With confidence in your prudence and friendship, and with much respect and esteem, your honour’s most obedient and very humble servant,

ELEAZAR WHEELOCK.

I expect Mr. Dean here in May.

LETTER TO A GENTLEMAN IN NEW-YORK, DATED BOSTON, MARCH 22, 1775.

We are still without any of your favours, we suppose for the same reason as was mentioned in our last. Since the Army have found that the season is past for nature’s forming a bridge from hence, they become abusive and insulting. They are now finishing their fortifications on the Neck, by picketing on each side. We propose to give you an account of the manoeuvres of our adversaries as they may occur.

The 16th instant, (being recommended by the Provincial Congress to be observed as a day of fasting and prayer;) on the morning of this day the society at the west end of Boston were greatly disturbed by a party of Officers and Soldiers of the Fourth, or King’s own Regiment. When the people were assembling, they brought two marquee tents, and pitched them within about ten yards of the meeting-house; then sent for three drums and three fifes, and kept them beating and playing till service was over; Colonel Maddison was present part of the time.

17th. In the evening Colonel Hancock’s elegant seat, situate near the Common, was attacked by a number of Officers, who, with their swords, cut and hacked the fence before his house in a most scandalous manner, and behaved very abusively, by breaking people’s windows, and insulting almost every person they met.

18th. The Neck Guard seized 13,425 musket cartridges with ball, (we suppose through the information of some dirty scoundrel, of which we now have many among us,) and about three hundred pounds of ball, which they were carrying into the country; this was private property. The owner applied to the General first, but be absolutely refused to deliver it. They abused the teamster very much, and run a bayonet into his neck. The same evening a number of Officers, heated with liquor, (as is said,) with drawn swords, ran through the streets, like what they really were, madmen, cutting every one they met; the stage coach just arrived from Providence passing by, they attacked it, broke the glass, and abused the passengers; the driver, being a smart fellow, jumped off his seat, caught one of them, (Captain Gore, of the Fifth,) and some blows passed; when the Officer retired, not much to his credit.

19th. Colonel Hancock was again much insulted by a number of inferiour Officers and Privates, who entered his enclosures, and refused to retire after his requesting them so to do, telling him that his house, stables, &c., would soon be theirs, and then they would do as they pleased. However, on his application to the General, be immediately sent one of his Aids-de-Camp to the Officer of the Guard, at the bottom of the Common, to seize any Officer or Private who should molest Colonel Hancock or any inhabitant in their lawful calling. Yours, &c.

TO JOHN DICKINSON, ESQUIRE,

One of the reputed Authors of the PENNSYLVANIA FARMER’s LETTERS, published on occasion of the AMERICAN Revenue Acts, in Mr. GRENVILLE’s Administration.

New-York, March 23, 1775.

SIR: I live at least two hundred and twenty miles from Philadelphia, and am frequently a fortnight without receiving a Newspaper. That happens to be the case at present, as I have only just now read the Resolves of your Convention.* This letter, Sir, shall be publick, only because the people of Pennsylvania are taught to believe the author of the Farmer’s Letters is infallible. Nasce teipsum, is the advice of a wise man, and as difficult to be attained by some, as to be translated by others. I am a plain, honest man, Sir, who never received a favour from the hand of power. My composition is simple, and easily defined. I have been at a great deal of pains to learn the true character of Mr. Dickinson; have asked it repeatedly from Whig and Tory; and as I know myself to be void of prejudice on account of difference in opinion, will take the liberty to mention what I have been able to discover. You are a gentleman of good natural understanding, great reading, and engaging address. You early found yourself possessed of knowledge, and the means by which you first obtained popularity were in many instances laudable. But the praises of the multitude are dangerous, even to a virtuous man; they gain his confidence by their applause, and feed the innocent vanity of the human mind, until he at last surrenders up his judgment, joins in the popular errour, and finds, when too late, he was wedded to his wo. If I am rightly informed, Sir, (and my authority is not bad,) you are worth at least Forty Thousand Pounds Sterling; entertain elegantly, as often as your constitution will admit of; and are blest with as sweet a tongue as ever delivered the language of profusion; a lawyer, too. I wish I had forgot that circumstance; ignorance of the laws might plead in mitigation of the breach of them; but how are we to account for the late conduct of the highly lettered, the accomplished Mr. Dickinson? In your Farmer’s Letters, you breathe the gentle accents of order and decorum; you positively pronounce that the King is the ruling power, in whom is justly vested the regulations of Trade, &c. You wrote then, Sir, as if you thought your Country injured; I am sorry to say you now act as if you repented of propriety. I have not those Letters by me at present, but I read them as they came out, with great attention. I was told the author was a young man, who loved, like other men of abilities, to be known and admired; and notwithstanding I perceived many sentiments calculated to feed the popular appetite, yet almost every line told the admiring reader they were the production of a gentleman. Now, Sir, let me request of you to turn over once more those leaves of genius; compare your words at that time with your present actions; though much you are altered, you cannot read those papers without recollecting what you were; and I think that modesty which marks your character, must make you blush for what you are. I perfectly remember your asserting the dependance of the Colonies on Great Britain in the most positive terms, and you have now set your seal to a resolution of taking up arms against your Sovereign, unless King, Lords, and Commons relinquish their claim to the very privileges which, seven years ago, you spent whole pages in defending their right to. It is true that mad resolve contains a proviso; but permit me to assure you, it would have done your understanding more honour to have omitted it. What! deliver a petition to the greatest monarch on earth with one hand, and hold a sword in the other, with a paper on the point of it, containing the following words: “If you do not give up your legal authority over the Colonies, we will break off all connexion with you, and, by withholding certain articles, we will drive Great Britain, Ireland, and the West-Indies into such convulsions, as will shake your Throne, and enable us to command our own terms.” I appeal to your heart, is not this a fair representation? The best and most sensible men are often easy and unsuspecting, and (pardon the expression) too often the dupes of aspiring villany. It is difficult to write on this subject, without transgressing the bounds of delicacy. Your private character, Sir. is amiable, and incapable of deliberate errour; so that the censure which your political one justly merits, ought to be tenderly and politely administered. This I have endeavoured to observe, notwithstanding truth frequently loses its weight when destitute of severity. Is it possible, Sir, that a man of your penetration should expect or wish that Great Britain should be bullied into abject submission? My hand trembles at the next sentence. If you love or honour her, your prayers now are, that every resolve of the Congress (except to keep sheep to a proper age) may be treated with the utmost contempt; if you do not love her, I am sorry for it. You have too much sense to join in the idle opinion which some have adopted, that to obtain enough, you must demand too much. You are a man of spirit, I dare say, and I beg leave to ask, if you had been so unfortunate as to offend a gentleman, and offered to make an apology, would you submit to acknowledge yourself a fool or a coward? Inexpediency and right are two different things; but if Parliament thought proper to relax, it would be very immaterial to the Colonies through which

* January 23 to 28, 1775.