fidering either the reasonablenefs of the commands, or the temper of the colonists. It is, however, manifeft, and fad experience has proved, that the governors have not understood, or they have wilfully perverted the ftate of the colonies in their accounts. thereof to the ministry; for it is hardly poffible that government would have proceeded fo far as they have done, provided they had not received falfe information from their fervants. The variances between the governors and the people put an end to all regular proceedings; the affemblies were repeatedly called, and fuddenly diffolved. When they were fitting they were employed in repeating grievances, and framing remonftrances, and in the midst of their disputes new matters fprung up, befides the duty on tea and the cuftom-houfe, which encreased the general difcontent. A measure which had been lately adopted of rendering the governors and judges dependent on the crown, by having their falaries paid by government, and to be removed at the pleasure of the fovereign, gave the colonies great offence. They confidered this measure as an attempt of the crown.to render all offices of government fubfervient to arbitrary purposes, that they might employ them at their pleafure to fupprefs the liberties of the people. Whether this was the defign of government or not, it was certainly the opinion of the colonists concerning this measure. In an ordinary courfe of affairs it would probably have been overlooked, but in fuch a violent collifion of parties it was the means of kindling a most violent flame of oppofition and refentment.

It is not to be expected in fuch a ftate of agitation, when the laws were in a great meafure fufpended, and men left to pursue the dictates of their paffions and refentment, that every thing would proceed in an orderly

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orderly course, confiftent with right reason and true juftice. The Gafpee, an armed schooner, had been stationed at Rhode-Ifland to prevent fmuggling, for which that place had been remarkable; the vigilance of the officer who commanded the veffel fo enraged the people, that they boarded her at midnight, to the amount of two hundred armed men, and after wounding the commander, and forcing him and his people to go afhore, fet fire to the fchooner. This greatly incenfed the government, and a reward of 500l. together with a pardon, if claimed by an accomplice, was offered for discovering and apprehending any of the perfons concerned in this atrocious act. But no effectual dif covery was made. This daring act of fome fmugglers was, by the courtiers, imputed to the whole colony, though fome as daring adventures have been performed in the mother country, without being confidered as the act and deed of a whole province. It has been obferved in this hiftory, that many of the captains of veffels, that were fent upon this office of preventing fmuggling, were often ignorant of their duty, and exceedingly arbitrary in their behaviour, which tended much to irritate the people, and to ftir them up to actions which, in ordinary cafes, were far from their thoughts. And it is probable that there was fomething of this fort that gave occafion to this outrage.

Before matters came to fuch a crifis as they did afterwards, a very ftrange and extraordinary accident happened, which revived with double force all the ill temper and animofity that had fubfifted between the government and the people, in the province of Maffachufett's-Bay. This was a difcovery and publication of fome confidential letters, which had been written during the courfe of the unhappy difputes with the mother country, by the then governor and deputy

governor

governor to the miniftry of England. Thefe letters contained a very unfavourable reprefentation of the ftate of affairs, the temper and difpofition of the people, and the views of the leaders in that province; and tended to fhew, not only the neceffity of the most coercive measures, but that even a very confiderable change of the constitution, and system of government was neceffary, to inforce the obedience of the colony. These letters had been fent by Governor Hutchinfon privately and in confidence; but the people of the colony infifted, that they were evidently intended to influence government, and ought therefore to be shown to fuch perfons as had an interest in preserving their privileges. Upon the death of a gentleman, in whofe poffeffion these letters happened to be lodged, they, by fome means which are not yet known, fell into the hands of the agent to the colony of Maffachufett'sBay, who immediately transferred them to the affembly of that province, which was then fitting at Bof

ton.

The indignation and rage which those letters excited on the one fide, and the confufion on the other, neither need, nor can admit of defcription. The people found themselves mifreprefented and betrayed, by one whom they imagined bound in duty to fupport their intereft, and perceived that the late measures of government had proceeded from falfe information, that had been given by their governor, and lieutenant-governor.

In the frenzy of rage and refentment which these letters occafioned, the houfe of representatives paffed many violent refolutions. The letters were presented to the council, under the ftricteft injunctions from the reprefentatives, that the perfons who were to thew them, fhould not by any means füffer them, even for

a moment, out of their own immediate hands.

This

affront to the governor was adopted by the council; and upon his requiring to examine the letters that were attributed to him, thereby to acknowledge them if they were genuine, or difapprove them if they were fpurious, that board, under the pretence of this reftriction, refufed to deliver them into his hands, but fent a committee to open them before him, that he might examine the hand writing. To this indignity he was obliged to fubmit, as well as to the mortification of acknowledging the fignature that was affixed to them.

The colony of Maffachufett's-Bay was fufficiently irritated before, and needed no new fuel to encreafe the flame of their refentment.-Thefe letters pufhed them on to measures of the moft fpirited nature; the houfe of affembly paffed a petition and rémonftrance to his majefty, in which they charged the governor, and lieutenant-governor, with being betrayers of their trufts, and of the people they governed; of giving private, partial, and falfe information; declared them enemies to the colony, and prayed for justice against them, and for their fpeedy removal from their places. Such were the difcontent, and fo weak were the powers of government in that affembly, that thofe charges, with many others, were carried by a majority of 82 to 12.

The time of the arrival of the fhips with the execrated tea approaching, when the new plan of taxation was to have been put in execution, the people affembled in different parts in great bodies, and proceeded to take fuch measures as feemed moft effectual to prevent the landing of the cargoes. The confignees, who had been appointed by the Eaft-India company to receive the tea, were obliged in moft places

of

places to give up their appointment, and to enter into public engagements not to act in that capacity. Committees were appointed by the people in different towns and provinces, whom they invefted with fuch powers as they fuppofed themselves authorized to give. They were impowered to infpe&t the books of merchants, to propofe tefts to punish those they confidered to be contumacious, by the dangerous prefcription of declaring them enemies to their country, and to affemble the people when they thought it neceffary. Their power was, in one word as indefinite as the authority under which they acted. The affemblies which were held on thefe occafions were frequently violent and hafty in their refolutions; their paffions were warm, and they did not wait long to deliberate what they were to do. The greatest part their refolutions were exceedingly derogatory to the fupreme legislature; government had now loft their affection, and they paid the governors no honour nor regard. This will always be the cafe when rulers themselves tranfgrefs the laws, by fubftituting power in the place of juftice, without regarding the natural and fundamental ftatutes of the compact between the governors and the governed. When the people, by the tyranny and mifmanagement of governors, are driven back to a state of nature, rulers must expect that they will use their natural powers, in fuch a manner as best fuits their inclination or advantage. The fame reason that makes princes keep ftanding armies in the time of peace, makes the people ufe their natural powers on particular occafions.. Both are intended for the fupport of rights which each party lays claim to, and which they confider it just

to maintain.

The