for that purpose. I thought then, and I think now, I had a right so to do.

I am, sirs, yours, and the honourable Board's most obedient and very humble servant,

ARTEMAS WARD.

To the Honourable John Avery.

BARNSTABLE (MASSACHUSETTS) COMMITTEE.

MESSIEURS PRINTERS: Please to give the following a place in your next, and you will oblige a friend, and help to vindicate the injured:

In the Watertown paper of last Monday, I then being in Boston, had the mortification to see a piece most artfully dressed up in the form of a Protest,* against the proceedings of the town of Barnstable, in a late meeting of theirs, which was held to choose a Representative in the room of that truly honourable gentleman, lately admitted to the Board.

These respectable gentlemen (as the protestors are pleased to call themselves) have endeavoured to make it appear, by their representation of the matter, that the town of Barnstable, in voting not to instruct their Representative, did positively give their sentiments as a town against the measure of Independency, even if the Congress should see fit to adopt it; and that they did thereby absolutely refuse to support such a determination, however necessary it may appear to the wisdom of the Continent. The subscriber to this, being an inhabitant of the town of Barnstable, and present at the said meeting, humbly requests the candid publick that they would for the present suspend their judgment of this matter (which, as it has been represented, must appear in the most unfavourable light) until such time as an attested copy of the above mentioned proceedings can be procured and made publick, when he hopes it will appear, not that the late Protest was designed as a malevolent aspersion of the town, but that the representation therein exhibited has not the truth for its foundation; in the mean time, I am the respectable protestors' humble servant,

STURGIS GORHAM.

Boston, July 9, 1776.

JOSEPH OTIS ON THE PROCEEDINGS AT BARNSTABLE.

Barnstable, July 18, 1776.

Mr. EDES: By Powers & Willis's paper of the llth July I find an inhabitant of the town of Barnstable greatly mortified at a piece in your paper, dressed up in form of a Protest, and with a sneer at the persons whose names were annexed to the account," begging the candid publick to suspend their judgment." Who dressed up the piece that gave him so much mortification I pretend not to say. But' surely he showed but little address in taxing the protestors against a proceeding of a town meeting with" artfully misrepresenting" in an article of intelligence, and which he insinuates was a" malevolent aspersion of their town," when the protestors were to a man unacquainted with the piece until it appeared in your paper; ' Nor has he the truth for his foundation when he says the" protestors call themselves respectable gentlemen," for, in truth, the protestors have hitherto been silent, and the paragraph in your paper only styles them" respectable inhabitants." An unfortunate advocate for truth and candour this, to appear in the first part of his performance destitute of both. I pronounce the account of our town meeting neither true nor false, nor do I determine whether, all circumstances considered, a negative upon the question of instructing relative to Independence was a negative upon the question of Independence; though if the inference was natural, it was unavoidable. The account of our town meeting in your paper" had the truth for its foundation; "but if the question was mistaken, or even" artfully" stated, I see not, how the protestors are responsible. As a protestor, an inhabitant of Barnstable, and one at the meeting, I join issue with this "mortified" young man, state facts, and leave the publick to draw their inferences.

After it was debated largely whether the town would give any instructions to their Representatives, the question was put by yeas and nays. Thirty appeared for instructing, thirty-five against it. There was a long debate about declaring independency. One said "it was downright rebellion;" another, a staunch friend of Governour Hutchinson, said" our trade was as free as if we were independent;" and these were violently against the motion. And such-like weighty arguments, I suppose, obtained a majority against instructing, of which number our quandam Captain under Governour Hutchinson was one. The protestors, I am sure, for one, were far from rejoicing that the vote was carried as it was, and am as certain they have no desire of aspersing the town; though if exculpating themselves and stating facts" mortifies a part of the town, and our can did sneerer at the protestors amongst the rest, I am little solicitous about that consequence. I have no wish to set the town in a less reputable light. It is my opinion, if a certain party had not, by their boisterous, illiberal behaviour, intimidated the major part not to act, (for of one hundred and forty voters at the meeting sixty-five only voted upon the question,) the question would have been carried in favour of instructing, and the town would have saved its credit, at least in this affair.

The unprovoked attack upon me and the protestors has drawn me into the view of the publick upon this occasion, supposing my silence would be deemed a tacit acknowledgment of wrong, which is all my inducement to answer; for the sneers of a little emissary of a desperate cabal are as contemptible as their unremitting malice and abuse; happy in conscious integrity, though the love of my country and my efforts in her service have opened upon me the throats of deep-mouthed mastiffs, as well as occasioned the barking of lesser curs. This unprovoked attack will, I hope, apologize for publishing the Protest as it was hastily drawn up; and submitting to the judgment of an impartial publick, I am their humble servant,

JOSEPH OTIS.

Salem, July 9, 1776.

On Wednesday last, was taken and sent into Cape-Ann, by the Yankey privateer sloop, in the Continental service, (lately fitted out at Boston, to cruise against the unnatural enemies of America,) commanded by Captain Henry Johnson, the ship Creighton, —Ross, master, about three-hundred and fifty tons burden. She was bound from Antigua to Boston, and has on board a cargo of four hundred puncheons of rum.

Same day, was also sent in by Captain Johnson, the ship Zechariah Baily, — —, master, four hundred and fifty tons burden, with a cargo of rum, sugar, spices, pepper, cotton, &c. She was taken about a fortnight ago, on her passage from Jamaica to London. This ship was a letter-of-marque of twenty-four guns last war.

When the above ships parted with the Yankey, she was in chase of several other vessels.

COMMITTEE OF MACHIAS TO MASSACHUSETTS ASSEMBLY.

Machias, July 9, 1776.

We, the Committee of Safety for Machias, beg leave to acquaint your Honours, that on Saturday last came into

* We, the subscribers, inhabitants of the town of Barnstable, protest against the proceedings of said town, at their meeting held on Tuesday, 25th of June instant, respecting their giving the Representatives instructions with regard to the independency of the Colonies, as it was recommended to the several towns in this Colony, by way of resolve from the honourable House of Representatives: and as a vote was put in said meeting, to know whether the town would proceed to give any instructions to their Representatives agreeable to the aforesaid recommendation, which was carried in the negative. And judging it to be our duty to protest against said vote, we do it for the following reason: we think such a measure a3 proposed in said resolve to be the most salutary that can be gone into for the safety and well-being of the Colonies under our present oppressed situation. And as it is the duty of every individual to give his voice in favour of the aforesaid recommendation, in case the honourable Continental Congress see cause to declare these Colonies entirely independent, we are ready and willing to stand by such a declaration (if it should take place) to the uttermost of our power, with our lives and estates. And being very unwilling that the aforesaid vote should be passed over in silence, for fear of offending our own consciences in being thought to acquiesce in so strange a vote of the town, and of offending our countrymen and brethren in other towns who may go into contrary measures, entirely abhorring any principles but what are for the good of the United Colonies of America, and detesting those arguments brought by some men in said meeting to dissuade the people from complying with said recommendation, we take this method of letting the publick know our dissent from the aforesaid proceedings of the town, having no other way to make our sentiments known.

We request that this Protest may be entered in the Town-book, to let posterity know that there were a few in this town who dared to stand forth in favour of an injured and oppressed country, treated with every species of wickedness used by tyranny to enslave mankind; and it is a matter of great grief to us that the cause of liberty is treated with such indignity by some of the inhabitants of the town of Barnstable.

BARNSTABLE, June 26, 1776.