USA > Massachusetts > Commonwealth history of Massachusetts, colony, province and state, volume 3 > Part 10
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"It is impossible that the People of New England, be they as opulent and powerful as can be suggested, can ever break off from their Subjection to and Dependance upon the British Government, without the Consent of Great Britain; because it is impossible they can ever do so without the Destruction of their Commerce, and consequently without the Ruin of the Colony. *
"Great Britain will never consent to such a Separation or Independency; ... [and] upon any such Attempt the Govern- ment ... would immediately forbid all Commerce between them and our Island Colonies: Nay, it is done in the very Nature of the thing; for if New England were set up for an Independency, and so (as necessarily would follow) were broken off from the English Government, the Trade between them and the Islands would be ipso facto prohibited by the Act of Navigation, and every Ship coming to any of our Is- land Colonies would be confiscated, with all its Cargo."
Then follows a discussion as to what New England would do in the matter of trade, which is summed up as follows :
"Without their Conjunction with, and Subjection to Eng- land, they could not have a Market for their Produce, and could not consume their Provisions.
"Without a Market for their Produce, they could not raise a Return to pay the Ballance of their Trade to Europe.
"Without paying that Ballance, they could not be supply'd with European Goods.
"Without a Supply of European Goods, their Trade could not be supported.
"And if their Trade is not supported, their Colony would be undone.
"From all which the Inference is natural, That it is ridicu- lous and groundless Suggestion, that there is any danger of New England's casting off the British Yoke, as they would call it; and it is impossible the Colony can set up an Independ- ency, or break off from its Subjection to Britain, because it cannot do so without being ruin'd and undone."
From now on the signs of independency increase and in- clude Sam Adams's master's thesis of 1743, "Whether it be
BREAKING UP THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT 93
lawful to resist the Supreme Magistrate if the Commonwealth cannot be otherwise preserved"; the "Discourse concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-resistance to the Higher Pow- ers", by Jonathan Mayhew at Boston, 1750; and the Speech of Ben Franklin at the Albany Congress of 1754.
BREAKING UP OF THE COLONIAL GOVERNMENT (1760-1775)
With the arrival of Governor Bernard, indications of actual revolution made their appearance and followed each other in rapid succession, such as the baiting of Bernard from 1760 to 1769; the opposition to the Writs of Assistance in 1761 and 1762; the No Taxation without Representation policy of John and Sam Adams in 1764 and 1765; the Sons of Liberty; the Stamp Act riots and Non-importation Agree- ment of 1765; the blending of celebration of St. Patrick's Day and the repeal of the Stamp Act, and the Malcolm riot of 1766; the circular letter of Sam Adams and the conven- tion of the Massachusetts towns on the landing of British Troops of 1768; the opposition to Hutchinson from 1769 to 1774; the Massacre riot of 1770; the Committee of Corres- pondence of 1772; the Tea Party of 1773; the opposition to the Port Bill; the Suffolk Resolves and the Provincial Con- gresses of 1774 and 1775, which culminated in Lexington, Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston-then the Revolution was on in earnest.
Shortly after, on July 19, 1775, the Provincial Congress dissolved itself and the General Court came to its own again, but without an executive or a secretary. The Council be- came the executive and served in a dual capacity as an execu- tive and as a legislative body until the adoption of the Con- stitution. The General Court declared the secretary absent, his office vacant; chose Perez Morton secretary pro tempore; August 10 Sam Adams, secretary of the Colony, swore him in as Secretary of the Province, and he became Secretary of State, automatically, on July 16, 1776, though generally his duties were performed by his deputy, Perez Morton, and later by John Avery, Jr., the leader of the inner circle of the Sons of Liberty.
In the meantime the Continental Congress had been func- tioning since September 5, 1774, with John Hancock as presi-
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dent from May 24, 1775, and the spirit of independence had gradually taken hold of its members.
APPROACH OF INDEPENDENCE (JANUARY - MAY, 1776)
On January 15, 1776, Samuel Adams, in Philadelphia, wrote to John Adams, in Massachusetts :
"A motion was made in Congress the other day, to the following purpose; That whereas we had been charged with aiming at independency, a committee should be appointed to explain to the people at large, the principles and grounds of our opposition, &c. The motion alarmed me. I thought Congress had already been explicit enough, and was appre- hensive that we might get ourselves upon dangerous ground. Some of us prevailed so far as to have the matter postponed, but could not prevent the assigning a day to consider it. I may perhaps have been wrong in opposing this motion; and I ought the rather to suspect it, because the majority of your [our] colony, as well as of the Congress, were of a different opinion.
