10 



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vig- 



sionS; formed a plan for taxing the Colonies towards the supply orf 



r 



their treasury; probably hoping, that by means of the officers nee- 



-I 



essary to collect the taxes, they should create and secure an exten- 

 sive influence here, which wQuld favor their design of prolonging 

 our dependence upon them, and on these, and other subordinate 

 principles, they passed the stamp act, the declaratory act, and oth- 

 er acts, calculated as they thought, to accomplish their designs. 

 The Colonies were alarmed ;* they petitioned and remonstrated 

 without effect ; they obstructed in different ways the execution 

 of these acts. The British ministry attempted to coerce them to 

 obedience; and introduced a body of soldiers for that purpose. 

 During these times, Mr. Bowdoin was in the Council, and 

 ■orously opposed all the measures devised to produce compliance 

 His heart was warmed; and his head and pen, as well as his 

 tongue, employed in the cause of his country : As a philosopher 

 and christian, he was a lover of peace, but he did not inherit from 

 his ancestors, nor had he imbibed from any other source, the 

 principles of passive obedience and non-resistance. He 

 every sense a patriot : He connected himself with those who were 

 determined not to be slaves : It was in his power to have made 

 any terms for himself, if he could have deserted his principles ; 

 but firm and incorruptible, he put every thing at hazard ; this 

 occasioned the measure taken by Governor Bernard. But the es- 

 teem of his fellow-citizens, and their opinion of his talents and 

 integrity, caused them to place him in the House of Represent- 

 atives at the next election. When Governor Uuichmson succeeded 

 txovernor Bernard, Mr. Bowdoin was again elected into the Coun- 

 cil, and the choice was approved by iU Governor ; who thought 



it 



was m 



