The Writings of Samuel Adams Volume II Part 3

Our Merchants have receded from their Nonimportation Agreement. They held it much longer than I ever thought they would or could. It was a grand Tryal which pressd hard upon their private Interest. But the Landholders find it for their Interest to manufacture and it is their happy Consideration that while they are most effectually serving their Country they are adding to their private fortunes. The representatives of the people have this day agreed to promote Manufactures in their respective Towns, & the House have appointed a special Committee5 to form a plan for the effectual Encouragement of Arts Agriculture Manufactures & Commerce in this province; & even the Administration of a Bernard could not tend more to sharpen the Edge of resentment which will perpetually keep alive the Spirit of Manufactures than that which we are now blessd with. Lt Governor Hutchinson, more plausible indeed than Bernard, seems resolvd to push the same plan & the people plainly see that a Change of Men is not likely to produce a Change of Measures--so soon are the Words of the one verified when he said of the other that he could rely upon him as he could on himself.

Our House of Representatives have been inducd to do Business this Session, against their former remonstrances, princ.i.p.ally from a Necessity which they apprehended they were under of attending to what mt be doing on your Side the Water. They accordingly chose an Agent. I gave my Suffrage with about a third part of the House, for Dr Lee--but Dr Franklin being personally known to many of the Members had the preference--both the Gentlemen were highly spoken of in the House, & afterwards Dr Lee was appointed to the Trust, by a very full vote in Case of the Death or Absence of Dr Franklin.

Our State Tryals as we may call them have at length come on. Preston is acquitted by a Jury!6 It is to be remarkd that the Baker of the Regiment, who indeed wd have had himself excusd, and three others were put on as Talesmen Preston having challengd Eighteen. One of the three was a known Intimate of Prestons and another had declared before that if he was to be of the Jury he wd sit till Doomsday before he wd consent to a Verdict agt him. Evidence to prove that the Soldiers were the Aggressors of which there was plenty was not admitted. The main Question was whether he orderd the Men to fire--diverse persons swore positively that he did, but they differing about the Circ.u.mstance of his Dress, & others swearing, one that he was very near him & did not hear him give the orders, & others that some other person unknown gave them, operated in his favor. But no Weight that I can learn was given, to full proof that he led the Soldiers armd with loaded Musquets & Bayonets. This he had a Right, nay it was his Duty to do, because the Centinel was in Danger & we must presume the People were the Aggressors. This Principle I suppose will clear the Soldiers whose Tryals begin on Tuesday next.7 Richardson who was convicted of the Murder of young Snider so long ago as March, remains unhangd, the Court not having yet determind upon his Motion for another Tryal. You may easily observe that we have catchd the impartial Spirit of the Kings friends, a synonimous term for friends of Govt here, from the Mother Country. I had not the opportunity of attending Prestons Tryal, but am in hopes of having a minute Accot of it from a sensible Gentleman who was present--if I can obtain it I will write you more precisely upon the Subject.

Before I conclude I must mention to you that the Minister has taken a Method which in my Opinion has a direct tendency to set up a despotism here, or rather is the thing it self--and that is by sending Instructions to the Governor to be the rule of his Administration & forbiding him as the Govr declares to make them known to us, the Design of which may be to prevent his ever being made responsible for any measures he may advise in order to introduce & establish arbitrary power over the Colonies. Mr Hutchinson has pushd this point with all the Vigour of Bernard, which has occasiond warm messages between him & the a.s.sembly as you may observe in the Boston Gazette for several Weeks past. But of this I shall be more particular in my next.

I shall be proud of an epistolary Correspondence with you, and with Dr Lee to whom tho personally unknown to him I beg you wd make my Compliments. I am with strict truth.

1A resident of London, and at one time sheriff; his relations with the colonists appear in the letters printed in this volume.

2A copy is in S. A. Wells, Samuel Adams and the American Revolution, vol. i. pp. 293, 294.

3The session began September 26 and ended November 20.

4Probably Richard Cary, of Charlestown, Ma.s.s. Letters by him are in Papers Relating to Public Events in Ma.s.sachusetts, pp. 113, 122, 124.

5On November 16; Samuel Adams was a member of the committee.

6The stenographic report of Preston's trial was sent to England, but never published in America. Works of John Adams, vol. ii., p. 236.

7The Trial of the British Soldiers of the 29th Regiment of Foot was published at Boston in 1770, 1807 and 1824, and was reprinted in History of the Boston Ma.s.sacre, Albany, 1870, pp. 123-285.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO THE LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR OF Ma.s.sACHUSETTS.1

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOR,

The House of Representatives have heretofore view'd with Concern the deplorable State of the Militia of this Province. But have heretofore refrained from any public mention of it least some Misconstruction should be put upon it.

But by the last Advices from GREAT BRITAIN, the NATIONS of Europe appear to be upon the Eve of a general War; and perhaps America may be the object in the Eye of some of those Naions.

