The colonists were at this time greatly inflamed, as they had been for fome time paft, not only by the treatment of government, but by inflammatory writings, which were published by fome zealous perfons in the oppofition. From the time that the riot happened in Rhode-Island, till the paffing of the Bofton Portbill, almost all things tended to bring matters to a crifis. The public news-papers were made vehicles of conveyance, to tranfmit to different parties the fentiments of thofe on their fide, and were frequently filled with as much rancour as argument.

In the

peaceful colony of Philadelphia, long celebrated for the excellency of its police, and the temperate and placid manners of its inhabitants, printed papers were difperfed, warning the pilots on the Delaware not to conduct any of the tea fhips that were expected into the harbour, which were only fent out for the purpose of emflaving and poifoning all America; at the fame time, giving them plainly to understand it was expected, that they would apply their knowledge of the river, under the colour of their profeffion, in fuchr a manner as would effectually fecure their country from the danger with which it was threatened. fimilar publication made its appearance at New-York, wherein the tea fhips were reprefented as loaded with fetters forged in Britain, to bind the colonists in flavery; and vengeance was denounced against all perfons who fhould dare, in any manner, to introduce thofe chains. All the colonies feemed inftantly to have united in this point.

A

The town of Boston, which had been fo long obnoxious to government, was the fcene of the firft outrage. What rendered the people of that town' more violent in oppofition to landing the tea, it was configned to a fon of Governor Hutchinfón, whofe

letters

grant them a

letters had mifreprefented them, and enraged the government against them. They perceived a monopoly formed in favour of very obnoxious perfons, and with a defign of confirming a moft odious tax. When three hips laden with tea arrived in that port, the masters were frightened into a conceffion, that if the perfons to whom the tea was configned, the board of customs, and the Fort of Caftle William, would permit, they would return with their cargoes to England. But they could not fulfil their promife, for the confignees refufed to discharge the captains from the obligations under which they were chartered for the delivery of their cargoes; the cuftom-houfe refufed them a clearance, and the governor to paffport for clearing the fort. The people of the town eafily perceived, that as the fhips lay fo near, it would be impoffible to hinder the tea from being landed by degrees, notwithstanding any guard they could keep, or meafures they could take to prevent it; and they understood, that if once it was landed, nothing could prevent its being difpofed of, and thereby the purpose of establishing a monopoly, and raising a revenue would be accomplished. To prevent this confequence, which the people confidered as the most dangerous, a number of armed men, under the dif guife of Mohawk Indians, boarded the fhips, and in a fhort time difcharged their cargoes of tea into the fea, without doing any other damage, or offering any injury to the captains or their crews, It appears fomewhat strange, that the government, civil and military, the Fort of Castle William, and armed fhips in the harbour, were totally inactive on this occafion. Some finaller quantities of tea were thrown into the fea at Boston and Carolina; but in general the commiffioners for the fale of that commodity, were ob

bliged to give up their employment, and none durft to receive the cargoes that were configned to them. The mafters of veffels, from thefe circumftances, as well from the knowledge of their danger, and the determined refolution of the people, readily complied with the terms that were prefcribed, of returning to England, without entangling themfelves 'with any entry at the custom-houses.

There was

fome tea landed at New-York, under the cannon of a man of war; but the government were obliged to confent to its being locked up from ufe, and the confignees durft not expofe it to fale. Such was the

iffue of the tea fcheme, which was foolish in its contrivance, and unfuccefsful in its execution; a fcheme which no wife man would have begun, and no good man would have chofen to execute. Ages to come will look upon the hiftory of this tranfaction in the light of fable, and will scarcely be able to believe, that in an age renowned for knowledge in arts and policy, fuch inftances of folly and madness could have exifted. The deftroying of this tea, was undoubtedly an unwarrantable act of outrage, for which the actors are much to be blamed, and deserved to have been punished; but it is fcarcely chargeable with as much folly, as the act which appointed the tea to be fent to Boston, and the other parts of America. It is plain that it could neither bring a revenue to the government, nor ready money to the proprietors; and feems only to have been fent to provoke the outrage which happened, that government might have fome plaufible reafon of falling out with the colonies, and for fend. ing an armed force to curb the spirit of liberty which prevailed among them. In times of corruption, when bad men are in the poffeffion of power, it almost always happens that a fpirit of freedom is an eye-fore to

rulers,

1

rulers, which they interpret into the fignification of faction, and in procefs of time, work up into the form of rebellion, that they may have fome handle to proceed against it, and if poffible, to crufh what they fo heartily abhor. But in the history of nations it does not once appear that ever the spirit of liberty, attended with virtue, was fubdued or overcome. Licentioufnefs will always end in ruin, and will never fail to bring nations to destruction; but while righteousness prevails, it will be impoffible to ruin them, for thereby they will be exalted. It would be of fervice to

politicians to confider attentively the progrefs of fociety, and the means by which empires have rifen and fallen; it would help them to form their schemes with more difcretion, and prevent them falling into danger

bus extremes.

When the parliament affembled upon the 13th of January, it was expected that fome notice would have been taken of the disturbances in America; but concerning that fubject there was a perfect filence. Nothing was done in parliament with regard to American affairs till the 7th of March, when dispatches arrived with an account of deftroying the tea at Boston. This information arrived a few days after the queftion on the Grenville bill was carried. The minifter being defeated in that question felt his fpirits in a state of agitation, which were far from being foothed by the news from Boston. This difagreeable intelligence occafioned a meffage from the throne to both houfes of parliament, wherein appeared the greatest anxiety, and the warmest zeal. This meffage fet forth, that unwarrantable practices were carried on in NorthAmerica, and that violent proceedings had lately been purfued at the town and port of Boston, with a view of obftructing the commerce of this kingdom, upon grounds

E é e

grounds and pretences immediately fubverfive of its conftitution. It was alfo fignified that his majesty confided in his parliament for the fupport of his authoriity, and trusted in their attachment to the common intereft and welfare of his dominions, and that they would not only enable him effectually to take fuch measures as might be moft likely to put an immediate ftop to these disorders, but also take into their confideration what further regulations, and permanent provifions, fhould be neceffary for the better fecuring the execution of the laws, and the juft dependence of the colonies upon the crown and parliament of Great Britain.

This meffage was attended with a great number of papers relating to the tranfactions in the colonies, containing copies of extracts from the feveral governors; the commander in chief of the forces; from the admiral in Boston harbour; from the perfons to whom the tea had been configned; to one of the ring-leaders of the faction in Bofton, with the votes and refolves of the town previous to the landing of the tea, and narratives of the tranfactions which fol lowed that event; a petition from the confignees to the council of Maffachufett's-Bay, praying that their perfons and property might be taken under the protection of government, with the refufal of the council to interfere in any manner of bufinefs: a proclamation iffued by the governor to forbid factious affemblies of the meetings of the inhabitants; and the tranfactions of the Maffachusett's council, condemning the measures of deftroying the tea, and advifing legal profecutions against the perpetrators, none of whom were known, nor were there any poffibility of their discovery. Thefe papers alfo contained details from the different governors, of all the tranfactions rela