wards of 30 of the Militia, arm'd with Firelocks, set out on Wednesday Afternoon last, and travelled through Brunswick to Woodbridge within 3 Miles of this place, where they got about Midnight, and would have come down immediately here, in order to carry off the Treasury & Records, had they not been persuaded by some of the Woodbridge Committee to desist from their Enterprize till they could call a Meeting of the neighbouring Committees in the Morning. These Committees when they met disapproved of the Measure, & prevailed on those inconsiderate People to return Home, which they did, marching through Amboy by my Door, with Colours Drum & Fife.

66

All legal Authority and Government seems to be drawing to an End here, and that of Congresses, Conventions, and Committees establishing in their Place. The People are every where entering into Associations similar to that of New York, whereby they engage to "adopt and endeavour carry into Execution whatever Measures may be recommended by the Continental "Congress, or resolved upon by the Provincial Con"vention, and that they will in all Things follow the "Advice of their General Committees," &c. This Association has been entered into by many of what are here called Tories, and Friends to Government, as well as by the other Party; they being in a Manner compelled thereto through Apprehensions for their personal Safety, and as it seemed the only Expedient, in such an Exigency, for the preservation of Peace & good Order and the Security of private Property.

It is highly probable that General Gage must have had very strong Reasons, or he would not have sent out the Party to Concord, and risk'd the commencing Hostilities, at a Time when all His Majesty's Governors on the Continent had Directions, and were consequently taking Measures to promote an amicable Settlement of the present unhappy Difference. It was,

however, expected that previous to the Commencement of any military Operations, the Assembly of Massachuset's Bay would have been called, and that the Governor would have laid before them the Resolution of the House of Commons, declarative of their Sentiments respecting the future Taxation of the Colonies, and explained them in the manner mentioned in your lordship's Circular Dispatch of the 3 of March: And that no hostile Measure of any kind would have been taken that could have had a Chance of bringing on an Engagement with the Troops, until after their Refusal to acquiesce with the Propositions held out in that Resolution, or that they had been warned, by a Proclamation, of the ill Consequences that would infallibly attend their Contumacy. The General's Motives for not pursuing such a Plan of Conduct will, I doubt not, from his distinguished Character, and well-known Prudence, be found strictly justifiable and proper; yet it is greatly to be regretted that the late Skirmish happened at the Time it did, as it has, in its Consequences, proved one of the most unlucky Incidents that could have occurred in the present Situation of Affairs. It will not only be a Means of retarding, if not entirely defeating the Wishes & Measures of His Majesty for a happy Reconciliation; but will endanger the Lives & properties of every Officer of Government in the King's Colonies to the Southward of New England who may refuse to acquiesce in their Proceedings. It has, indeed, been repeatedly declared that they were determined to make Reprisals, and that in case Gen! Gage should seize upon or punish any of the people of that Country, they would seize upon the King's Officers & Friends of Government, throughout the Colonies, and treat them in the same Manner. Nor have I the least Doubt but such would be the Consequence, if military Operations were carried on, and a Number of the Inhabitants are killed or taken Prisoners: For

in none of the Capitals of those Southern Colonies have they, as yet, either Troops, Forts or Men of War, that can afford them any Protection. A matter which surely ought to be particularly attended to, and provided for, before any Hostilities are commenced.

Altho' there seems at present but little Hopes that the Terms proposed by the House of Commons, & approved of by His Majesty will be immediately agreed to by the several Assemblies, yet I cannot but think that when they come to be explained and rightly understood by the People, there will be a Disposition to comply with them, or some others of a similar Nature. The Assemblies will probably avoid coming singly to any Determination before they know the Sentiments of the general Congress to be held this Month at Philadelphia. I have just heard that the Lieu Governor & Council of New York have determined not to lay the propositions before the Assembly of that Province, thinking Men's Minds are at present too much heated & inflamed to consider the Matter with that Calmness & Attention which the Importance of it requires. And I am likewise informed that the Gov of Pensylvania has communicated them to the Assembly of that Province, who have declined acceding to them, & have declared that they "cannot "think the Terms pointed out afford a just and rea"sonable Ground for a final Accommodation between "G. Britain & the Colonies;" intimating besides, "that all Aids from them should be their own free & voluntary Gifts, not taken by Force, nor extorted "by Fears, that the Plan held forth may be classed "under one of these Descriptions and that if they "had no other Objection to it they could not honora"bly adopt it without the Advice & Consent of the "other Colonies."

66

It is not unlikely that I shall receive a somewhat

1 Penn. Colonial Records, X., 252-4.

similar Answer from the Assembly of this Province; and, indeed, I am inclined to think that every other Assembly will wait to take their Tone from the general Congress; and that therefore, unless the Plan is satisfactorily explained to them, we shall be as wide from the final Settlement of the Disputes as ever. But as they are not a legally authorised Body, and the Governors cannot take any direct Notice of them, there seems no other Method so proper for obtaining their Sentiments on the Plan, and thereby bringing the Matter to a Speedy Decision, as to communicate it as soon as possible to the several Assemblies, and give them an Opportunity of informing the Congress of the Nature of it, and of consulting them on the Occasion. -I formerly (in my Dispatch No. -) Suggested the Expediency of having a duely authorized Congress of Persons to be chosen by the several Assemblies, which should be impowered to meet and consult with such Persons as His Majesty should commission for the Purpose, and it still appears to me to be a Measure necessary to expedite the final Settlement of this troublesome & destructive Contest. For, I am convinced that Matters are now carried so far that the Americans in general are disposed to run the Risk of a total Ruin rather than suffer a Taxation by any but their own immediate Representatives and that there is not the least Reason to expect they will ever, in this Instance, consent to acknowledge the Right, even if they should be obliged to submit to the Power of Parliament. The Plan now offered to them is happily a Waving of the Exercise of that Right on Conditions corresponding with their own former Declarations, and which I cannot therefore but hope the reasonable Part of them will think it the Duty of this Country to adopt.

What renders the Situation of American Governors more difficult and dangerous in these Times of Dis

66

order than it would otherwise would be, is the publication of their Correspondence with His Majesty's Ministers. If they neglect to transmit a circumstantial Account of the principal Transactions in their Provinces, they will be guilty of a Breach of their Duty, and necessarily & deservedly incur His Majesty's Displeasure. But let their Detail be ever so strictly conformable to the Truth, and the Facts even supported by the Accounts published in the Newspapers by the Leaders of the People themselves, yet, if it does not altogether quadrate with the Ideas which these Men may afterwards choose to have entertained of their Conduct, the Governors are sure to be held up as Enemies to their Country, and every undue Means are taken to make them the Objects of the People's Resentment. I am led to mention this Matter to your Lordship, particularly at this Time, from the following Paragraph published in Holt's last New York Journal, viz!—“By the Copies of Letters lately laid before "the Parliament (printed in London) from the Gover"nors of the several British Colonies, relative to the "late unconstitutional and tyrannical Acts of Parlia"ment, it appears that Gov! Eden of Maryland was "the only one who honestly & ingenuously repre"sented the Case, with his Opinion thereon, to the "Ministry; which Conduct & Opinion will do him last"ing Honour. In general, the Governors & other "Ministerial people, outstrip their Instructions and "anticipate the Wishes of their Patrons even in their "most blameable Designs. Had it not been owing to the Encouragement, & even Temptation thus given to "the Ministry, in their last treasonable & most horrible 'Design of Destroying the English Constitution, and "enslaving the Colonies, it is more than probable they "would have desisted from the black Attempt."Your Lordship may easily judge of the pernicious Tendency of such publications at such a critical juncture

66