to be weakened by tumult and partial strife. Liberty receives strength and vigour from prudence and consideration. Justice, equity, and regularity, are her closest friends: she courts virtue as her bosom companion, and shuns vice as her dangerous enemy. Let us equally avoid the feverish fits of political heat and cold. Banish from our breasts all personal prejudices, private piques, narrow opinions, illiberal distinctions, and little unbecoming jealousies. Let us display a magnanimity proportionate to the importance and dangers of the struggle, cultivating harmony of sentiments and unanimity of counsels. Act discreetly, firmly, and unitedly. So long as men have hearts to feel, and blood and spirits to act, some irregularities and indiscretions will unavoidably take place under galling oppressions. These must be expected until vice is deep trodden to its centre, and frailties and human imperfections banished from the earth. I trust those among us will be few and exceeding small, such as, being viewed by an eye of candour, may be easily covered with the mantle of charity.

All America has recognised our cause, has become surety for our safety, and pointed out the process for redress. All the Colonies unitedly oppose. Opposition so respectable, so ample, never was known. Their unanimity and firmness was never exceeded. Let us then adopt, and religiously observe the recommendations of the grand American Congress, as the best rules of political conduct; hold their Association sacred; treat the enemies of our Country in the manner they prescribe; avoid, studiously avoid, every thing that may occasion a rupture and hasten on the last appeal; being completely equipped, and thoroughly prepared for every event, let us conduct peaceably and inoffensively. If we are attacked, and hostilities commenced against us, self-preservation, the first law of nature, must and ought to assume the reins, take the command, direct our conduct and govern the man. It does not oblige us to stand still until we are hewn dead at our enemies’ feet.

FROM THE COUNTY OF HAMPSHIRE.

New-York, Friday, March 31, 1775.

This being the day appointed for taking the sense of the freeholders of the Town of Jamaica, on Long-Island, whether they would nominate a Deputy to meet Deputies from the other Counties, in the City of New-York, the 20th of April, for, the purpose of electing Delegates to attend the Continental Congress at Philadelphia, the 10th of May next; a poll was opened, when the votes taken stood as follows:

PORTSMOUTH (NEW-HAMPSHIRE) ASSOCIATION.

We, the subscribers, considering the disorderly state of the times, and being deeply impressed with a sense of the inestimable value of constitutional liberty, think ourselves under an absolute necessity of associating together for the support of the wholesome laws of the land, and also for the preservation and protection of our persons and properties, which we find, at least as to many, have been threatened of late, and we do therefore solemnly engage to and with each other:—

1st. That we will maintain the laws of the land to the utmost of our power.

2d. That we will also defend and protect each other from mobs, riots, or any other unlawful attack whatsoever, and upon the first notice of any attempt upon either of the subscribers, each and every one of us will immediately repair to the person attacked, and him defend to the last extremity.

January 17, 1775.

TO THE SUBSCRIBERS OF THE ABOVE ASSOCIATION.

Portsmouth, March 31, 1775.

GENTLEMEN: Take this Association under your mature consideration, as I hope some of you to be gentlemen of penetration and knowledge; and after a serious examination of the above Association, you will find, instead of supporting and maintaining the laws of the land, you are acting in direct violation thereof. As you say you will support and maintain the laws of the land, and as you have not made any distinction between the Province Law and the late unconstitutional Acts, established by the King and Parliament, we must suppose you mean to support and maintain both, Permit me, gentlemen, to tell you, that your zeal overbalances your knowledge. Pray examine the province law throughout, and all other law authorities that ever were held in repute by the English Nation, and you will not find one instance wherein they justify a number of men in combining together in any league whatsoever to support the law, but quite the reverse; for the law is supported in another manner; it is maintained by Magistrates and Officers, that are legally appointed as the laws direct, and not by a number of men combining together. You say you “will also defend and protect each other from mobs, riots, or any unlawful attack whatsoever; and that on the first notice of any attempt upon either of the subscribers, each and every one of you will immediately repair to the person attacked, and him defend to the last extremity.”

Is this law, gentlemen? In what book and page will you find it? or what legislative body ever established such measures to support laws? Was it ever known in the King’s Dominions for a number of men to assemble together in order to suppress any mob without authority; for so doing they are themselves a mob in the eyes of the law, to all intents and purposes; though I am convinced, if you had been prudent enough to have examined into the law of the province, by which our lives and properties are protected, before you undertook to support it by mobs, as you have solemnly agreed to do, you would have been ashamed ever to have subscribed your names to such an unlawful combination.

Gentlemen, I beg leave to ask you what it is you are afraid of? Is it because you have honest hearts and act upon well-grounded principles? Is it because you stand strong for the Colonies and her liberties? Or is it because you strike against American freedom, and because you are trying to enforce the late unconstitutional Acts, and to plunge America into a state of slavery? Surely it must be guilt and remorse of conscience, and from thence springs fear; ah! fear, indeed, and reason enough for fear, for any person to sell his Country and the liberties thereof, for the sake of false honour and the poor pittance of sordid gain; he will live in fear and die in fear, and will run the greatest risk of being tormented hereafter.

SPECTATOR.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM LONDON TO A GENTLEMAN IN PHILADELPHIA, DATED APRIL 1, 1775.

The behaviour of the New-Yorkers has raised the drooping spirits of the Ministry, and has been the cause of their pursuing their tyrannous measures towards America with tenfold vigour. A Bill is brought into the House by Lord North, to stop the trade of New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South-Carolina; it is determined, if you will not trade with Great Britain, that you shall not trade any where else. The friends of the Ministry declare publickly, every where, their intention of starving the four New-England Colonies. Ought not the Merchants of Pennsylvania, &c., &c., as they have but little time before the Act takes place that will prevent their sending them any provisions, to fill their Towns with bread, flour, and every thing else they may stand in need of? If it is true what the Ministry give out, that they have divided you, I yet hope, when America comes to see the insidious part Administration is taking to subdue her, that you will all unite as one man, and suffer every hardship rather than become the dupes of the present set of men who govern this Country. If you persevere in your Non-Importation and Non-Exportation Agreement, in less than twelve months you will become complete conquerors; if you break, then you become slaves, not to one tyrant, but to five hundred.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM NEW-HAVEN, TO MR. RIVINGTON, NEW-YORK, DATED APRIL 1, 1775.

Our Committee of Inspection have proceeded to very unwarrantable lengths; they ordered summonses to be served on several persons who had not been altogether complaisant enough to the mandates of the Congress. One of the Committee-men demanded of a loyal Constitutionalist: “What, do you drink Tea? Take care what you do, Mr.