Breafed and spread in a manner very surprising, and almost incredible, especially, when we confider, that all this has been effected without the aid or affiftance of any power on earth; that we have defended, protected, and fecured ourfelves against the invafions and cruelties of favages, and the fubtlety and inhumanity of our inveterate and natural enemies, the French; and all this without the appropriation of any tax by ftamps, or ftamp acts, laid upon our fellow fubjects, in any part of the King's dominions, for defraying the expence thereof, This place, Sir, was at firft the afylum of liberty, and we hope, will ever be preferved facred to it, though it was then no more than a barren wilderness, inhabited only by favage men and beafts. To this place our fathers, (whofe memories be revered) poffeffed of the principles of liberty in their purity, difdaining flavery, fled to enjoy thofe privileges, which they had an undoubted right to, but were deprived of, by the hands of violence and oppreffion, in their native country. We, Sir, their pofterity, the freeholders, and other inhabitants of this town, legally affembled for that purpose, poffeffed of the same sentiments, and retaining the fame ardour for liberty, think it our indifpenfable duty, on this occafion, to exprefs to you these our fentiments of the stamp act, and its fatal confequences to this country, and to enjoin upon you, as you regard not only the welfare, but the very being of this people, that you (confiftent with our allegiance to the King, and relation to the government of Great Britain) disregarding all propofals for that purpofe, exert all your power and influence in oppofition to the stamp act, at least till we hear the fuccefs of our petitions for relief, We likewife, to avoid difgracing the memories of our ancestors, as well as the reproaches of our own confciences, and the curfes of pofterity, recommend it to you, to obtain, if poffible, in the honourable house of reprefentatives of this province, a full and explicit affertion of our rights, and to have the fame entered on their public records, that all generations yet to come may be convinced, that we have not only a just sense of our rights and liberties, but that we never, with fubmiffion to Divine Providence, will be flaves to any power on earth,"

The expediency of calling a continental Congrefs to be compofed of deputies from each of the provinces, had early occurred to the people of Maffachusetts. The affembly of that province paffed a refolution in favour of that measure, and fixed on New-York as the place, and the fecond Tuesday of October, 1765, as the time for holding the fame. Soon after, they fent circular letters to the speakers of the feveral assemblies, requesting their concurrence This firft advance towards continential

union was feconded in South-Carolina, before it had been agreed to by any Colony to the fouthward of New-England. The example of this province had a confiderable influence in recommending the measure to others, who were divided in their opinions, on the propriety of it.

The affemblies of Virgina, North-Carolina, and Georgia, were prevented, by their governors, from fending a deputation to this Congrefs. Twenty-eight deputies from Maflachusetts, Rhode-Ifand, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey, Penafylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina, met at New-York; and after mature deliberation agreed on a declaration of their rights, and on a flatement of their grievances. They afferted in ftrong terms, their exemption from all taxes, not impofed by their own reprefentatives. They allo concurred in a petition to the King, and memorial to the House of Lords, and a petition to the Houfe of Commons. The Colonies that were prevented from fending their reprefentatives to this Congreis, forwarded petitions, fimilar to thofe which were adopted by the deputies which attended."

While a variety of legal and illegal methods were adopted to oppose the flamp act, the first of November, on which is was to commence its operation, approached. This in Bofton was ushered in by a funeral tolling of bells. Many fhops and ftores were fhut. The effigies of the planners and friends of the ftamp act were carried about the streets in public derifion, and then torn in pieces by the enraged populace. It was remarkable that though a large crowd was affembled, there wa not the leaft violence or diforder.

At Portsmouth in New-Hamphire, the morning of Nov. 1. was ufhered in with tolling all the bells in town. In the course of the day, notice was given to the friends of liberty to attend her funeral. A coffin neatly ornamented, infcribed with the word Liberty in large let ters, was carried to the grave. The funeral proceffion began from the ftate house, attended with two unbraced drums. While the inhabi tants who followed the coffin were in motion, minute guns were fired, and continued till the corpfe arrived at the place of interment. Then an oration in favour of the deceased was pronounced. It was fcarcely ended before the corpfe was taken up, it having been perceived that fome remains of life were left, at which the infcription was immediately altered to "Liberty revived." The bells immediately ex changed their melancholy for a more joyful found, and fatisfaction ap peared in every countenance. The whole was conducted with decency, and without injury or infult to any man's perfon or property.

In Maryland, the effigy of the ftamp mafter, on one fide of which

was

was written, "Tyranny," on the other, "Oppreffion," and acrofs the breaft, "Damn my country, I'll get money," was carried through the treets from the place of confinement to the whipping poft, and from thence to the pillory. After fuffering many indignities, it was first hanged and then burnt.

The general averfion to the stamp act was, by fimilar methods, in a variety of places demonftrated. It is remarkable, that the proceedings of the populace on these occafions, were carried on with decorum and regularity. They were not ebullitions of a thoughtless mob, but for the most part planned by leading men of character and influence, who were friends to peace and order. Thefe, knowing well that the bulk of mankind are more led by their fenfes than by their reason, conducted the public exhibitions on that principle, with a view of mak ing the ftamp act and its friends both ridiculous and odious.

