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instructions to her representative, in June. 1774, after recapit- 

 ulating the late oppressive measures of the British Parliament, 

 she says, " Americans thus situated, "vvith no other interests 

 but what can be granted by the Commons of Great Britain, 

 are in a state but little above that of abject slaves on farms 

 and plantations. Surely, no men on earth can think these 

 measures right ; and heaven itself, the Grand Court to whose 

 decrees earthly ones must be subservient, will (we confidently 

 hope) forbid the execution of them. Do the minions of power 

 tell us, not to submit to these measures is death ? We coolly 

 answer, that in our opinions, to submit is infinitely worse than 

 death." To Marblehead belongs the honor of being the birth 

 place of one of the signers of the Declaration of American Inde- 

 pendence. It was wholly fallacious for a moment to suppose, 

 that an expedition landing at a place so imbued with the spirit 

 of liberty, could be permitted to surprise the inhabitants of 

 Salem, or that the news of their approach by such a route would 

 not precede them. Their chance of success would have been 

 far better, had they proceeded by water directly into the harbor 

 of Salem. 



Colonel Mason,* who resided in a house near the North Bridge, 

 and contiguous to Dr. Barnard's church, was one of the first per- 

 sons to whom the tidings of the approach of the British troops 

 were communicated. Eor the purpose of alarming a portion of 

 the inhabitants, he ran into the North Church and cried out at 

 the top of his voice, " the reg'lars are coming and are now near 

 Malloon's Mills ! " The congregation immediately dispersed, 

 and the greatest excitement prevailed throughout the town ; 

 the intelligence of the approach of the British troops having 



* Perhaps the accounts of individuals who claim for any member of 

 their families the almost exclusive management of this whole affair, 

 should be received with considerable allowance. Beside the manu- 

 script memoir of Colonel Mason, we have seen another, the author of 

 which claims for a certain gentleman of Marblehead, of somewhat doubt- 

 ful patriotism at the time, the whole credit of apprizing the people of 

 Salem of the approach of the British troops, and for the successful 

 termination of this encounter. Some recent publications also claim the 

 principal credit for Danvers. The author of the " History of Danvers," 

 very modestly says : " The people of Danvers, j'omeJ by those of Salem, 

 opposed and beat back the foe : " thus representing Salem as acting a 

 subordinate part to Danvers in this affair. In anotlier account we hear 

 " ivhat the people of Danvers said to Colonel Leslie.'''' The fact is, all 

 behaved nobly on the occasion, and vied with each other who should be 

 foremost. 



