we fall;" signed Scævola, and addressed "To the commissioners appointed by the East-India Company for the sale of teas in America." They were characterized as "political bombardiers to demolish the fair structure of American liberty;" it was said that all eyes were fixed on them, and they were urged to refuse to act. This was followed by a great public meeting, held "at the State House," which passed a series of resolves against this tea importation, and requested the tea consignees to resign. They soon bowed to public opinion, and relinquished their trust. The hand-bill just referred to was reprinted in the journals of New-York, where the merchants assembled, and thanked the captains and owners of the ships belonging to that port, for declining to take the East-India Company tea on freight.

The towns of Massachusetts were still responding to the Boston town-meeting of November, and choosing committees of correspondence; and their proceedings appeared from time to time in the journals.1 The Boston committee of correspondence, keeping a vigilant eye on public affairs, said, in a circular to the towns (Sept. 21), that their enemies were alarmed “at the union which they see is already established in this province, and the confederacy into which they expect the whole continent of America will soon be drawn;" urged that the talk of conciliatory measures by the

1 The Boston town-meeting of November, 1772, continued to provoke comment from the Tories; and this undoubtedly stimulated the Whigs to keep up their action. Though the editors of the "Boston Gazette " said (Jan. 21, 1773), that they should insert no more reports of the proceedings of the towns in answer to Boston, "unless by particular request, especially as they were to be printed in a volume," yet these reports continued to appear in the paper. The whole first side of its issue of the 30th of August, 1773, is filled with the resolves and letter of the town of Harvard, in answer to the Boston report of November.

ministry was insidious; and averred that the cause demanded the greatest wisdom, vigilance, and fortitude.1 The committee appointed by the House of Representatives, in a letter (Oct. 21) addressed to the committees of the other colonies, represented that the ministerial measures could only "end in absolute despotism," and dwelt on the importance of union; "so that, in whichsoever of the colonies any infringements were made on the common rights of all, that colony might have the united efforts of all for its support." "We are far," are its words, "from desiring that the connection between Great Britain and America should be broken. Esto perpetua is our ardent wish, but upon the terms only of equal liberty." The letter closed by urging the necessity that each colony

1 The committee received spirited replies to this circular. The following was from Charlestown, where the Bunker-hill Battle was fought. The original is indorsed in Cooper's handwriting, "Received Oct. 12, 1773; not to be printed: "Seth Sweetser, Clerk of Committee of Charlestown, to William Cooper, Clerk of Committee of Boston.

"CHARLESTOWN, Oct. 11, 1773. "SIR,-Last Saturday I received a letter from you, purporting to be the just remarks of the worthy and watchful committee of correspondence for the town of Boston, upon the present situation of our public affairs, highly fit to be well considered of by every friend to his country. I am proud of the good opinion the committee have of me; and they may depend upon my using my utmost endeavors that the salutary ends they aim at may be answered; and, were my power and influence equal to my wishes, there would not be one enemy to our happy constitution left on this continent; and I believe here are our greatest. Those that are inimical to us, finding that violent measures do not answer their designs, will try what flattery can do (a more dangerous method), by insinuating, that, if we will desist from asserting our claim of rights, we shall soon be eased of the grievances we complain of. A rattle this, fit only to lull a crying child to rest. If this new scheme should take, (which God forbid!) tyranny and bondage will soon follow, which are more terrifying to a generous mind than the sound of the trumpet summoning to fight for liberty in the most bloody field of battle. "I am, with all possible respects, the committee's most obedient and very humble servant, SETH SWEETSER.

"WILLIAM COOPER, as clerk of the committee of correspondence for the town of Boston, to be communicated to said committee."

should take effectual methods to counteract the design of the ministry in the shipment of the teas by the East-India Company.1

There was nowhere a more general or a deeper feeling on the subject of the teas than in Boston. The consignees were either relatives or hearty sympathizers with the governor. Two of them were his sons Elisha and Thomas, the latter subsequently one of the mandamus counsellors. The others were Richard Clarke and Sons, Benjamin Faneuil, jun., and Joshua Winslow, persons of great respectability. The elder Clarke, a Harvard graduate, was a merchant of high standing, one of whose daughters married J. S. Copley, the artist, who was the father of the late Lord Lyndhurst. All the consignees subsequently went to England, and some had their property confiscated.