And when some of the Regiments within this Province are dest.i.tute of Field-Officers, and many Companies without Captains or Subalterns, the Arms of the Militia we fear are deficient, and military Discipline too much neglected.

Duty to his Majesty, and a Regard to our own Safety constrain us to Address your Honor, praying that you would be pleased (as soon as may be) to fill up the Vacancies in the several Regiments (wherever such Vacancies are) with such Persons as to your Honor shall seem meet: And that your Honor would be pleased to use your Endeavours that the several Officers carefully Discharge the Trust reposed in them. And should any Amendments in, or Addition to the Laws for regulating the Militia of this Province be thought needful, at the next Session of the General Court the House of Representatives will chearfully do all in their Power towards putting the Militia on a respectable Footing.

1On November 19, 1770, Samuel Adams was appointed a member of a committee to draft a message to the Lieutenant Governor with reference to the vacancies in the militia. On the following day Adams reported to the House a draft, which was accepted.

ARTICLE SIGNED "A TORY."

[Boston Gazette, November 26, 1770.]

I have thought of several things that have taken place since the present a-----n1 began, which must needs have given sensible pleasure to every friend of this province, and possibly were alluded to in a late pr-----n.2 ---In the first place, the friends of government have so far prevailed against the faction, as to get the non-importation plan broke thro', which had for so long time embarra.s.sed the Ministry in thier laudable efforts to ESTABLISH A REVENUE in the colonies. The consequence of this, it is hoped, will be, that the worthy Commissioners of the customs will be continued; and the troops which have so eminently protected the lives, and reformed the morals of the people, will be reinstated; so that the well-affected may enjoy their places and PENSIONS without molestation from the vulgar. In the next place, our Castle-William is taken out of the hands of the rude natives, and put under the government of regular forces; this was an admirable manoeuvre, which has occasioned the highest joy in the friends of government, (thank his ----- for it) and in proportion damp'd the spirits of the faction. And then, such a grand appearance of tall s.h.i.+ps of war in our capital harbour, which were certainly designed to show us the marks of the greatest respect, (for what other end could the wise ministry have had in view) and may serve to make up for the loss of troops, if we should unfortunately not be favoured with more! --There is also the advantage which his H----r the Lt.

G-----r must reap from some late instructions, which, no doubt, "are founded in wise reasons," whereby the great defects in our Charter, which the friends of government have been long complaining of, may be supply'd. --I might mention also, a late remarkable deliverance from death and danger, (blessed a-m-----n!) for it would have been a great discouragement to the efforts of government. --But no more-- these may be thought to be matters of great thankfulness, and may suitably employ our minds at the approaching solemnity.

Your's

A TORY.

Cambridge, Nov. 20, 1770.

1Administration.

2Proclamation.

TO PETER TIMOTHY1

[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

Boston Novr 21 1770

SIR

Ever since I recd your favr of Sept 222 I have been incessantly employd in the Genl a.s.sembly which met AGREABLE TO INSTRUCTIONS at Har[vard] Coll[ege] in Cam[bridge]. This I hope will be some Apology for my not acknowleging it before.

I had recd a Letter from Mr John Neufville Chairman of the Come of Merchts in Charlestown, inclosing Letters for the Sons of Liberty in Boston Connecticutt & N Hamps.h.i.+re. The two last of which I forwarded as soon as possible to such Gentn in the repsective places as I judgd worthy so excellent a Character. That which was directed for Boston I unseald, professing my self a Son of Liberty but found it was designd for the Trade, with whom I was not connected, but as an Auxiliary in their Nonimportaton Agreement. I therefore deliverd it to the Chairman of the Come here, and it was read with very great Approbation, in a large Meeting of the Body of the people. I desire you wd make my Compts and Apology to Mr Neufville. I verily believd that the Come of Merchants had duly honord his Letter by returning an Answer to it, as they had orderd it to be publishd in our papers; and I candidly suppose they had the same Expectation from me which may be the occasion that the Letter remaind unanswerd.

The Nonimportation Agreemt since the Defection of New York is entirely at an end. From the Begining I have been apprehensive it wd fall short of our Wishes. It was continued much beyond my Expectation: There are here & I suppose every where, men interrested enough to render such a plan abortive. Thro the Influence of the Come & Tories here, Boston had been made to APPEAR in an odious Light; but I wd not have you believe it to be the true Light. The Merchts in general have punctually abode by their Agreemt, to their very great private loss; Some few have found means to play a dishonorable Game without Detection, tho the utmost pains have been taken. The Body of the people remaind firm till the Merchts receded. I am very sorry that the Agreemt was ever enterd into as it has turnd out ineffectual.

