handed down to us, to be charged with disaffection to His Majesty’s Government. On a review of his Lordship’s conduct, we cannot avoid suspecting his design in removing the gunpowder (more especially in the night) was rather to deprive this Colony of it, than to be used for suppressing any insurrection.

3d. That Captain Montague’s threat of firing upon the defenceless Town of York, bespeaks such a base and diabolical disposition, that he ought to be contemned and despised by all men of spirit and humanity. We therefore recommend it to our constituents, not to show the said Montague any mark of civility or respect whatsoever.

SAMUEL HAWES, JR., Clerk.

TO THE INHABITANTS OF VIRGINIA.

Williamsburgh, May 19, 1775.

There are few attempts in life so unlikely to give universal satisfaction as those that are brought before the all scrutinizing eye of the publick; for although a man be so fortunate as to please some, he may, on the other hand, offend many. And there are few men, possessed of a tolerable knowledge of men and manners, but what must be, on the least attentive consideration, assured of the truth of this thesis. How careful, then, ought that man to be, who makes his appearance in the publick papers, in knowing that he is embarked, if not in an unoffending, yet a righteous cause. Thus equipped, he may fearlessly pass the rock of criticism, if not with eclat, with that, at least, which affords more permanent felicity—the heartfelt commendation of a good conscience. These animadversions lead me to a few strictures on our truly great and worthy Governour’s Proclamation of the sixth of this instant. I confess, in the first place, that it is with the most pungent sorrow I find that justice, and the great cause of America’s inherent rights, make it indispensably necessary, in these unhappy days, that nothing should pass unnoticed that is not dignified by the sacred signature of truth, and which, through the malversation of bad and designing men, might have the baneful tendency of extending the unnatural breach between Great Britain and her Colonies, and bring on the additional displeasure of our gracious King. Of such a tendency appears our Governour’s Proclamation of the above date, particularly aimed at Patrick Henry, Jun., Esquire, his Country’s and America’s unalterable and unappalled great advocate and friend. As most of the good people of this Country may have seen this unparalleled Proclamation, I shall not take up much of their or your time, in a very minute recital of it; suffice it to say, that the whole must appear a Ministerial trick, calculated to please some, to delude others, and, what is of more serious and alarming consequence, (similar to one of his other laudable efforts,*) to prejudice and detract from the great American cause, by effecting a disunion amongst the friends of it, as the only possible means of obtaining success to Ministerial machinations. The degenerate tools of lawless power may applaud his Lordship’s ingenuity, but the honest, virtuous, and upright sons of constitutional liberty will reprobate the want of that candour and nobleness of spirit, which can alone give effulgence to high birth or exalted station, and deprived of which, either the one or the other must, in the reflection of the virtuous mind, (to use the great Mr. Pope’s words,) appear but as so much “leather or prunella.” There are, however, representations of the conduct of the said Mr. Henry, and his deluded followers, (as his Lordship is pleased, fashionably, to call them,) so exceedingly inconsonant to my idea of the case, that his Lordship must pardon me if I should, for the sake of justice, attempt to set the matter in a different and less partial point of view. His Lordship observes, “That the said Mr. Henry, with a number of deluded followers, had taken up arms, chosen their officers, and, styling themselves an Independent Company, had marched out of their County, encamped, and put themselves into a posture of war, and had written letters, &c., to the great terrour of all His Majesty’s faithful subjects, and in open defiance of law and Government; and have committed other acts of violence, particularly in extorting from his Receiver-General the sum of three hundred and thirty Pounds, under pretence of replacing the powder he (the Governour) thought proper to order from the Magazine;” whence, adds his Lordship, “it undeniably appears that there is no longer the least security for the life or property of any man.” Would not strangers to this manæuvre of Mr. Henry be induced readily to believe, from this Proclamation of his Lordship, that his conduct in the affair of the powder was directly consistent with the greatest rectitude; and, on the contrary, that Mr. Henry’s behaviour was, in the extreme, impolitical, disorderly, and base? But let such first recur to the many poor subterfuges that Ministerial vicegerents have lately been drove to, and then they will not be greatly astonished at the contents of his Lordship’s Proclamation.

The powder which was removed from the Magazine in the City of Williamsburgh, under cover of the night, (a time most friendly and best adapted to dark and insidious designs,) appears clearly to have been, if not the permanent and exclusive property of this Colony, at least so intended for its direct emolument and protection, by an Act of Assembly, passed in the first year of King George the First’s reign, entitled, “An Act for erecting a Magazine;” that his Lordship’s removal of it on board one of His Majesty’s armed vessels, just at that alarming and critical time, was, in my view, illegal, and a competent declaration of his hostile and inimical designs against this unhappy Country, and sufficient, of itself, to have roused the good people of it from that lethargick state of security into which the great appearance of his Lordship’s friendship had lulled them; and farther, to have placed themselves in such a posture of defence as might enable them to guard against the impending blow which this step of his Lordship plainly told them was but too fast approaching. The inhabitants of Williamsburgh, justly alarmed and incensed at such behaviour from his Lordship, like men determined to support their constitutional rights and property in opposition to every act of violence under Heaven against them, take up arms, and are about to demand restitution of the powder, when they are dissuaded from such a step by gentlemen in whom great confidence is placed, who persuade them to lay down their arms, and return to their respective homes; assuring them at the same time, that every pacifick endeavour should be made in order to have the powder replaced in the Magazine. They then convened a common hall, and in a very respectful manner, address his Lordship on the impropriety of his conduct in the affair of the powder; entreating him at the same time to return it again to the Magazine, and thereby restore peace and order to the inhabitants of the Town. To which said address his Lordship was pleased to return a verbal answer, (being, it is said, peculiarly happy in expressing his sentiments with ease and propriety that way,) whereby it most evidently appears that his Lordship expressly avows the impropriety of his conduct in the removal of the powder, in promising, upon his “word and honour,” that in case there should be an insurrection of the slaves, which be acknowledges there was cause to apprehend, he would then return the powder, on being allowed a half hour to do it in. The inconsistency of such an answer is so plain, that it needs no comment. In short, several gentlemen, who were dissatisfied with such an evasive, contradictory, and affrontive answer, wait on his Lordship in person, and entreat him, as the representative of His Majesty here, as the Chief Magistrate, and, above all, as a friend to peace and order, to return the powder, and thereby quiet the fears and apprehensions of the people, which he now positively refuses to do; assigning, as a reason for his strange and unwarrantable conduct, that the people of Williamsburgh had been in arms.

But attend to his subsequent conduct, and see if it accords with those pompous professions of regard for peace, order, and good government, and the happiness of the people (who are so unhappy as to be under his rule) which he would induce a belief are the grand objects of his care and study. Conscious that the people would no longer acquiesce in a behaviour in one moment so disingenuous and evasive, in another so disrespectful and irritating, he determined to fling off the mask, and bid defiance to their utmost efforts to regain the powder; and therefore immediately began to arm his menial servants, who were, by

* See his Lordship’s Letter to the Earl of Dartmouth, dated the twenty-fourth of December last.