All eyes were now fixed on the consignees, who saw reflected in the press, in excited language, the tone of public opinion, and could see that it was similar to what it was in other places. The hand-bill that was circulated in Philadelphia was printed in all the Boston papers, even in the Tory paper, Draper's, (Oct. 25); and also the proceedings of the people, both of New York and Philadelphia. Still there was no resignation of the consignees. As the time approached when the tea ships might be expected, the subject was considered in the North-end Caucus, which was composed mostly of mechanics, many of whom lived in this part of the town; and its ses

1 This remarkable letter is in the Massachusetts archives. The following is the postscript: "It is desired you would not make the contents of this letter public, as it will give our enemies opportunity to counteract the design of it."

sions, at which a mechanic always presided, were miniature town-meetings. Warren was one of the members in whose judgment they had great confidence. This body voted (Oct. 23), that they "would oppose with their lives and fortunes the vending of any tea" that might be sent to the town for sale by the East-India Company. These proceedings were

secret.

There is no evidence to connect this caucus with a hand-bill1 that appeared a few days after, inviting the freemen of Boston and the neighboring towns to meet at Liberty Tree, to hear the consignees make a public resignation of their office, and to swear to reship to London any teas that might be consigned to them; or with the notice, on the night of the 1st of November, served on the consignees, who were roused from their sleep, and, by letter, warned to appear at the same place, and not to fail at their peril. No names were attached to the hand-bill or the letter. governor and the consignees, however, regarded both as proceeding from the popular leaders, and looked forward to the proposed meeting with deep concern. Hutchinson advised his sons not to be out of town on the day appointed for it.

The

The North-end Caucus was again called together

1 Draper's "Gazette" says, hand-bills were stuck up all over the town on Tuesday morning; but gives only the following, dated on the day of the meeting:

"To the Freemen of this and the neighboring towns.

"GENTLEMEN, You are desired to meet at Liberty Tree, this day, at twelve o'clock at noon; then and there to hear the persons to whom the tea shipped by the East-India Company is consigned, make a public resignation of their office as consigners upon oath; and also swear that they will re-ship any teas that may be consigned to them by said company by the first vessel sailing for London. "O. C., Secretary. "BOSTON, Nov. 3, 1773. Show us the man that dare take down this."

(Nov. 2) for deliberation on this subject; when one committee was sent to invite the committee of correspondence to meet with them, and another committee invited John Hancock; and thus were assembled the choice Whig spirits of the town. This action indicates good sense, and the importance attached to the occasion. The proceedings cannot be related in detail. The official record of this session is brief; but the action was to the point, and significant: "Voted that the tea shipped by the East-India Company shall not be landed."

On Wednesday morning (Nov. 3), a large flag was raised above the Liberty Tree: the town-crier summoned the people to meet at this place, and the bells rang from eleven to twelve o'clock. About five hundred assembled, among whom were three of the representatives, Adams, Hancock, and Phillips, - the selectmen, the town-clerk and treasurer, Warren, Molineux, and several other of the prominent patriots; making a fair representation of the character, intelligence, and wealth of the town. The consignees, Hutchinson says, "agreed they would be together, that they might all fare alike;" and were at the warehouse of Richard Clarke, at the lower end of King Street, with a few of their friends and a justice of the peace. The governor was at the Town House, at the head of the same street.

The presiding officer of the meeting is not named. It is related, that, the consignees not appearing, a select number went into Liberty Hall, and made choice of seven or nine,1 to wait on the consignees,

1 The names of eight are William Molineux, William Dennie, Joseph Warren, Benjamin Church, Major Barber, Gabriel Johonnot, Proctor, and Ezekiel Cheever.