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The Governor confidered it as an affront to his pow er for the colonists to choose commiffioners to reprefent them in an affembly which held the power and authority of Britain at defiance. He proceeded therefore to fuch measures, as plainly hinted his jealoufy of the loyalty of the Virginians, and intimated by palpable fignatures that he miftrufted them, and intended to behave towards them as a people really difaffected to his Majesty's government. The Virginians had very different notions of loyalty from Lord Dunmore; they confidered loyalty to be directed by certain laws which fet bounds to it; whereas he measured his ideas of loyalty by the power of his Majesty, and the emoluments that attended it. Refpect to the Sovereign must always keep pace with the laws of the land, otherwise it degenerates into fervile adulation, and issues in actual flavery. Almost every viceroy lays claim to dignity and dominion equal to the Sovereign himself, and is more difgufted at oppofition to his power and interest than at oppofition to his Mafter's authority. An hungry nobleman, educated in all the high notions of his own confequence, without patrimony to fupport his dignity, is of all men whatever the most unfit for a fubftitute of royalty; his vanity would grafp an empire, and his pride would devour the habitable world. When once he is exalted to preferment, where emoluments are likely to be had to increase his power, he foon turns oppreffor to advance a step higher. The ranks of men beneath him are only confidered as fo many beings made for no other end than to ferve the purposes of his avarice, power, and ambition. The Virginians had always been among the freeft in expreffing their refolutions, and the readieft in fhewing their determi

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nations to support, at all rifques and events, what they judged or termed the rights of America. In other refpects they preferved the greatest order, quietnefs, and tranquility in the province; and notwithstanding. the anxiety excited by the prorogation and diffolution of their affemblies, and the expiration of their militia laws in confequence thereof, which in that country where a great part of the people. are in a state of flavery, was a circumftance of an alarming nature, yet. with these causes of complaint the people feemed 10 pay a more than ordinary degree of attention and per.. fonal regard to the Earl of Dunmore, their GoverIn this ftate of affairs however the want of a legal affembly feemed to give fome fanction to the holding of a convention: upon which a provincial congrefs was affembled in the month of March, 1775, who under colour of an old law of the year 1738, which was ftill faid to be in force, took measures for arraying the militia; but to fupply the defects in that law in some measure, to remedy which it was pretended all the fubfequent ones had been paffed, they recommended to each county to raife a company of volunteers for the better defence and protection of the province.

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This proceeding greatly alarmed the Governor; for it was an interference with the power of the crown, in a matter of very great confequence; and it is fuppofed that the Governor had either neglected his duty, or that they intended no longer to trust the defence of the province in his hands. Such daring proceedings would have probably roufed a man lefs fufceptible of an affront than Lord Dunmore, and have produced fome enquiry into the cause thereof. His Lordfhir, instead of making a particular enquiry into

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the caufe of this refolution, which he apprehended he perfectly understood, proceeded immediately to prevent the effects, which he forefaw would follow of confequence. There was a public magazine belonging to the colony in the capital of Williamsburgh, which was laid up in there, in cafe of any emergency, arifing from the tumults of the negroes, or any other accident that might happen in the country. The Governor intended to fecure this magazine for fear the colonifts fhould make use of it in a way detrimental to the interefts of government. He employed the captain of an armed veffel which lay at a few miles diftance in James's river, with a detachment of marines. to convey the powder by night aboard the fhip. Tho' this meafure was conducted with great privacy, it was by fome means difcovered the next morning, when the apparent fecrefy and feeming myfterioufnefs of the act, increased the confternation and alarm, among the inhabitants, who immediately affembled with arms, fuch as they had in their poffeffion, with an intention of demanding or perhaps obtaining reftitution of the gun-powder. The mayor and corporation however prevented their proceeding to any extremities whilst they prefented an addrefs to the Governor, ftating the injury, reclaiming the powder as a matter of right, and fhewing the dangers to which they were peculiarly liable from the infurrection of the flaves, a calamity which for fome time had been particularly apprehended, and which the removal of their only defence would at any time accelerate.

His Lordship acknowledged that the gun-powder, had been removed by his order, and faid that as he had heard of an infurrection in a neighbouring coun-ty, and did not think it fecure in the magazine, he

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had removed it to a place of perfect fecurity; but promifed that it should be returned when ever any. infurrection rendered it neceffary. He alfo faid, that it had been removed in the night to prevent giving an alarm; and expreffed great furprise at the people's affembling in arms and further, obferved, that he did not think it prudent to put powder into their hands in fuch a fituation. Whether this anfwer fatisfied the magiftrates or not does not appear very evident, but for the prefent they prevailed on the people to retire quietly to their houfes, without any particular outrage being committed. It appeared that they were far from intending any outrage, for it was proved by the most inconteftible evidence, before the affembly that the officers of the men of war on that station, and particularly the gentleman that removed the powder, and was moft particularly obnoxious, appeared publicly in the ftreets during the time of the greatest commotion without receiving the fmalleft infult. A report being however spread in the evening, that a detachment from the men of war were upon their march to the city, the people again took to their arms, and continued all night upon the watch, as if in expectation of an attack from an enemy. They alfo from this time encreafed the night patroles; and fhewed an evident defign to protect the magazine from any further attempts.

The whole value of the gunpowder and arms in the magazine, for any purpofe to which they were capable of being converted, either in the hands of friends or enemies, appeared very inadequate to the alarm, fufpicion, and difturbance which this measure excited. -The quantity of powder removed amounted only to fifteen half barrels, containing fifty pounds each,

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of a very ordinary fort, and the remaining stock left in the magazine, to about fix of the fame fort.

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ther does it appear that the number of ferviceable mulkets was fufficient to anfwer any effential purpose, or even to justify apprehenfion, and the caution of stripping thefe of their locks only marked their fufpiçion from whence it proceeded. A confiderable quantity of old arms and common trading guns were not touched. Upon the whole, this act derived its only importance from time, manner, and circumftance. A jealoufy had arifen between the Governor and the colonists, from a cause exceedingly obvious, and neither the conduct of the one'nor the hther was directed by candour and difintereste dnefs. The Governor feems to have been exceedingly irritated at the behaviour of the people in thefe commotions, and probably refented it too highly (confidering the times) affembling in arms, not only without, but with an evi dent intention to oppofe his authority. In this warmth of temper fome threatenings were thrown out, which upon cool reflection would probably have been avoided. Among thefe a threatening of fetting up the royal ftandard, of enfranchifing the negroes, arming them againft their mafters, and deftroying the city, with other expreffions of a fimilar nature and tendency, fpread a general alarm throughout the colony, and excited a fort of abhorrence of government, and an incurable fufpicion of its defigns.--Several public meetings were now held in different counties, in all which the meafures of feizing and removing the pow der, as well as the governor's threatenings were reprobated in the strongest terms. Some of the gentlemen of Hanover, and others of the neighbouring counties, were not fatisfied with fimple declarations.

They

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