of the colonies, and but fome in each of them, were difpofed to pursue oppofition, or that like the people at home, they would raise a little clamour for a feason, and then fubmit to the authority of the mother country, in the point of taxation. This was only furmife, without any real fhadow of foundation, or fo much as a partial under standing of the temper of the colonies, which ought to have been fully inveftigated before fuch a dangerous expedient had been tried. The managers at home appear to have been ignorant of the real state and difpofition of the colonists, and seem to have judged of a people, not yet corrupted with luxury, nor initiated in a fyftem of diffipation, from the examples they had obferved in the mother country, where corruption and venality is almoft univerfal In this they were greatly mistaken, and found by experience, that a people that still retained the fpirit and temper of the last century, and where in many refpects formed upon the principles of their ancestors, were not to be managed in the fame manner as people rendered foft and effeminate, by importing the luxuries and vices of all nations under the fun. The miniftry were unfortunate in the beginning of this scheme, and unfuccefsful in the conclufion of it. The news of paffing the ftamp act came firft to New England, a colony the most tenacious of their liberty, and jealous to the laft degree of every appearance of defpotifm. This colony confidered itself as the offspring of progenitors, who had fuffered both feverely and unjustly at the hands of the mother country, and who had afferted their natural rights and privileges at the rifque of their lives, and the expence of much blood. They had not forgot how their fathers had, for the fake of civil and religious liberty, fled to a wilderness, which they had now converted into a 1 fruitful fruitful field, from an intolerable fpiritual perfecution, which could not be borne, and they were not difposed to furrender the fruits of their own labour, and that of their ancestors to the children of thofe, that had banished their fathers from their native country. The first colonists fucceeded in their undertakings without any expence or charge to the ftate, which was acknowledged by a vote of the houfe of commons as early as 1642; and it was not to be expected that their chil dren were tamely to give up rights, that were both founded in nature, and the principles of common juf, tice. When the news of the ftamp act having received the royal fignature, reached New England, the melancholy that had taken poffeffion of their minds before, upon hearing that it was voted a proper measure to lay it upon them, broke out into fury and outrage. The fhips in the harbours hung out their colours half mast high, in token of deep mourning; the bells were muffled; the act was printed with a death's head to it, in the place where it is customary to affix the new acts of parliament, and called publicly about the streets, by the name of the Folly of England, and the the ruin of America. Several effays were written, not only against the expediency, but against the juftice, of this law, in feveral news-papers: one in particular had the title of the Constitutional Courant, containing matters, interefting to liberty, and no wife repugnant to loyalty, printed by Andrew Marvel, at the fign of the Bribe Refufed, on Conftitutional Hill, North America. This had a more fignificant frontifpiece than any of the rest: It had a fnake cut in pieces with the initial letters of the names of the feveral colonies, from NewEngland to South Carolina, inclufively, fixed to each piece, and above them JOIN or DIE. To these were added The added several characters, and fententious aphorifms, fuited to the occafion, which were easily circulated, and as easily committed to memory; and being exceedingly expreffive, they had all the force of a great many arguments. Many of thefe papers were written with great acrimony, and threw forth fevere reflections against the British ministry, and the leaders in these impolitic and arbitrary meafures; and it must be granted by every judicious and candid perfon, that they had great provocation. There were two things exceedingly grievous in this act to the colonies. The first was, that the perfons that acted under this law, had it in their power to bring an action, the cause of which had arifen at one extremity of North America, to the other, at the diftance of near two thousand miles, without the traders being entitled to recover damages, in cafe the judge fhould certify that there was any probable caufe for the profecution. fecond was, the judge had an interest in giving a fentence in favour of the party fuing for the penalties of the act, by being allowed, by way of commiffion, a very large share in thefe penalties. This was injuftice that the greatest flaves could not eafily endure without murmuring; and it was not to be expected that a free people, who have the most ftrict ideas of liberty, would, without repining, fubmit to fuch flagrant oppreffion and tyranny. By the time the act reached the colonies, they were wrought up to the highest pitch of averfion against it, and treated it with the greatest contempt: In many places it was publicly burnt, together with the effigies of the chief promoters thereof, who, provided they had been prefent, would have met with an abundant difgrace. On the other hand they praised and applauded, with eulogiums of the highest ftrain, the perfons who had op pofed pofed this obnoxious bill. In feveral of their meetings they voted thanks to General Conway and Colonel Barre, two gentlemen who had used their influ ence to prevent this arbitrary ftatute, in the British house of commons. Their speeches against it, and their pictures were requested from England; the pictures to be hung up in their places of meeting, and the fpeeches to be inferted in the books defigned to record their principal tranfactions. The government was now much embarraffed how to have this new act put into execution; for when the tidings of this discontent in America arrived in Eng land, there were but few masters of fhips found, whe were willing to take on board fuch an obnoxious and `unpopular cargo; and it was foon discovered that this precaution was founded in prudence, and the principles of felf-preservation. Such as were so adventurous as to carry any quantity of thefe tickets of taxation to America, were made fadly to repent, when they arrived at their destined port; where, to fave their veffels from fire, and themfelves from an ignominious death, the most of these adventurers were obliged to deliver up their execrated cargoes into the hands of the enraged populace, to be treated with as much ignominy as the act itself had been treated before:Others were obliged to fhelter themselves under fuch of the King's fhips, as happened to be nearest to protect them. The glorious harvest that was now expected to be reaped by English tax-gatherers, to be fent over to collect this revenue, was by this ftorm foot blafted, and those gentlemen who came from England with commiffions to act as diftributors of ftamps, were made to repent feverely of engaging in fuch an enterprize. Many of them were made to renounce, now and for ever, in the moft public manner, and upon 1 oath oath, all manner of concern in them, and others cautiously returned to the places from whence they came; while fome of a more froward difpofition, and persisted ftrenuously in putting the act in execution, were treated by the people as enemies of their country, who meant to enflave America for the fake of paltry emoluments from the court of Britain. Some of this character were feverely handled; their houfes were burnt, and their effects plundered and deftroyed; and fuch was the rage of the multitude againft this unpopular and oppreffive ftatute, that fome who had been appointed without their confent or folicitation, to fuperintend the diftribution of the ftamped paper, by virtue of their bearing the office of governors, were treated in the fame manner, and with the like feverity. Mr Hutchinfon who was fufpected, and according to the best accounts, not without reafon, of mifrepresenting the colonies in his letters to government, was feverely ufed. The people obliged him to deliver up copies of his own letters which he had fent to England, and by this means made him evidence against himselt. This was as illegal as the general warrant, that was iffued by a fecretary of ftate against Mr Wilkes, and it is not improbable that the colonies on this occafion formed their practice upon fome modern British precedents, pretended to have been ufed through the law of neceffity. Had the Americans at this time been in the fame fituation with the fubjects of the mother-country, and agreed by reprefentation to the framing of this law, their prefent proceedings would have been traitorous and rebellious; but as all was done without their confent, and contrary to the effential conftitution of the empire, their conduct may be accounted rafh and fevere, but cannot be lawfully pronounced treafon or rebeltion.. People in |