Though the ftamp act was to have operated from the first of November, yet legal proceedings in the court were carried on as before. Veffels entered and departed without ftamped papers. The printers boldly printed and circulated their newfpapers, and found a fufficient number of readers, though they used common paper, in defiance of the act of parliament. In moft departments, by common confent, business was carried on as though no ftamp act had exifted. This was accompained by fpirited refolutions to rifque all confequences, rather than fubmit to ufe the paper required by law. While these matters were in agitation, the Colonists entered into affociations against importing British manufactures, till the ftamp act should be repealed. In this manner British liberty was made to operate against British tyranny. Agreeably to the free conftitution of Great Britain, the fubject was at liberty to buy, or not to buy, as he pleafed. By fufpending their future purchases till the repeal of the ftamp act, the Colonists made it the intereft of merchants and manufacturers to folicit for that repeal. They had ufually taken off fo great a proportion of British manufactures, that the fudden fteppage of all their orders, amounting annually to feveral millions fterling, threw fome thousands in the Mother Country out of employment, and induced them, from a regard to their own intereft, to advocate the measures wished for by America. The petitions from the Colonies were feconded by petitions from the merchants and manufacturers of Great Britain. What the former prayed for as a matter of right, and connected with their liberties, the latter alfo folicited from motives of immediate advantage. In order to remedy the deficiency of British goods, the Colonists betook themselves to a variety of neceffary domeftic manufactures. In a little time,

large

large quantities of coarfe and common cloaths were brought to market, and thefe, though dearer, and of a worfe quality, were cheerfully preferred to fimilar articles imported from Britain. That wool might not he wanting, they entered into refolutions to abstain from eating lambs. Foreign elegancies were generally laid afide. The women were as exemplary as the men in various inftances of felf-denial. With great readiness, they refused every article of decoration for their perfons, and of luxury for their tables. These reftrictions, which the Colonists had voluntarily impofed on themfelves, were fo well obferved, that multitudes of artificers in England were reduced to great diftrefs, and fome of their most flourishing manufactories were, in a great measure, at a stand. An affociation was entered into by many of the fons of liberty, the name given to those who were oppofed to the ftamp act, by which they agreed " to march with the utmoft expedition, at their own proper coft and expence, with their whole force, to the relief of thofe that fhould be in danger from the ftamp act, or its promoters and abettors, or any thing relative to it, on account of any thing that may have been done in oppofition to its obtaining." This was fubfcribed by fo many in New York and New England, that nothing but a re peal could have prevented the immediate commencement of a civil war.

From the decided oppofition to the ftamp act, which had been adopted by the Colonies, it became neceffary for Great Britain to enforce or repeal it. Both methods of proceeding had fupporters. The oppofers of a repeal urged arguments, drawn from the dignity of the mation, the danger of giving way to the clamours of the Americans and the confequences of weakening parliamentary authority over the Colonies. On the other hand, it was evident, from the determined oppofition of the Colonies, that it could not be enforced without civil war, by which, in every event, the nation must be a loffer. In the course of these difcuffions, Dr. Franklin was examined at the bar of the House of Commons, and gave extensive information on the ftate of American affairs, and the impolicy of the ftamp act, which contributed much to remove prejudices, and to produce a difpofition that was friendly to a repeal.

Some fpeakers of great weight, in both Houfes of Parliament, de nied their right of taxing the Colonies. The inoft diftinguished fupporters of this opinion were Lord Camden in the Houfe of Peers, and Mr. Pitt in the House of Commons. The former, in strong language, faid, "My pofition is this, I repeat it, I will maintain it to my hour. Taxation and reprefentation are infeparable. This pofition is founded on the laws of nature, It is more, it is itself an eternal law

lat

of

of mature. For whatever is a man's own is abfolutely his own. No inan has a right to take it from him without his confent. "Whoever attempts to do it, attempts an injury; whoever does it, commits a robbery." Mr. Pitt, with an original boldnefs of expreffion, justified the Colonifts in oppofing the stamp act. "You have no right," faid he, "to tax America. I rejoice that America has refifted. Three millions of our fellow fubjects fo loft to every sense of virtue, as tamely to give up their liberties, would be fit inftruments to make flaves of the reft." He concluded with giving his advice, that the stamp act be repealed abfolutely, totally, and immediately, that the reafon for the repeal be affigned, that it was founded on an erroneous principle. «At the fame time," faid he, " let the fovereign authority of this country over the Colonies, be afferted in as strong terms as can be devised, and be made to extend to every point of legislation whatsoever; that we may bind their trade, confine their manufactures, and exercise every power, except that of taking their money out of their pockets without their confent." The approbation of this illuftrious ftatesman, whose distinguished abilities had raised Great Britain to the highest pitch of renown, infpired the Americans with additional confidence, in the rectitude of their claims of exemption from parliamentary taxation, and emboldened them to farther oppofition, when at a future day, as fhall be hereafter related, the project of an American revenue was resumed. After much debating, and two protefts in the House of Lords, and paffing an act "for fecuring the dependence of America on Great Britain," the repeal of the ftamp act was finally carried March 18, 1766. This event gave great joy in London. Ships in the river Thames difplayed their colours, and houses were illuminated all over the city. It was no fooner known in America, than the Colonists refcinded their refolutions, and recommenced their mercantile intercourfe with the Mother Country. They prefented their homefpun cloaths to the poor, and imported more largely than ever. The churches refounded with thanksgivings, and their public and private rejoicings knew no bounds. By letters, addreffes, and other means, almost all the Colonies thewed unequivocal marks of acknowledgement and gratitude. So fudden a calm recovered after fo violent a ftorm, is without a parallel in history. By the judicious facrifice of one law, the parliament of Great Britain procured an acquiefcence in all that remained.

There were enlightened patriots, fully impressed with an idea, that the immoderate joy of the Colonifts was difproportioned to the advantage they had gained.

The ftamp act, though repealed, was not repealed on American prinVOL. I.

ciples.