guilty-They lost sight of all existing laws, the penalties of which had been formed by sober dispassionate reason, and by a new enactment, flowing from the ebullitions of passion, they created a new punishment, more proportionate to the measureless extent of their own revenge, than to the limited nature of the offence committed.

The

It is a maxim of common sense, if not of common law, that all crimes should be punished according to the provisions of laws enacted before the commission of the crimes. It is obvious, that the attainment of justice would be otherwise difficult, if not altogether impossible, from the nature of man; who is much oftener the slave than the master of his passions, and who is much more ready to listen to the suggestions of revenge, than to the dictates of sober reason. conduct of the individuals, at Boston, who in the disguise of Mohawk Indians threw into the water a few chests of Tea, could have amounted to no more than a riot, viewed in its most illiberal construction—a riot too in which but a small number of persons were engaged, and which in its object and result, affected none but private interests. And yet for this trespass of a few, many were punished-not by any known law of the land, but by an Act of Parliament made for the purpose. For the indiscretion of twenty or thirty daring rioters, as many thousands of innocent, unoffending citizens, were made to suffer privations and distresses, which Nero would have shuddered to inflict.

But the Law, which was intended to deprive the citizens of Boston of all the benefits of law-which held them up to their neighbours and friends as examples to be hated and avoided-which would have cut them

off from all social and friendly intercourse with their brethren of Massachusetts and the sister Coloniesthis law failed of its intended effect. Where it was hoped to excite a deadly rivalship, there all selfish interests were forgotten in sympathy and kindness. The towns of Salem and Marblehead, to their imperishable fame, refused to accept the advantages which would have raised them above their fallen neighbour. The former of these patriotick towns nobly avowed to their Governour that they had no desire to build up a commercial importance upon the ruins of their Capitol. The generous and hardy fishermen of Marblehead offered their wharves and their warehouses to the use of the Boston merchants. Every where the same disinterested spirit of brotherly affection prevailed-All the large towns of the Continent vied with each other in offers of assistance to the wandering citizens of Boston. Throughout three millions of people, there was a display of sympathy and kindness, honourable to human nature. It was an exhibition of union, of practical Christian benevolence and charity, which no other age, no other country, ever before witnessed.

Forbidden by the Law to convey any thing to Boston by water, the few who remained in town to carry on their accustomed trade, were compelled to cart their goods from Marblehead'or Salem, by the way of Cambridge and Roxbury. To estimate the trouble, expense, and difficulty of this circuitous route, it should be known that the town of Boston stands on a peninsula connected with the main by a narrow slip of land leading into Roxbury, which adjoins it on the South. The ports from which the goods were thus carted lay to the North; and to avoid the penalties of the law which forbid their crossing the narrow wa

ter which separated this end of the town from the main, they were compelled to make the whole circuit of the peninsula and enter it by the narrow slip just mentioned. In addition to these troubles and difficulties, guards of soldiers were stationed at every entrance to the town, before whom it was necessary to undergo an examination, and by whom the peaceable passengers were harrassed and questioned at every turn.

But the high, patriotick, noble spirit of the people of Boston, was not to be crushed by these or any oppressions. They struggled with heroick fortitude and patience against every added evil, and while their oppressors were fondly flattering themselves that they must at length sink under their calamities, they were quietly preparing to rise in the majesty of their united strength, and claim an acknowledgement of their rights, at the sacrifice of their lives. A martial spirit seemed to infuse itself into the whole people at once. Those who had been accustomed to use their guns only for amusement, now learned to use them as soldiersthose who had never before handled a musket, now made it the business of the day to learn its excercise; and while the husbands were employed in these labours and excercises, their wives were preparing the ammunition.

In the midst of these preparations, and while the whole people of the Province seemed to consider their Charter as dissolved, his Majesty's new Crown officers attempted to enter upon the duties of their new appointments. Many of the new Counsellors refused to accept-Jurors refused to take the oath, or to serve under the new state of things-The Courts of Justice were suspended-and the people with one accord refused to acknowledge any regulations but those which

their charter prescribed. And as if an all wise Providence had decreed that no interval of calm should allay this noble feeling of independence, on the 1st of September, the Governour ordered a military force to possess themselves of the powder which belonged to the Provincial Arsenal at Charlestown, opposite to Boston. The report of this hostile movement, as it was considered, occasioned an assemblage of the people in arms at Cambridge, to the number of several thousand, who were scarcely restrained by their more prudent brethren from an immediate attack on the King's troops at Boston. Out of this first rumour and its consequences grew another which spread still more extensively, that the fleet were actually bombardiug the town; and upwards of thirty thousand men, were on their way to Boston in the course of two days. These appearances occasioned some alarm to the Governour, and the host of his Majesty's new officers at Salem, who under the fear that they could not be safe at such a distance from the troops, in a few days return, ed with all the appurtenances of office to the outlaw, ed town of Boston.

CHAPTER IX.

Events of 1774 continued-Conduct of General Gage-Meeting of the people of Suffolk-Governour's Cadets disband themselves Meeting of the Congress Sundry resolutions thereof Their letter to General Gage-Declaration of Rights-Articles of Association-addresses to the King and people-General Gage calls a meeting of the General Court-Countermands the order-The members assemble to form a provincial CongressTheir proceedings-Conduct of the other Colonies.

The Governour had very soon after the arrival of the troops, taken possession of and fortified the isthmus before spoken of, which connects the towns of Boston and Roxbury, called Boston Neck-the only entrance by land, into the town of Boston, and therefore the only route by which, according to the Port Bill, the merchants and traders could carry on their business. The Governour's plea for thus guarding the only point of communication with the main land, was the frequent desertion of the soldiers; but a single centinel could have as effectually answered this purpose as a battalion of men. That the soldiers did desert was true, and that they deserted as frequently after this precaution had been taken as before, is equally true. For, besides that many of the newly arrived troops felt a repugnance at being made the instruments of oppression to their fellow subjects and brethren, they found the service an irksome one on other accounts. Every means in the power of the Americans were used to prevent them from receiving supplies of provision and every other article of necessity for which they were dependent upon the country;