the original Magna Charta, with the signature of Sieur de Quincy, in the Tower of London. 1775. At the close of this eventful year, we are presented with a train of interesting and instructive reflections. The contemplative will meditate upon the impotency of human passions and counsels, when opposed to the immutable laws of justice and to the uncontrollable counsels of Heaven. At the opening of the year, lord Chatham, among other British patriots and statesmen, had faithfully declared the magnitude of the American controversy, and predicted its issue." He enlarged upon the dangerous and ruinous events that were coming upon the nation in consequence of the present dispute, and the measures already begun and now carrying on by his majesty's ministers. I know," said he, "that no one will avow that he has advised his majesty to these measures; every one shrinks from the charge. But somebody has advised his majesty to these measures, and if his majesty continues to hear such evil counsellors, his majesty will be undone. His majesty may indeed wear his crown, but, the American jewel out of it, it will not be worth the wearing.-The very first drop of blood will make a wound, that will not easily be skinned over. Years, perhaps ages, may not heal it." The ministers persisted in their measures. Blood was soon shed, and the wound was never healed. The jewel was lost.2 1 An excellent Sermon upon this subject, entitled, "The Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Men" (from Psalm lxxvi. 10.), was preached by President Witherspoon at Princeton on the 17th of May, 1776, the day of the General Fast appointed by Congress through the United Colonies. 2 At a crisis like this, upright statesmen and a virtuous people will inquire, what is the power of the government, what are the rights and duties of the subjects. "The question will be asked in this matter of prerogative, But who shall be judge when this power is made a right use of? I answer," says Mr. Locke: There can be no judge on earth; as there can be none between the legislative and the people, should either the executive, or the legislative, when they have got the power in their hands, design, or go about to enslave or destroy them. The people have no other remedy in this, as in all other cases where they have no judge on earth, but to appeal to heaven: for the rulers, in such attempts, exercising a power the people never put into their hands (who can never be supposed to consent that any body should rule over them for their harm), do that which they have not a right to do. And where the body of the people, or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven, whenever they judge the cause of sufficient moment." Locke on Government, b. 2. c 14. The people of the united American colonies, believing this to be their case, appealed to heaven, PART III. THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. PERIOD I. FROM THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, IN 1776, TO 1776. British govern THE Declaration of Independence begins a new era in the Independ history of America. The measures of the British government ence promoted by accelerated an event, which, if anticipated and wished by a few meters of the colonists, had not hitherto been generally desired. Inde- of the pendence was not the object of the controversy, on the part of Bernthe colonies, but constitutional liberty. Oppression, by demand- ment. ing more than is due, loses the benefit of legal claims. During the last session of parliament, the ultimate plan for reducing the colonies was fixed. The Americans were declared out of the royal protection, and 17,000 foreign mercenaries were to be employed to aid in their subjugation. The British king had entered into treaties with the landgrave of Hesse Cassel, the duke of Brunswick, and the count of Hanau, princes of Germany, for that number of men to be employed in America. On the 1 Exclusive of those already in America, it was determined to send over upwards of 42,000 men, of regular troops; 25,000 English, and more than 17,000 German. When to these were added all the recruits of Canada, the corps of American loyalists and Indians, it was hoped there would be a total of 55,000 men; and it was believed, that, after every deduction, and in any event, the army would exceed 40,000 effective men; a force, thought to be more than sufficient to subdue all America. |