PETITION FROM COHASSET.

Cohasset, May 9, 1775.

The Selectmen of the District of COHASSET humbly shew:

That to their great satisfaction they find that the idea of Counties, Towns, and Districts, are in a great measure lost in a general conference for the safety of the whole, and that this Committee, on whom are the eyes of the Government, in various instances granted protection to such parts of the sea-coasts as were most exposed. Your Petitioners therefore beg leave to say, that they are in a defenceless state, and that they are exposed to be ravaged by the crews of every ship or vessel whose inclination leads them to plunder; that they have kept up a military watch from the twentieth of April last to this time, and which is absolutely necessary to be continued for the safety not only of said District, and the Towns adjoining, but of the whole. They therefore pray that they may have liberty to raise, on the same footing that men are raising in our neighbourhood, and have a Company, and that they may do duty in this place until the safety of the whole shall require their removal.
And, as in duty bound, shall pray.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM LONDON, TO A GENTLEMAN IN PHILADELPHIA, DATED MAY 10, 1775.

Before you receive this you will probably have determined the fate of both parts of the British Empire in that venerable assembly, the Continental Congress. We have no fears for you, but the infatuation of the Ministry here gives us as much to: apprehend as ever. It is still the full persuasion of all the courtiers (and I almost think of the greatest part of the Nation) that notwithstanding all your seeming firmness and hostile preparations, you will submit to any thing rather than contend with us. A very short time will now determine that matter, for there is no appearance of any relaxation here. We wait for the great event with the most anxious and distressing impatience.

ADDRESS OF THE VOLUNTEER COMPANY OF WILLIAMS-BURGH, VIRGINIA.

At a meeting of the Volunteer Company of the City of Williamsburgh, on the tenth day of May, 1775, the following Address was unanimously agreed to, and ordered to be published.

JOHN BROWN, Clerk.

To the Gentlemen, Freeholders, and Volunteers who so generously offered their assistance to the City of WILLIAMSBURGH, on a late alarming occasion :

GENTLEMEN: A quick sensibility to insults offered our Country, and a determined resolution to risk every thing in support of its honour and interest, are ruling motives in the breast of every patriot. To these we ascribe your late movement towards the Metropolis, where certain incidents, sufficiently alarming at this juncture, had attracted the attention of all our worthy countrymen. We are happy in being able to convince you, that there is at present no necessity for their vigorous interposition; but the zealous alacrity with which you proffered your assistance, as it shows a sincere devotion to the publick good, must be highly pleasing to your fellow-countrymen, and demands our warmest thanks and acknowledgments.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO A GENTLEMAN IN PHILADELPHIA, DATED NEW-YORK, MAY 10, 1775.

When the news of the engagement between the Provincials and the Regulars arrived here, Doctor Cooper, with several others, fled on board the Man-of-War, and have since sailed for Europe, so that the City is almost cleared of Tories, and the few which remain are ashamed and afraid. A soldier who had deserted from the Welsh Fusileers was among the forces which came to assist us from New-England; some of the soldiers in the barracks saw him, and told the officers. He was taken and confined; but when his New-England Captain heard of it, he went to the barracks, called for the commanding officer, and demanded his man. The officer told him he was a deserter; the Captain replied he did not care, he would have him, as he had promised to protect him. An officer who was standing by, said, if he was the commanding officer he would take him prisoner. The Captain replied, he might, but he would be the dearest prisoner he ever had, and swore the barracks should be in a flame in one hour if they attempted such a thing. However, the commanding officer thought proper to deliver up the man; and the very next day two sentinels deserted from the Governour’s door.

TO THE PUBLICK.

Kingston, Ulster County, New-York, May 10, 1775.

When the characters of gentlemen who have acted in a publick capacity are impeached, (especially those who have taken upon them the execution of the measures of the last Continental Congress,) how disagreeable the task may be, it behooves every one who is a friend to truth, honesty, and liberty, to consider it as their duty, and incumbent on them, with all their efforts to support the proceedings of those gentlemen. This County in general, and Kingston in particular, have distinguished themselves by a ready compliance with the Association of the Congress, and some spirited measures to render them effectual; but as every flock contains some bad sheep, so the article of Tea has discovered the infected persons amongst us. The simile is just, and the cure used/or the one, must be applied to the other, viz: a separation of the clean from the unclean. This has been done; the Committee of this Town have, after many friendly advices and entreaties, which proved in vain, been led to the disagreeable necessity of publishing Mr. Jacobus Low, merchant of this Town, all which have not as yet wrought a reformation of his conduct. He lately published a piece in vindication of his conduct, the like of which is not to be paralleled; it not only contains scurrilous and abusive language, but gross falsehoods.

First, he begins, “Johannes Sleght, Chairman of the Committee of Ulster County, has published me as an enemy of my Country, for selling Tea, in which it is set forth, that all the Merchants and Skippers had signed articles in which they agreed not to sell Tea.” This, he says, “is absolutely false, for there are more who have not signed for the very reasons I had, and the Committee knew that they had not all signed at the time of publishing this piece of malice.”

The Committee are surprised at Mr. Low’s ignorance and stupidity, since he has as well incurred the displeasure of the friends of liberty in the City of New-York, as here, by his non-compliance with his brethren, merchants in this Town. But it appears that he will endeavour to heap sin upon sin, to cure a wound by a fresh bruise; that is, by committing a crime and leading the guiltless in the execution thereof.

The Committee still say, that every Merchant and Skipper in this Town, who were possessed of East-India Tea for sale, had signed the said articles before the publication, which they are ready to prove by the original in their custody, (Jacobus Low only exempted.) They also deny that Johannes Sleght was Chairman for the County of Ulster, (as he says,) but only for the Town of Kingston. They also deny that any malice was shown unto him; but that, on the contrary, he was solicited, advised, and entreated to quit selling Tea, as the other merchants had done, to prevent a publication, which then proved abortive. As for the assertion of its being known in Kingston that said Low had offered to sign the Third Article of the Association, is even contradicted by his own advertisement, for he still adheres to the consumption of it.

As for the matters he asserts to have been reported in and by the Committee, is absolutely false; here the world may discover the wickedness of his heart, by endeavouring to punish others for his own crimes. In short, it is imposing on the publick to answer every part of so base a piece of wilful and false publication, from a man who was treated with so much lenity as he was from this Committee.

By order of the Committee:

JOHANNES SLEGHT, Chairman.

N. B. Since the publication of Mr. Low, this Committee has been augmented to the number of seventeen, and have re-elected Johannes Sleght Chairman.