letters addressed to the Boston committee. "We view," a letter from Cape Fear, North Carolina, says, "the attack made by the minister upon the colony of Massachusetts Bay to be intended to pave the way to a general subversion of the constitutional rights of North America." A letter from South Carolina, accompanying a sloop load of rice, says, "Your situation at this time is truly hazardous and trying; but you will not fail for want of support, because all British America are your friends. For God's sake, be firm and discreet at this time!" Christopher Gadsden, of Charleston, wrote to Samuel Adams, — in a letter not printed,-"We will not think so basely of you as to imagine you will pay for an ounce of the tea;" and, before he could get a reply, he thus renewed the injunction: "We depend on your firmness, and that you will not pay for an ounce of the damned tea."3 The committee of the town of Brooklyn, Connecticut, accompanied its contributions with a letter (Aug. 11), in which they said to Boston, "You are held up as a spectacle to the whole world. All Christendom is longing to see the event of the American contest. And do, most noble citizens, play your part manfully, of which we make no doubt. Your names are either to be held in eternal veneration or execration. If you stand out, your names cannot be too much applauded by all Europe and all future generations." An able Tory address, circulated first in the Pennsylvania assembly, and widely copied, said of the growing Whig organization, in staring capitals, "It is the beginning of republicanism," which, it was declared, was setting up anarchy above order.

1 Letter, July 28, 1774.

2 June 2, 1774.

8 June 28, 1774.

The word that came in from the country towns of Massachusetts was not less decisive. Among the letters were two from patriots who fought in the Bunker-hill Battle. Colonel William Prescott, who commanded in this action, said to Boston, in the name of the men of Pepperell," Be not dismayed nor disheartened in this day of great trial. We heartily sympathize with you, and are always ready to do all in our power for your support, comfort, and relief, knowing that Providence has placed you where you must stand the first shock. We consider we are all embarked in one bottom, and must sink or swim together." Colonel Thomas Gardner, of Cambridge, who fell by Warren's side, nobly wrote to the Boston Committee:

Thomas Gardner to Boston Committee of Correspondence.

CAMBRIDGE, Aug. 12, 1774. FRIENDS AND BRETHREN, The time is come that every one that has a tongue and an arm is called upon by their country to stand forth in its behalf; and I consider the call of my country as the call of God, and desire to be all obedience to such a call. In obedience thereunto, would administer some consolation unto you, by informing you of the glorious union of the good people of this province, both in sentiment and action. I am informed from good authority, that the committee of correspondence for the several towns in the county of Worcester, have assembled, are in high spirits, and perfectly united. The committee for Cambridge and Charlestown are to have a conference to-morrow; and I trust the whole county of Middlesex will soon be assembled by delegates from the respective towns in said county. have the greatest reason to believe, that the people will choose to fall gloriously in the cause of their country than meanly to submit to slavery. I am your friend and brother,

THOMAS GARDNER.

In this crisis-hour, when the people were expected to prevent the execution of the Regulating Act,

Samuel Adams left Boston' (Aug. 10) to attend the meeting of the general congress, and Warren became the central figure in the political movements of Massachusetts. His impetuous fearlessness, Bancroft says of him, as he was now acting, was tempered by self-possession, gentleness, and good sense; and he "had reluctantly become convinced, that all connection with the British parliament must be broken off."

1 Wednesday morning, the Hon. Thomas Cushing, Esq., Mr. Samuel Adams, John Adams, and Robert Treat Paine, Esqrs., - the delegates appointed by the Honorable Commons House of Assembly for this province to attend the general congress, to be holden at Philadelphia some time next month,- set out from hence, attended by a number of gentlemen, who accompanied them to Watertown, where they were met by many others, who provided an elegant entertainment for them. After dinner they proceeded on their journey, intending to reach Southborough that evening.

Some days before the departure of the committee for the congress, Mr. Bowdoin sent them a letter, acquainting them that he had had hopes of proceeding with them to the congress; but Mrs. Bowdoin's ill state of health, occasioned by a long-continued slow fever, necessitated him to lay aside all thoughts of it. Boston Gazette, Aug. 15, 1754.

