foot out of the garrifion, and only helped to confume the provifions which were in the town; by which means both the foldiers and the town's people were more diftreffed. Almoft all circumftances concurred to distress and render the troops uneafy; they found from experience that the provincials were not fuch cowards as they had been reprefented, and that it was dangerous to prefume too far upon that hypothefis, and that many of those things which they needed greatly could not be obtained without encountering a defperate enemy. They were conftantly witneffes of the most daring adventures performed by perfons whom they had been told were mean, daftardly poltroons, and who would run at the fight of a grenadier, -They were now not only obliged to rifk their lives for fupplies of neceffary food to themselves, but to venture them for fupplies to their horfes; for hay, as well as bread, corn, and flesh, was become an article of very great importance. The hay, sheep, and cattle in the islands were now as much the reasons of war, as the rights of the British parliament over America; and they were heartily in earnest to fight for their food, who were indifferent about fighting for the dominion of others. The provincials knew the fituation and circumftances of the troops, and understood what neceffity would fuggeft to them; having therefore procured a number of whale boats, and being masters of the fhore and inlets of the bay, they burnt, destroyed, and carried away, in spite of all the fhips of war and armed veffels, thofe neceffary articles which the king's troops stood most in need of.Thefe enterprifes brought on fundry fkirmishes, and the provincials grew fo daring at length as to burn the light-house, which was built upon an ifland at the entrance of the harbour, 1 harbour, tho, a man of war lay within a mile of them at the time. Some carpenters were fent afterwards, under the protection of a small party of marines, to erect a temporary light-house, when they killed and carried off the whole detachment. All these actions were at home reprefented as deeds of cowardice, and we heard nothing from minifterial demagogues, except, coward, rebel, or poltroon. Such is the infatuation of prejudiced minds, when fet upon a favourite project, that they not only will not perceive the truth, but wilfully pervert it. Even when appearances were ftrongly against us, we ftill interpreted them in our own favour; from whence the public news became the vehicles of falfhood, mifinformation, and deception. We were promised that in one campaign the war would be ended, the Americans obliged to fub. mit to the will and pleasure of the minifter, and Britain indemnified for all her expences by the wealth of the colonies. So far will blinded mortals proceed, when pride, intereft, and paffion put out their eyes. While the troops were thus blockaded in Boston, a war of plunder commenced, or in more polite terms, it became prædatory. It was carried on between the ships of war and the inhabitants in different parts of the coaft. The firft being refufed the provifions and neceffaries which they wanted for themselves or the army, endeavoured to obtain them by force, and in these attempts were frequently oppofed, and fometimes repulfed by the country people. The feizing of fhips according to the new laws, or at the commands of the admiral, was alfo a continual fource of animofity, the proprietors naturally hazarding all dangers, in defence, or for the recovery of their property. Thefe contefts brought the ven geance geance of the men of war, upon feveral of the small towns upon the fea coaft, fome of which underwen a fevere correction: On thefe occafions the argument concerning cowardice appeared to have as much force on the one fide as the other; for if the provin cials took the advantage of the country, and did not expose themselves unneceffarily to the violence of our men; our troops were cautious to keep within reach of their fhips, and did not venture to penetrate into the country. It might have been expected while the war was hanging in this kind of fufpence, and both parties feemed afraid to venture a general engagement, that fome fparks of wifdom would have fprung up in the minds of the British ministry, and that they would have tried fome foftening meafures, to have prevented the further shedding of blood. But either pride or revenge operated ftrongly upon their temper, and the blood they had fhed was only a fort of a whet which made their appetites, keener for flaughter, that they might glut their revenge. It was generally believed, that at this time the fovereign was greatly abufed, and matters were mifrepresented to him, otherwife he would not have given countenance to a war, which could have no good effect in its profecution, and might iffue in difmembering the empire. The friends of the revolution and the Hanoverian fucceffion, could not prevail upon themfelves to believe, that a King of the family of Brunswick could be fo blind to his own intereft, and that of his people, as to liften to the counfels of men that were advifing him to ruin his own family. They at laft had reason to fear that a great infatuation had feized the moving powers of the body politic, and the head as well as the members, were greatly infected. This they could only lament; for all the remedies which they tried proved ineffectual. Petitions and remonftrances were conftructed difrefpectful to his Majesty, and infults to government; and those who had ventured their lives and fortunes in quelling an actual rebellion against the fovereign, were accounted difloyal for pleading the cause of magna charta and the revolution; while fome who had drawn their fwords against their king and the laws, were preferred to high honours, and fuffered to bask in the warm funshine of royal favour.—The true lovers of English liberty were ftigmatized with the opprobrious names of factious disturbers of the peace, and mock patriots, and venal fcriblers were privileged to blacken their caufe, and abuse their characters. Their oppofition to violent measures, for fupporting what at best was problematical, was termed indirect rebellion; and those who had once actually rebelled, were loudeft in the cry against them. The policy of the miniftry at this time was as unfuccefsful as it was abfurd in its principles; the Canada bill, which is commonly called the Quebec act, operated in a manner directly oppofite to its first and true intention. Its pernicious confequences were now displayed in a manner and degree beyond what its most fanguine oppofers ever imagined could happen. Inftead of gaining the French Canadians to the interefts of government, by this abfurd and inconfiftent law, the ministry loft their affections, and they were found as much averfe to this act, and as much difgufted at its operations as the British fettlers. General Carleton, the governor of this province, who had placed much confidence in the raising a confiderable army of Canadians, and being enabled to march at their their head to the relief of General Gage, found himfelf fadly disappointed; for tho' government relied much upon the hope of this manoeuvre, and had fent 20,000 stands of arms, and a great quantity of military stores for this wife and gracious purpose, the Canadians were not disposed to make any use of them, The people faid they were now under the British government; that they could not pretend to understand the causes of the prefent difputes, nor the justice of the claims on either fide; that they did and would fhew themselves dutiful fubjects, by a quiet and peaceable demeanor, and due obedience to the government under which they were placed; but that it was totally inconfiftent with their prefent ftate and condition, to interfere or in any degree render themselves parties in the contest that might arife between the government and its ancient fubjects. The governor if fued a proclamation for affembling the militia, and for the execution of the martial law, but it was in vain, for it produced no effect: they faid they would defend the province if it was attacked; but they abfolutely refused to march out of it, or to commence hoftilities against their neighbours. When all earthly argu ments failed, the governor had recourse to spiritual injunctions. He applied to the Bishop of Quebec to ufe his fpiritual authority and influence with the people towards difpofing them to the adoption of this favourable measure, and particularly that he would iffue an epifcopal mandate to be read in all the parish churches, by the priests, in the time of divine fervice; -but the Bishop excufed himfelf from a compliance with this propofition, by reprefenting, that an epifco pal mandate on such a subject would be contrary to the canons of the church of Rome. The ecclefiaf |