Let us then ever forget that there has been such a futile Combination, & awaken our Attention to our first grand object. Let the Colonies still convince their implacable Enemies, that they are united in const.i.tutional Principles, and are resolvd they WILL NOT be Slaves; that their Dependance is not upon Merchts or any particular Cla.s.s of men, nor is their dernier resort, a resolution BARELY to withhold Commerce, with a nation that wd subject them to despotic Power. Our house of reps[sic] have appointed a Come to correspond with our friends in the other Colonies,3 & AMERICAN MANUFACTURES shd be the constant Theme.

Our young men seem of late very ambitious of making themselves masters of the art MILITARY.

1Of Charleston, South Carolina.

2Asking why an earlier letter of the Charleston committee had not been answered. A copy of Timothy's letter is in S. A. Wells, Samuel Adams and the American Revolution, vol., i., p. 292.

3Consisting of Samuel Adams, John Adams, Hanc.o.c.k, Hall and Cus.h.i.+ng; appointed November 7, 1770.

TO STEPHEN SAYRE.

[MS., Samuel Adams Papers, Lenox Library.]

Boston 23 Novr 1770

SIR

Capt Scott being detaind by a contrary Wind, and the General a.s.sembly being now prorogud,1 I have an Opportunity of writing in Addition to my Letter of the 16 Instt & by the same Conveyance.

As soon as I heard of the Death of our worthy Friend Mr De Berdt, I was determind, if the House should come to the Choice of an Agent, to give my Vote for yourself; and I was confirmd in my Resolution when I found by your Letter of the 5 June2 that such an Appointmt would be agreable to you. But being afterwards told by a Friend of yours that you were desirous yourself that Dr Lee might be chosen, which by no means lessened my Opinion of your Merit, & having also a great Opinion of Dr Lee, I thought myself happy in a Conclusion that your Inclination perfectly coincided with my own Judgment. At the same time, such was my Opinion of your honest Zeal for the Rights of America and of your Ability to defend them that I could with equal Satisfaction have voted for Mr Sayer. I am perfectly of your Opinion that no man shd be the object of our Choice who holds any place at the Will of the present Administration; how far the House have been influencd by this Principle you are able to judge.

You will observe by the inclosd papers, to how great a degree ministerial Instructions are enforcd here. They not only prescribe to the a.s.sembly which ought to be free the forms of Legislation in the most essential Parts, but even annihilate the Powers of the Govr vested in him by Charter.3 Could it possibly be imagind that a man who is bone of our Bone, & flesh of our flesh--who boasts that his Ancestors were of the first Rank & figure in the Country, who has had all the Honors lavishly heapd upon him which his Fellow Citizens had it in their power to bestow, who with all the Arts of personal Address professes the strongest Attachmt to his native Country & the most tender feeling for its Rights. Could it be imagind htat such a Man shd be so lost to all sense of Grat.i.tude & publick Love, as to aid the Designs of despotick power for the sake of rising a single step higher.

"Who would not weep if such a Man there be Who would not weep if H-----n were he."

Aut Caesar aut nullus, is inscribd on the Hearts of some Men who have neither Caesars Learning nor Courage. Caesar three times refusd the Crown; His Heart & his Tongue evidently gave each other the Lye. Our modern GREAT MAN, would fain have it thought that he has refusd a Government, which his Soul is every day panting after & without the Possesion of which his Ambition & l.u.s.t of Power will perpetually torment him.

The Intelligence in Your Letter of the 18 Sept which I have just now with pleasure receivd, does not at all surprize me--"His former Letters" "wrote before Bernard embarkd for England" "have been equally oppugnant to the Form of your Govt"--And yet this very Man gives out, that in six months, the Province will be convincd that his Letters are written in defence of our Charter! So I remember Bernard himself, not long before his own Letters returnd, declard to both Houses of a.s.sembly, that if he was at Liberty to make publick the Letters he had written to the several Boards in favor of the Province, his Enemies wd blush.--Why does not this Man make his Letters publick? Would not a Roman Senator have seizd the opportunity of appeasing the Jealousys of the angry Citizens? But the Body of the people are contemptible.4 This People who know not the Law are accursed, said a haughty Jewish priest. It has been his Principle from a Boy, that Mankind are to be governd by the discerning few--and it has ever since been his Ambition to be the Hero5 of the few.

I have long since been of your Opinion that few great Men in Britain are ent.i.tled to an American Confidence--They will all in their Turns clamour for us while it is their Interest so to do.--It is the Business of America to take Care of herself--her salvation as you justly observe depends upon her own Virtue. Arts & Manufactures aided by Commerce have raised Great Britain to its present Pitch of Grandeur. America will avail herself by imitating her. We have already seen her troops and AS WE HAVE A PROSPECT OF A WAR I hope I may safely tell you that our YOUNG MEN begin to be ambitious of making themselves perfect Masters of the Art MILITARY. Amidst the innumerable Evils which we complain of from the bad policy of YOUR Ministry, this is the happy Effect of Britains transplanting her Arms in America.