stances inferiour to your own. Perhaps it is not yet too late to retrieve our errours. There is a possibility, that, by adopting different measures, and pursuing an opposite course, we may yet be saved; and while there is a possibility, it is excusable—it is incumbent on every one freely to give us his opinion. And, on the other hand, if our apprehensions of danger, (for I am not alone) are ill-founded, and our fears proceed from ignorance and too great caution, still the interest we have at risk, will plead our excuse with you; and you will kindly compose our ruffled spirits, by gently explaining our situation, and pointing out to us our mistakes.

Without confining myself to the foregoing order of the subject upon which I intend to treat, I will conclude this address with some remarks upon your letter to General Gage, the causes which lead to it, and the effects it has produced.

In your letter, you first premise that "the inhabitants of the Town of Boston had informed you that the fortifications erecting within that Town; the frequent invasions of private property, and the repeated insults they receive from the Soldiery, had given them great reason to suspect a plan was formed very destructive to them, and tending to overthrow the liberties of America," you then go on to express your deepest concern, that whilst "you" calling yourselves the Representatives of his Majesty's faithful subjects in all the Colonies from Nova Scotia to Georgia "were pursuing every dutiful and peaceable measure, &c., his Excellency should proceed in a manner that bears so hostile an appearance." You then hold up to his Excellency "open hostilities and the horrours of a civil war;" and lastly, as the means of preventing this, "you hope he will discontinue the Fortifications in and about Boston; prevent any further invasions of private property; restrain the irregularities of the Soldiers, and give orders that the communication between Town and Country may be open, unmolested, and free." This, your letter, was no sooner delivered than, by your order or consent, as I presume, it was submitted to the perusal of every man, by being inserted in the publick newspapers.

Upon this give me leave to observe that the professed design of your appointment, which was to deliberate upon and propose to your constituents the best means for restoring peace and harmony between Great Britain and her Colonies; the violent inflammation to which you knew the passions of the people were then raised; the veneration with which you know they looked up to your body, however unconstitutional and void of legal power and authority it might be; the thorough knowledge which, from General Gage's long residence on the Continent, you must many of you have had of his wisdom, prudence, humanity, and love of justice; these all, I say, were weighty considerations which should have induced you to the greatest circumspection and caution in receiving complaints and adopting suspicions to the prejudice of so good a character, in stimulating to acts of rebellion a people already too much disposed blindly to rush into it, and thereby defeating the sole valuable purpose of your assembling. But the complaints upon which your letter were founded, were so entirely repugnant to the well known truths of facts, that had a letter appeared in print charging the Congress with the open breach of the whole decalogue it could not have occasioned more astonishment among your Members than that with which yours filled the minds of all in and about Boston. It is inconceivable how you could be so ignorant of the situation of things here at that time. The Suffolk resolves, unhappily, you had seen, and (pardon the expression) in a paroxism of epidemick madness you had fatally adopted. These, when cool reflection took place, told you, as plainly as if written with a sunbeam, or proclaimed in thunder from Sinai, that the voice of that leading County, as delivered by their Delegates, was for war. Previous to this, four thousand people had assembled at Cambridge, some in arms and others having lodged their arms at trifling distance ostensibly to inquire into the cause of grievances, but in reality to prevent, by force, the execution of Acts of Parliament. The transactions of that day I need not recapitulate; they are not done in a corner, but in the face of open day, with an eclat which must have penetrated the most secret recesses of the most obscure corner of British America. Before and after this, the design of a descent from the country for the purpose of attacking the small number of his Majesty's Troops then stationed at Boston was publickly talked of with an assurance which would have forced belief upon the most obstinate sceptick. Major Paddock's Field Pieces, with other Cannon, were secretly taken away and conveyed into the country; Powder, Ball, Flints, and Small Arms were purchased with unusual avidity, and a number of assailants, who were to make the attack, was publickly and universally set at thirty thousand. A Colonel Putnam* of

* EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM A GENTLEMAN IN NEW-YORK TO HIS FRIEND IN ANNAPOLIS, DATED SEPTEMBER 7, 1774.

Two days ago we were alarmed hero by the arrival of an Express from a Colonel Putnam, of Connecticut, to the Committee of this City, with intelligence that a certain person was just come to his house from Boston, to acquaint him that an affray had happened between the People and the Troops, in which six of the former were killed; and that when said person left Boston, the Artillery from the Common, and Men-of-War, had been firing upon the Town all the night of the 1st of September. Colonel Putnam, upon this advice, alarmed the whole country, and requiring them to arm themselves and take the road to Boston, which they actually did, insomuch that the Post says the roads were covered with people.