John Andrews, in a letter, dated Boston, Aug. 6, 1774, gives the following relation of Samuel Adams: “The ultimate wish and desire of the high-government party is to get Samuel Adams out of the way, when they think they may accomplish every one of their aims. But, however some may despise him, he has certainly very many friends: for, not long since, some persons (their names unknown) sent and asked his permission to build him a new barn, the old one being decayed, which was executed in a few days; a second sent to ask him to repair his house, which was thoroughly effected soon; a third sent to beg the favor of him to call at a tailor's shop, and be measured for a pair of clothes, and choose his cloth, which were finished, and sent home for his acceptance; a fourth presented him with a new wig; a fifth, with a new hat; a sixth, with six pair of the best silk hose; a seventh, with six pair of fine thread ditto; an eighth with six pairs of shoes; and a ninth modestly inquired of him, whether his finances were not rather low than otherwise. He replied, it was true that was the case; but he was very indifferent about those matters so that his poor abilities were of any service to the public: upon which the gentleman obliged him to accept of a purse containing about fifteen or twenty joannes. I mention this to show you how much he is esteemed here. They value him for his good sense, great abilities, amazing fortitude, noble resolution, and undaunted courage; being firm and unmoved at all the various reports that were propagated in regard to his being taken up and sent home, notwithstanding he had repeated letters from his friends, both in England as well as here, to keep out of the way."

It was necessary that the revolutionary work at hand, though it should be thorough, as in the case of the destruction of the tea, should be systematic.

On the day on which this letter is dated, at a meeting of the committee of correspondence and selectmen of Boston, Warren was named at the head of the delegation, to meet in a county convention that was to be held at Stoughton, of which he gives some account in the following letter:—

Joseph Warren to Samuel Adams.

BOSTON, Aug. 15, 1774.

DEAR SIR, Our public affairs have not changed their appearance since your departure. The people are in high spirits, and have the greatest confidence in the wisdom and spirit of the congress, whose decisions they seem determined to abide by. Mr. Gage sent, the day before yesterday, for the selectmen, and informed them, that he had received an act of parliament prohibiting their calling town-meetings without a license from him. They told him, that they should obey the laws of the land; and that they had had two adjournments of their meeting, and knew of no occasion to call another. He replied, that "he would endeavor to put the act in execution; and, if any ill consequences followed, they only were blamable. As to their adjournment, he must consider of it; for by such means they might keep their meeting alive these ten years." Upon this, they left him. On Friday, agreeable to a request from the other towns in this county, the selectmen and committee of correspondence met, and chose five members to attend the county congress at Stoughton to-morrow: Joseph Warren, William Phillips, Esq., Mr. Oliver Wendell, Dr. Benjamin Church, Mr. John Pitts. Mr. Phillips has refused. We shall elect a member to fill his place.

General Lee leaves us to-day. Enclosed you have a hint which I think very important; but it ought to come from a member for some other colony nay, if it was done wholly by the other members of the congress, I should like it better, as it will perhaps be injurious to you to come into such resolutions. With respect to some who are sworn in as members, the poor fellows hang their heads already. Some

spirited resolutions of the congress will drive them to despair. The gentlemen from the Royal Governments may possibly think, that, although our council is appointed by mandamus, we are, nevertheless, upon as good a foundation, in that respect, as themselves. But they will consider, that it is not simply the appointment of the council by the king that we complain of; it is the breach thereby made in our charter: and, if we suffer this, none of our charter-rights are worth naming; the charters of all the colonies are no more than blank paper. The same power that can take away our right of electing councillors by our representatives can take away from the other colonies the right of choosing even representatives; and the bill for regulating the Government of Canada shows plainly that it would be very pleasing to the ministry to deprive the Americans totally of the right of representation; and, indeed, by the Acts of the British parliament, and by the instructions given to governors, they are already deprived of all the advantages derived from representation. A fair state of this matter, done by the masterly hand of some of our worthy friends at the congress, would open the eyes of many. I am sure the congress will be able to convince the world, that the present American representation is a shadow, and not a substance; and I am certain, that, unless it is put upon a better footing, the people themselves will, in a few years, readily consent to throw off the useless burthen. But I am perhaps too much like the declaimer who delivered a lecture upon the art of war to the illustrious general Hannibal.

Mrs. Adams and your family are well. The doctor and she set out for the Eastern country to-day. Mrs. Cushing and family are in good health. Mr. Adams's friends in town are well, as I heard his lady was last Saturday. Please to present my very respectful regards to your three brethren, and believe me to be your fast friend and H. servt. Jos. WARREN.

P.S.While writing, Mr. Pitts comes in, and informs me that Dr. Williamson has written to his friend in Philadelphia; assuring him that the ministry have lately written instructions to General Gage not to take one step against the Americans, if the opposition to ministerial measures should be general.

The celebrated Colonel Putnam is now in my house, having arrived, since I subscribed this letter, with a generous donation of sheep.1

1 I copy this letter from the original, in the hands of Mr. Bancroft.