and reimburse them for their loffes. Both these fchemes were clogged with infurmountable difficulties, which rendered them impracticable. Force was the only expedient that could be pursued with a probability of fuccefs; but they were not yet determined to proceed to that extremity. They had ftill fome hopes that Britain would relax in her demands, and think better on the fubject; they could hardly perfuade themselves that fhe was determined upon flaughtering the fubjects of the empire, for the fake of opinions merely problematical, and which could be no way available to her real intereft. They confidered the military preparations of the mother country in the fame light that they were confidered at home, intended to frighten them into a compliance with the measures of government, but that they did not intend to proceed to hoftilities. However, in the mean time, many of the principal inhabitants removed out of the town, under the real apprehenfions of immediate violence from the troops; or of being fecured and fent to England, to stand their trial for fuppofed offences:

The provincial congrefs having finished all their bufinefs which they thought proper and neceffary at this time, diffolved themselves in the end of Novem ber, having first appointed another meeting in the en fuing month of February: During this recefs, the friends of government began to beitir themselves, and to fhew their defigns in fome few places: They wanted to try their, ftrength and their humbers, and to make a stand against the general current: Some affociations were formed for mutual defence, and in fome few towns a refufal was made to the orders of the congrefs; but the oppofite tem

per was fo prevalent, that those attempts were foon

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quelled. The diffidents were overpowered by numbers, and all their attempts came to nothing.

The fufpicion which the mother country had of the colonies, promoted the grounds of their fufpicions; for by prohibiting the exportation of military ftores, fhe fuggefted the idea of refiftance, or at least fuppofed that fomething would be done by government, that would tend to provoke the colonists to make use of fuch ftores. When the account of this prohibition was received at Rhode Island, the people feized and carried away all the ordnance belonging to the crown in that province, which lay upon fome batteries that defended one of the harbours, and which amounted to above forty pieces of cannon, of different fizes. When a captain of a man of war waited upon the governor to enquire into the meaning of this procedure, he was informed with great franknefs, that the people had feized the cannon to prevent their falling into the hands of the king's forces, and that they intended to make use of them to defend themselves, against any power that should attempt to moleft them. The affembly of that ifland alfo paffed refolutions for the procuring of arms and military ftores, by all means, and from all quarters from whence they could be obtained, as well as for training and arming the inhabitants.

The province of New Hampshire, which had hitherto appeared to be of a placid and moderate temper, and had behaved with more refpect to government than the other provinces of New England, as foon as they heard of the refolutions of Rhodefland, and received a copy of the royal proclamation that gave rise to them, purfued the fame plan. body of men affembled in arms, and marched to the attack of a fmall fort called William and Mary, only

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confiderable

confiderable for being the object of the first military operation in that province.--This fort was eafily taken, and supplied them with a quantity of powder, by which they were enabled to put themselves in a state of defence. No other acts of hoftility or violence happened during the winter, but a firm determination of refistance was however univerfally spread and encreased every day. The arrival of the king's fpeech and the addreffes of the new parliament, added to the flame that was already kindled. Their former jealousy, which needed no additional fuel, began now to blaze forth with all the expreffions of concern and anxiety, attended with the figns of determined refolution to refist every act of violence that government fhould attempt to commit upon them.

The king's speech, in the opinion of the colonies, cut off all hopes of reconciliation, and made them ftrain every nerve to provide against the storm they faw gathering against them. It is very remarkable that all the public acts and declarations, which in England were recommended as the means of pacifying the colonies, by intimidating them, constantly operated in a different manner. The more clearly a determination was fhewn to inforce an high authority, the more refolutely the colonifts feemed to refift it. The affembly of Pennfylvania, which had met by adjournment towards the clofe of the year 1774, was the first legal convention that ratified unanimoufly all the acts of the General Congrefs, and appointed delegates to represent them in the new congress, which was to be held in the enfuing month of May.The proceedings in other places were fimilar, and much of the fame kind through all the colonies.-The convention of Maryland appointed a fum of money for purchafing arms and ammunition, and the provincial