fortunes, to assert and maintain the rights and interests of your Majesty, and of our Mother Country. "Remembrance of former friendships, pride in the glorious achievements of our common ancestors and affection for the heirs of their virtues, have hitherto preserved our mutual connection; but when that friendship is violated by the grossest injuries; when the pride of ancestry becomes our reproach, and we are not otherwise allied than as tyrants and slaves; when reduced to the melancholy alternative of renouncing your favor, or our Freedom; can we hesitate about the choice? Let the spirit of Britons determine." In a word, in respect of their treatment, Congress felt as its members put on record in their Declaration 1 of Griev ances: What terms more rigid and humiliating could have been dictated by remorseless victors to conquered enemies? In our circumstances, to accept them, would be to deserve them.. We We are reduced to the alternative of chusing an unconditional submission to the tyranny of irritated ministers, or resistance by force. The latter is our choice. have counted the cost of this contest, and find nothing so dreadful as voluntary slavery. Honor, justice, and humanity forbid us tamely to surrender that freedom which our innocent posterity have a right to receive from us. Well did they redeem the pledge that follows: In our own native land, in defence of the freedom that is our birth-right, and which we ever enjoyed till the late violation of it for the protection of our property, acquired solely by the honest industry of our forefathers and ourselves, against violence actually offered, we have taken up arms. We shall lay them down when hostilities shall cease on the part of the aggressors, and all danger of their being renewed shall be removed, and not before. 1 Journal of the Proceedings of the Congress held at Philadelphia, May, 1775, 125, 127, 129. July 6, 1775. INDEX Abercrombie, General, attacks Ticon- deroga, I, 8. Lieutenant-Colonel, letter, III, 242. Acton, Massachusetts, men in fight Mrs. Hannah, British rack house, III, John, I, 29, 104, 170, 229, 336; II, quotation, I, 12, 14, 15, 50, 55, 64, counsel for Hancock, I, 115. 116, 126, 133, 149, 235, 236, 237, early life, I, 23. drafts petition to King, I, 117. committee on Royal Address, I, 121. plans Committee on Correspondence, I, 275. a member, I, 283. Agnus, Mr., stamp collector, I, 52. Albany, New York, Congress of, I, 6. declines to command in America, II, Andrews, John, quotation, I, 303, 309, 314, 315, 316, 334, 362, 365, 366, John, of Ipswich, tried by Star Andros, Sir Edmund, arrives as Gov- Appleton, John, of Ipswich, tried by Boston committee, I, 296. Archbald boys, I, 181, 182, 183. Arlington, Massachusetts, flight from Army, American, Massachusetts re- enlistment roll, II, 293. tea importation, I, 295, 296, 304, 316.~ Arnold, Benedict, goes to attack on appeal to Colonies, I, 360. delegate to Congress, I, 369; II, 11, 14. resides at Lexington, II, 315. Boston, III, 294. Ashe, Speaker John, I, 42, 43. Assessment, Andros levies in Massa- chusetts, I, 2. Assistance, Writs of, granted by Court of Exchequer, I, 12. trial of legality, I, 14. affirmed, I, 15. legalized by Parliament, I, 81. Attucks, Boston Massacre, I, 217, 218, tries Pitt sailors, I, 123, 125. Bachelder, Captain, retreat from Con- cord, III, 59. Bacon, John, of Natick, killed, III, 86. Concord, III, 60. Bailey, Sarah Loring, Historical Sketches Baker, Amos, Concord Bridge, III, 44, 57. Baldwin, Major Loammi, flight from Concord, III, 65, 87. Barker, Lieutenant John, quotation, II, 134, 135, 136, 137, 142, 146, Joseph, Concord Bridge, III, 37. Rev. Thomas, Jr., II, 253, 256, 257. Barré, Colonel, I, 147, 149, 267. Barrett, Amos, Concord Bridge, III, 13, Mrs. Humphrey, III, 43. Captain Nathan, Concord Bridge, Stephen, Concord Bridge, III, 30. Barrington, Lord, I, 119, 159. Speech against Massachusetts, I, 118. William, History of Framingham, Bartlett, George B., Concord Historic, Bass, Henry, I, 184, 225. Bassett, Lieutenant James, I, 207. Beckford, Alderman, I, 159. opposes a stamp tax, I, 21, 25. death, I, 163. Bedford, Duke of, I, 119, 147. Lord President of Council, I, 17. Jeremy, I, 182; III, 279. from Concord, III, 73. Bernard, Governor, I, 84, 85, 91, 98, 101, 103, 104, 110, 116, 120, 126, orders billeting, I, 111. Bernard, Governor (Continued) Julia, quotation, I, 37, 38, 87, 130, 230. Concord Bridge, III, 74. Billerica, Massachusetts, men in fight Blanchard, Luther, flight from Concord, Timothy, of Billerica, wounded, III, 72. Blaney, Captain Benjamin, of Malden, Blodgett, Timothy, petition, II, 376. Blowers, Sampson Salter, counsel for Bollan, Mr., I, 134. letter, I, 83. Boscawen, Admiral, captures Louis- Mrs., letter, I, 374; III, 344, 351, Boston, Massachusetts, Lord Loudon protests against stamp tax, I, 23. hangs stamp tax advocates in effigy, riots, I, 33. reprobates riot, I, 37. stamp paper arrives, I, 40. hangs Grenville in effigy, I, 46. rejoices at repeal of Stamp Act, I, 64. respondence, II, 287. convicted, I, 262. Bowdoin, James, I, 305. delegate to Congress, I, 369. Boynton, Thomas, quotation, III, 264. Duquesne, I, 6. Brattle, Colonel, deserts to English, charge of powder, II, 26. 220. |