TO THE MINISTER.

London, June 6, 1775.

The sword of civil war is at last. unsheathed. You are astonished; for you believed those sagacious counsellors, who assured you that the Americans were cowards. You were persuaded that what you are pleased to call “firmness” in the King, and “steadiness” in his Ministers, were alone sufficient to stifle that thing called “liberty, ” which, having fled from this island, took shelter in America. You find, my Lord, you were deceived, and from that fatal hour in which the hostile sword glittered in America, every ship will bring fresh proof of your error. I know the Americans, my Lord, better than any of your military informers. You are deceived, abused, wretchedly abused, and you will find your errour when it is too late. Just God! I lose all patience when I recollect the incredible absurdity of your conduct; the paltry, shallow, contemptible system of politicks, by which every transaction of your Ministry hath been governed. With regard to America, you have struggled under an universal cloud of infatuation, and the arguments of your treasury slaves in support of your tyranny are a continued burlesque on argumentation. You have been equally unlucky, my Lord, in your pensioned scribblers, the two celebrated Doctors, who, unfortunately for your Lordship, are, in-truth, most scurvy politicians.

But, my Lord, I will, for the present, waive all other matters of discussion, and confine myself to the topick of the day. America, my Lord, America! You shudder at the sound.I marvel not; it will be your destruction. Your present game, my Lord, depends entirely on your ability to persuade the people of England that their fellow-subjects in America are in a state of rebellion. The people of England are less liable to mistake declamation for argument than any people in Europe. The people of England know that to resist illegal exertions of power is not rebellion. If you my Lord, have presumed to stretch the power of the Crown, or of the Parliament, beyond its legal bounds, you are a rebel to the People and a traitor to your Country. You have dared to tax America, an unrepresented part of the King’s Dominions. That taxation and representation are inseparable, is the avowed opinion of the first lawyer in the Kingdom. It is not only an opinion, but a glaring axiom of the Constitution; and if you dare deny it, my Lord, I thus publickly declare you an errant traitor to your Country. America is not represented, and therefore cannot be taxed but by themselves; and whatever may be your presenf, position, I pledge my credit with the publick, that I will bring you or your advocates to acknowledge the truth of this position. If, therefore, you have presumed to tax America illegally; if you have sent an Army to enforce laws unconstitutionally enacted, the Americans are not in a state of rebellion. On the contrary, they deserve our prayers and assistance; and you, my Lord, are the arch rebel against whom all our vengeance should be directed. I am unexpectedly interrupted, and I must therefore beg leave to conclude myself, my Lord, yours, &c.

PROVINCIAL CONGRESS OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

Charlestown, Tuesday, June 6, 1775.

Resolved, That the following gentlemen, viz: Sir Edmund Head, Bart., David Deas, Esq., Mr. John Fullerton, Mr. John Wagner, Mr. Josiah Smith, Jr., Mr. Joseph Dill, Robert Williams, Jr., Esq., Mr. Thomas Eveleigh, John Scott, Esq., of Broad-street, Major William Savage, Mr.Edward Lightwood, Captain Alexander Gillon, Alexander Rose, Esq., Mr.George Abbott Hall, Mr. Barnard Beekman, Caption Edward Blake, Doctor Peter Fayssoux, Captain Simon Tufts, Captain John Scott, Mr. James Fagartie, Mr. William Johnson, Mr. James Carsan, Joshua Ward, Esq., Mr. Samuel Legare, Mr. Charles Johnston, and Mr. John Horlbeck, be a Committee to receive the signatures of all the inhabitants of Charlestown, to the Association entered into on the third instant, and signed on the fourth by every member of this Congress. And that it be recommended to them to complete the subscriptions as speedily as possible, and make a return of the names of such as decline to sign the said Association, to the General Committee.

By order of the Congress:

PETER TIMOTHY, Secretary.

CHESTER COUNTY (PENNSYLVANIA) COMMITTEE.

In Committee, Chester County, June 6, 177.5.

The Committee met pursuant to appointment, in the Township of Charlestown, and proceeded to examine into the charge lodged against William Moore, Esquire, setting forth that he was inimical to the liberties of America, and that he had expressed a design to oppose the present Association.

Mr. Moore being ill, was waited on by two of the Committee, with copies of the several charges exhibited against him, to which, after due consideration, he returned the following answer, viz:

GENTLEMEN: I have read the different charges against me, which have been laid before you, and am extremely sorry for any unguarded expression therein contained that may have dropped from me; for believe me, I have no interest but what is in America. I wish well to every individual in it, and pray that its liberties may be preserved to the latest times. I also further declare that I have of late encouraged, and will continue to encourage, learning the military art, apprehending the time is not far distant when there may be occasion for it.

I hope, gentlemen, this will be satisfactory to you. I am now an old man, and cannot possibly entertain a thought but what is friendly to America, in which I am to leave my family and all that is dear to me; and the short time I have to live, I wish to seek peace with all men.

Witness my hand this 6th of June, 1775.

WM. MOORE.

To Anthony Wayne, Esq., Chairman of the Committee of Chester County.

On motion, Resolved, nem. con., That William Moore, Esquire, has made a proper acknowledgment, and given a satisfactory answer to this Committee: Therefore,

Ordered, That this proceeding be published, to the end that Mr. Moore’s person and property may remain free from injury on account of any thing that has heretofore been alleged against him respecting publick matters.

By order of the Committee:

LEWIS GRONOW, Secretary pro tem.

NEW-YORK CONGRESS TO GOVERNOUR TRUMBULL.

In Provincial Congress, New-York, June 6, 1775.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOUR: We take leave to enclose a Resolution of the Grand Congress, of the 31st of May, and at the same time to present you our acknowledgments for the letter which we had the honour to receive from you, dated the 29th.

Be assured, Sir, that we are most gratefully sensible of the cheerfulness with which the Government of Connecticut has exerted itself to support the important posts of Crown Point and Ticonderoga, until our abilities may enable us to execute that trust which the Continental Congress has, on that subject, thought proper in the first instance to repose in us.

In compliance with the requisitions made upon us, we have expedited our orders for the several things contained in the enclosed lists, at the bottom whereof are accounts of the several articles already sent for that service, and the persons employed in it.

We are sorry to present you with the very disagreeable intelligence that we have not a sufficient quantity of powder in this Colony to enable us at present to contribute in the least towards supplying those forts with that article; a circumstance which is the more distressing, as we have great reason to believe that a considerable quantity will be required for the defence of the northern frontier.

We pray your Honour to believe that we feel the utmost desire of co-operating with our sister Colonies in executing the Resolves of the Congress, and that we are, with great respect, your Honour’s most obedient humble servants.

Per order, and in behalf of the Provincial Congress:

P. V. B. LIVINGSTON, President.

To the Hon. Jonathan Trumbull, Governour of the Colony of Connecticut.