However, I have the satisfaction to acquaint you that all was an in famous imposition to hasten matters, and consequently bring immediate destruction on a number of people. The real truth was only this, that General Brattle, of Cambridge, (seven miles from Boston) having wrote the Governour that the Militia of Medford, a place in that neighbourhood, had taken away their powder out of the Magazine there, and that only some of what belonged to the King was now remaining, the Governour Bent a party of two hundred and fifty men, who took the King's powder and wore conducting it to Boston, when upwards of three thousand men, unarmed, assembled on Cambridge Common to know the cause of seizing their powder; they were easily put right on this head, and dispersed, sending persons round the country to acquaint the people with the truth, and prevent their taking arms In consequence of this, no steps have been taken at Boston besides reinforcing what is called the Neck Guard. On Monday, when these last advices left Boston, all was quiet.

BOSTON, September 29, 1774.—The following letter, dated September 12, from one of the best characters in a distant part of the Province to his friend in Boston, merits the attention of the publick: "I imagine that by this time you are made in a good degree acquainted with the general commotion that has been lately caused by the mistaken report that the Army wag come out of Boston, murdering the people in the country, and taking from them their ammunition; the movements in Connecticut have been great—still greater in this Province; thousands of men have mustered, armed, and travelled, some on horseback, twenty, thirty, and forty miles. I apprehend that such mistakes, and the alarms occasioned by them, will be likely, by and by, to harden the people, so that there will be great danger of their not moving at all, or not in season, when there shall be real necessity of it. It appears to mo, sir, therefore, absolutely necessary that there should be a number of vigilant, judicious, trusty, and faithful men appointed in Boston, another set of like men in Roxbury, another in Charlestown, and perhaps in other place's, whoso names shall be published to the country, whose particular duty and business it shall be to determine where the aid and assistance of the country shall be called for, and that the call and demand be always in writing, under the hands of such Committee, or some of them, and that they signify for what time the people should come prepared to stay, if the occasion will permit so much writing. Something of this sort, I humbly conceive, may be proper for the present groundless alarms and that the people below, in case of emergencies, may have timely and necessary relief. But it seems to me most clear that there is immediate necessity of a Provincial Congress or Convention, to settle more matters than I can now enumerate as the above. I am, &c."

POMFRET, October 3, 1774.

In Mr. Game's New-York Gazette, of the 12th of September, I am called upon to set the affair of my writing a letter to Captain Cleveland in a true light, which was wrote in consequ5nee of intelligence brought me by Captain Keys, on the 3d of September last. Being then at home about my lawful business, said Keys came to my house about eleven o'clock, A. M., and informed me that an Express came from Boston to Oxford, who set out from thence on the preceding evening, and brought the alarming tidings contained in my letter herein inserted. The true state of the case, as I have since learned, is as follows: * * * Wilcot, Esquire, of Oxford, hearing the news posted his son off towards Boston to learn the certainty of the report; and when he came to Grafton, about thirty-five miles from Boston, he heard a further confirmation of it, and returned immediately back to Oxford, when the said Wilcot, his father, sent him to Dudley, to Carter's Tavern, where one Mr. Clarke, of that Town, a trader, happened to be, and he came to his father, Captain Clarke, of Woodstock, who came to said Keys, and on his coming to me with the strongest assurances of the truth and reality of said report, I wrote the following letter to Captain Aaron Cleveland, of Canterbury:

"Mr. Keys this moment brought us the news that the Men-of-War and Troops began to fire upon the people last night at sunset, at Boston, when a post was immediately sent off to inform the country. He informed that the Artillery played all night; that the people were universally rallying as far as here, and desire all the assistance possible. This first commencement of hostilities was occasioned by the country's being robbed of their powder, from Boston as far as Farmingham; and when found out, the persons who went to take the perpetrator of the horrid deed (who had fled to the Camp) were immediately fired upon; six of our number were killed the first shot, and a number wounded; and beg you win rally all the forces you can, and be upon the march immediately for the relief of Boston," and the people that way.

ISRAEL PUTNAM."

The title of "Lieutenant Colonel of the Connecticut Forces," I did