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provincial affembly of Philadelphia in the end of January paffed a refolution for the encouragement of manufacturing gunpowder,

The affembly of New York, which met in the beginning of the year, differed indeed from the reft of the continent. After feveral debates upon the queftion concerning acceding to the general congrefs, it was rejected upon a divifion, but by a very small majority. About this time the friends of government, by inftructions from Britain, formed a reprefentation of grievances, which they proposed to lay before the king and parliament; in this they were encouraged by the lieutenant-governor, imagining that as they had refufed to join the general congrefs, that their reprefentation and petition would meet with acceptance; but this petition and reprefentation was as ineffectual as many others.

The new provincial congrefs of Maffachufett's-Bay affembled upon the ift of February at Cambridge, and purfued the fame plan that had been marked out for them by their predeceffors. Among other refolutions they published one to inform the people, that from the prefent difpofition of the British miniftry and parliament, there was real caufe to fear that the reafonable and just application of that continent to Great Britain for peace, liberty, and fafety, would not meet with a favourable reception; but on the contrary, from the large reinforcement of troops, expected in that colony, the general appearance, and tenor of intelligence from Great Britain, they had reafon to apprehend that the fudden deftruction of that colony was intended, for refufing with the other American colonies, tamely to fubmit to what they termed, the most ignominious flavery. They therefore urged in the strongest manner, the militia in general, and the

minute

minuta men in particular, to fpare neither time, pains, nor expence, at fo critical a juncture, in perfecting themselves in military difcipline. They paffed other refolutions for the providing and making of fire arms and bayonets, and renewed more ftrictly the prohibition of the former congrefs, concerning not fupplying the troops at Boston with any of thofe neceffaries which are peculiarly requifite for the military service: The markers of Boston being still open for the fupply of provifions. The diftinction that is here made between the militia and the minute men may perhaps not be understood by fome, The meaning of this distinction is, that a fele&t body of the militia were engaged to hold themselves ready upon all occafions, and at the fhorteft notice, for actual fervice. That is, according to the phrase, to be ready at a minute's warning. On this account they are stiled minutemen; and they have fhewn, by their readiness and activity fince, the propriety of their name.

The meetings of the general congress, and the conventions of particular provinces, were a dreadful eyefore to the government. The fecretary of state for the American department, iffued a circular letter, forbidding, in the king's name, and under the pain of his displeasure, the election of deputies for the enfuing general congress; but this letter produced no effect.. The elections took place every where, and even in the province of New-York, notwithstanding their late promising proceedings. Matters continued very quiet at Boston, which happened on account of the injunctions of the general congrefs, more than from the fhips of war that crowded the harbour, or the force that was stationed in the town. The calm was, however, precarious and fictitious. Abundance of fuel had been gathered on both fides, fufficiently prepared

prepared to kindle with the fmalleft fpark; more was preparing, and the least touch was likely to kindle a general conflagration. Upon the 26th of February, General Gage fent a detachment of troops, under the command of a field officer, to feize fome brass can non he had been informed were depofited in the town of Salem. These failed a board a tranfport to Marblehead, which lies four miles fouth of Salem, and about fourteen miles from the town of Bofton; from thence they marched to Salem, where they found no cannon. They were, however, fufpicious that they had been carried away that morning in confequence of the report of their approach, and from this apprehenfion marched farther into the country, in hopes of overtaking them. In this purfuit they arrived at a draw-bridge over a small river, where a number of the country people were affembled, and thofe on the oppofite fide had taken up the bridge to prevent their paffage. The commanding officer ordered the bridge to be let down, which the people peremptorily refused to do, saying, that it was a private road, and he had no authority to demand a paffage that way; for both fides ftill profeffed to keep the public peace, though war was in their hearts, and till the fword was drawn all refiftance was carried on upon legal grounds and pretences. If this was actually. a private road, the foldiers had no right to commit a trefspafs from a pretence of feeking cannon, where they were not likely to find any, and they people had an undoubted right to dispute the paffage with the military as they were off the king's highway, and not travelling in the common road where fuch travellers were wont to pafs. The officer, who feems to have confidered himself in an enemy's country, and not in a country where he was amenable to the laws, was determined to force his paffage, and perceiving a boat near at hand, determined

determined to make use of it to gain the poffeffion of the bridge. But the country people perceiving his defign, feveral of them jumped into it, and with axes cut holes in its bottom, which occafioned a scuffle between them and the foldiers in and about the boat. Things were now tending to extremities, as the commander feemed determined to force his paffage, and the others were as refolutely bent to prevent it. In this fituation were matters, when a clergyman in the neighbourhood, who had attended the whole tranfaction, remonstrated with the officer, who was a lieutenant colonel, upon the fatal confequences that would infue, provided he made ufe of force; and finding that the officer ftood upon a point of honour in making good his paffage, more than any other thing, for it was then too late to go in fearch of the cannon, he perfuaded the people to let down the bridge, which the troops took poffeffion of. The colonel having sent a detachment a fhort way into the country, in exercise of his right which he affumed, they immediately returned, without molestation, on board the transport. Thus ended this first expedition, without producing any material effect, and without much mifchief. But it now appeared how fmalla matter would have produced hoftilities, and in what aprecarious fituation the peace of the empire now was; and that the leaft exertion of the mili tary would certainly bring matters to an extremity. There was one thing which greatly exafperated the colonifts, and that was, the act for taking away their charters, and for protecting the military from any trial in the province; this made them confider themselves as under a military government. Every motion of the military body became fufpected, and in the eyes of the people was confidered as an exertion of the moft hateful and odious tyranny. This appearance of refiftance greatly offended and irritated the military, who, from this

time,

time, appear to have lived upon worfe terms with the people of Boston, than they had done before: Men who have been bred to the profeffion of arms, and confider all inferiors merely under the command of their superiors, and bound to obey them without afking or giving any other reafon of their doing fo, than that they are commanded, confider all oppofition to their will and pleasure as the moft heinous tranfgreffion: It becomes natural to them to rule over all whom they have power, according to the military law, for which reafon they become very difagreeable neighbours to all thofe who have juft ideas of liberty, and purfue the rights of human nature. The British foldiery imagining, as indeed was the cafe, that they were fent to Boston to rule the town, and act towards the people as rebels to the king, began to infult the inhabitants, and to behave as in an enemy's country. Several of their outrages were now complained of, and all things seemed to tend to a general rupture. The crifis faft approached when all leffer calamities were to be forgotten, in a general contemplation of thofe of a greater and more ferious nature.

The provincials having collected a confiderable quantity of military ftores at the town of Concord, where the provincial congrefs was fitting, General Gage confidered it as expedient to detach a party of the troops to destroy them. Lieutenant Colonel Smith, and Major Pitcairn, with the grenadiers and light infantry of the army, were detached for that purpofe: It was confidently reported and believed at that time, that this military appointment had another object in view, and that the intention thereof principally was, to feize Meffrs. Hancock and Adams, thefe great obnoxious leaders of what was called the faction, which was against the new form of government. This detachment

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