99 



iitid subsisted in a considerable degree of bealtli and vigor, tor 

 near a twelve month, -without governor, without public council, 

 without judges, without executive magistrates." 



The Ipswich Convention passed, among others, the following 

 resolve : — 



" Though above all things (slavery excepted,) we deprecate 

 the evils of a civil war, yet, if the violence and despotism of our 

 enemies should finally reduce us to the sad necessity, we, 

 undaunted, are ready to appeal to the last resort of States, and 

 will, in support of our rights, encounter even death, sensible 

 that he can never die too soon who lays down his life in support 

 of the law^s and liberties of his county." 



The Salem representatives were now empow^ered, with other 

 members of the House, to resolve themselves into a Provincial 

 Congress, which was recommended by the Ipswich Convention. 

 On the 1st of September, Governor Gage ordered another 

 meeting of the Legislature in Salem, to take place on the fifth 

 of October; and the several towns throughout the Province 

 elected their representatives accordingly ; but on the 28th he 

 adjourned it indefinitely, convinced, no doubt, of the determina- 

 tion of the people to resist at any hazard the late aggressive 

 acts of Parliament. Notwithstanding this interdiction, the 

 Legislature did convene at the appointed time in Salem, " there 

 to be qualified, according to charter, for taking seats and acting 

 as representatives in said Great and General Court ; but were 

 not met by the Governor or other constitutional officers, by 

 him appointed for administering the usual oaths and qualifying 

 them thereto." Whereupon, having waited one day, they chose 

 John Hancock chairman, and Benjamin Lincoln clerk, and 

 passed resolutions declaring the course of the Governor in 

 adjourning the House before it had first " met and convened," 

 to be unconstitutional, and "against the express words, as well 

 as the true sense and meaning, of the charter." They then 

 resolved themselves into a Congress, and adjourned to meet at 

 Concord on the 11th of October following. 



Governor Gage had already removed his head-quarters to 

 Boston, having left Dan vers on the 27th August, and was 

 followed by the 59th regiment from this town, and the two 

 companies of the 64th from his late head-quarters, on the 10th 

 September. The former were stationed on Boston Neck, at 

 the entrance of the town, where they threw up entrenchments, 

 and where the most hostile preparations were carried on. 



The deputies from most of the colonies met at the appointed 

 time in Philadelphia. They approbated the stand taken by 



