A M E 
“Thefe devoted colonies were judged to be in fuch a 
ftate 'as to prefent victories without bloodlhed, and all the 
eufy emoluments-of ftatutabl'e plunder. The uninterrupted 
tenor of their peaceable and re.fpeftful behaviour from the 
beginning of their colonization ; their dutiful, zealous, and 
rueful, fervices during the war, though fo recently and 
amply acknowledged in the moft honourable manner by 
his majefty, by the late king, and by parliament, could not 
fave them from the intended innovations. Parliament 
was infiucnced to adopt the pernicious project; and, af¬ 
firming a new power over them, has in the courfe of ele¬ 
ven years given fuch deciftve fpecimens of the fpirit and 
confequences attending this power, as to leave no doubt of 
the effects of acqu-iefcence under it. 
“ They have undertaken to give and grant our money 
without our eonfent,. though we have ever exercifed an 
exclufive right to difpofe of otrr own property. Statutes 
have been palled for extending the jufifdiction of the 
courts of admiralty, and vice-admiralty, beyond their an¬ 
cient limits ; for depriving us of the accurtomed and in- 
eflimable rights-of trial by jury, in cafes affecting both 
life and propery ; for fufpending the legiflature of one of 
our colonies; for interdicting all commerce to the capital 
of another; and for altering fundamentally the form of 
government efhibluhed by charter, and fecured by a£ts of 
its own legiflature ; and folemnly confirmed by the crown ; 
for exempting the murderers of colonifts from legal trial, 
and in effect from punifiiment; for erecting in a neigh¬ 
bouring province, acquired by the joint arms of Great 
Britain and America, a defpotifm dangerous to our very 
exigence ; and for quartering fold'iers upon the colonifts 
in time of a profound peace. It has alfo been refolved in 
parliament, that colonifts charged with committing certain 
offences (nail be tranfported to England to be tried. 
“ But why fhould we enumerate our injuries in detail ? 
By one ftatute it was declared, that parliament canof right 
make laws to bind us in all cafes whatever. What is to 
defend us agair.fi fo enormous, fo unlimited; a power ? Not 
a (ingle perfon who affumes it is chofen by us, or is fub- 
jeft to our controul or influence; but, on the contrary, 
they are all of them exempt from the operation of fuch 
laws; and the American revenue, if not diverted from the 
oflenfible purpofes for which it is raifed, would actually 
lighten their own burdens in proportion as it increafes ours. 
“ We law the mifery to which fuch defpotifm would 
reduce us. We for ten years inceffantly and ineffectually 
befieged the throne as fupplicants; we reafoned, we re- 
monftrated with parliament in the moft mild and decent 
language; but adminiftration, fenfible that we fhould re¬ 
gard thefe meafures as freemen ought to do, fent over fleets 
and armies to enforce them. 
“ We have purfued every temperate, every refpeCtful, 
meafure; we have even proceeded to break off all com¬ 
mercial inter,courfe with our fellow-fubjeits as our laft 
peaceable admonition, that our attachment to no nation on 
earth would fupplant our attachment to liberty: this we 
flattered diirfelves was the ultimate fiep of the contro- 
verfv; but fubfequent events have fhewn how vain was 
this hope of finding moderation in our enemies 1 
“ The lords and common-', in theiraddrefsin the month 
of February, faid, that a rebellion at that time actually 
exifted in the province of Maifachufett’s Bay: and that 
th.ofe concerned in it had been countenanced and encou¬ 
raged by unlawful combinations and engagements entered 
into by his majefty’s fubjeifs in feveral of the colonics; 
and therefore they befought his majefty that he would take 
the moft effectual meafures to enforce due obedience to the 
laws and authority of the fupreme legiflature. Soon after 
the commercial interccurfe of whole colonies with foreign 
countries was cut off by an aCt of parliament; by another, 
feveral of them were entirely prohibited from the fiftieries 
in the feas near their courts, on which they always depend¬ 
ed for their fubfiftence ; and large reinforcements of (hips 
and troops w ere immediately fent over to general Gage. 
“ ITuilleis were all the intreaties, arguments, and do¬ 
ll I C A.- 44J 
quence, of an iliuftrions band' or the moft diftingttiflied 
peers and commoners, who nobly and ft.renuouflv affertod 
the juftice of our caufe, to ftay, or even to mitigate, the 
heedlefs fury with which thefe accumulated outrages were 
hurried on. Equally fruitlefs was fire interference of the 
city of London, of Briftol, and of many other refpeCtable 
towns, in our favour. 
After having reproached parliament, general Gage, and 
the Britifh government in general, they proceeded tints; 
“ We are reduced to the alternative of choofing an uncon¬ 
ditional lubmiflion to tyranny or refiftance by force. The 
latter is our choice. We have counted the coft of this 
conteft, and find nothing fo dreadful 1 as voluntary flavery. 
Honour, jaiftice, and humanity, forbid us tamely to fur- 
render that freedom \vhich we received front our. gallant 
anceltors, and which our innocent pofterity have a right 
to receive from us. Our caufe is juft; our union is per¬ 
fect; our internal refources are great; and, if neceffary, 
foreign alTiftance is undoubtedly attainable. We fight not 
for glory or conqueft ; we exhibit to mankind the remark¬ 
able Ipeffacie of people attacked by unprovoked enemies. 
They boaft of their privileges and civilization, and yet 
proffer no milder conditions than fervitude or death. In 
our own native land, in defence of the freedom that is our 
birthright, for the proteilion of our property acquired by 
the honeft induftry of our forefathers and ourown, againft 
violence actually offered, we have taken up arms; we 
fliall lay them down when hoftilities (hall ceafe on the part 
of our aggreffors, and all danger of their being renewed 
fliall be removed,—and not before.” 
Thefe are fome of the moft-(Hiking paflages in the de¬ 
claration of congrefs on taking up arms againft Great Bri¬ 
tain, dated July 6, 1775. Without enquiring whether the 
principles on which it is founded are right or wr.ong, the 
determined fpirit which it (hews ought to have convinced 
us, that the conqueft of America was an event fcarcely 
ever to be expetfied. In every other refpect an equal fpi¬ 
rit was fhewn ; and the rulers of the Britifli nation had the 
mortification to fee thofe whom they ftyled rebels and trai¬ 
tors fucceed in negociations in which they themfelves- 
were utterly foiled. In the parting of the Quebec-bill, 
mini dry had flattered themfelves that the Canadians would 
be fo much attached to them on account of reftoring the 
French laws, that they would very readily join in any at¬ 
tempt againft the colonifts who had reprobated that bill in 
fuch ftrong terms : but in this they found thefnfelves mil- 
taken. A fcheme had been formed for general Carleton, 
governor of the province, to raife an array of Canadians • 
wherewith to aft againft the Americans; and, fo fanguine 
were the hopes of adminiftration in this refpeft, that they 
had fent 20,000 Hand of arms, and a great quantity of 
military ftores, to Quebec for the purports. But the peo¬ 
ple, though they did not join the, Americans, yet were 
found immoveable in their purports to (land neuter. The 
Britifli adminiftration next tried to engage tlie Indians in 
their caufe. But, though agents were difperrted among 
them with large prefents to the chiefs, the greateft part 
replied, that they did not uriaerftand the nature of the 
quarrel, nor could- they diftinguifh. whether thofe who 
dwelt in America or on the other fide of the ocean were in 
fault: but they were furprirted to fee Englifhmen afk their 
alTiftance againft one another; and advirteti them to be re¬ 
conciled, and not to think of (bedding the blood of their 
brethren. To the- reprefentati'ons of congrefs they paid 
more refpeft. Thefe fet forth, that the Englilh on the 
other fide of the ocean had taken up arms to enftave not 
only their countrymen in America, but the Indians- alfo; 
and, if the latter fhould enable them to overcome the co¬ 
lonifts, they themfelves \yould foon be reduced fo a frate 
of flavery alfo. By arguments of. this kind moft of the 
lavages were engaged to remain neuter ; and thus the co¬ 
lonifts were freed from a dangerous enemy. On this oc- 
c a firm the congrefs thought proper to hold.a folemn con¬ 
ference with the different tribes of Indians. The-fpeech 
made by them on the occaiion is curious,, hut too long to. 
1 be 