"I had lately some free conversation with an eminent gentle- man, whom you well know, and whom your Portia in one of her letters admired, [Franklin] if I recollect right, for his expressive silence, about a confederation; a matter which our much valued friend Colonel W[ythe], is very solicitous to have completed. We agreed that it must soon be brought on, and that if all the colonies could not come into it, it had better be done by those of them that inclined to it. I told him that I would endeavor to unite the New England colonies in con- federating it, if none of the rest would join in it. He approved of it, and said if I succeeded, he would cast in his lot among us."
January 25, 1776 in Continental Congress, John Dickinson, James Wilson, William Hooper, James Duane and Robert Alexander were appointed to prepare an address to the in- habitants of the United Colonies. Hence, February 13, they brought in a draft, which was laid on the table, in which they disavow "carrying on the War 'for the Purpose of establish- ing an independent Empire' " and "declare, that what we aim at, and what we are entrusted by you to pursue, is the Defence
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and Re-establishment of the constitutional Rights of the Colonies."
On May 9, the Massachusetts House of Representatives (then sitting at the meeting house in Watertown) "On Motion, Ordered, That Mr. Speaker [James Warren], Major [Joseph] Hawley, and Mr. [William] Story, be a Committee to bring in a Resolve recommending the several Towns in the Colony to give Instructions to their Representatives, with re- spect to INDEPENDENCE." The same day, the Committee appointed to bring in a Resolve, recommending the Towns to instruct their Representatives with Respect to Independency, reported.
"Resolved, That it be, and hereby is recommended to each Town in this Colony, who shall send a Member or Members to the next General Assembly, fully to possess him or them with their Sentiments relative to a Declaration of Independ- ency of the United Colonies on Great-Britain, to be made by Congress, and to instruct them what Conduct they would have them observe with Regard to the next General Assembly's instructing the Delegates of this Colony on that Subject. Sent up for Concurrence.
"Ordered, That Capt. [Jonathan] Brown get the foregoing Resolve printed in Hand Bills, and sent to the several Towns in this Colony."
Next day (May 10) it was
"Ordered, That a Message go [to] the honorable Board to know if they have passed on the Resolve of Yesterday, relating to requesting the Inhabitants of the several Towns to Instruct their Members to be chosen relating to Independ- ency. Samuel Holton, Esq., came down and informed the House that the Board had non-concurred the same;" there- upon,
"Ordered, That the Secretary be directed to lay the said Resolve on the Table," which he did accordingly.
A little later on in the day (which was the last of the ses- sion) the House found a way to overcome the non-concur- rence of the Council and
"Resolved, As the Opinion of this House that the Inhabi- tants of each Town, in this Colony, ought in full Meeting warned for that Purpose, to advise the Person or Persons who shall be chosen to Represent them in the next General
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Court, whether that if the honorable Congress should, for the Safety of the said Colonies, declare them Independent of the Kingdom of Great-Britain, they the said Inhabitants will sol- emnly engage with their Lives and Fortunes to Support the Congress in the Measure.
"Ordered, That Mr. [William] Cooper get the foregoing Resolve printed in the several News-Papers as soon as pos- sible." And it was printed in the Boston Gazette, New Eng- land Chronicle, etc.
COOPER'S ACCOUNT OF THE TRANSACTION (MAY, 1776)
Why do no letters to the General Court, suggesting the action of May 9, exist in the Massachusetts Archives, the House Journal or the Council Records (Legislative or Execu- tive) ? The following letter of May 13, written to Samuel Adams by Dr. Samuel Cooper, may explain it :
"I am much oblig'd to you for your Favor 30th Apr. which I receiv'd by the Post the Evening before last, and am glad to find Affairs are in so good a Train in the Southern Colo- nies; In N. England the Voice is almost universal for Inde- pendence . . . Our General Court is dissolved-Before this took place, the House pass'd a Vote to consult their Constitu- ents, whether they would instruct their future Representatives to move the Continental Congress for Independance-I can only assure you of the Substance of the Vote; the Form of it was not clearly related to me. The House sent up this Vote to the Council for their Concurrence-The Propriety of this was doubted by some, who did not think the Council could properly act on such an affair. It was however done, and the Council negativ'd the Vote. Mr. Cushing among others was against it. He said that it would embarass the Congress- that we ought to wait till they mov'd the Question to us- that it would prejudice the other Colonies against us-and that you had wrote to some Body here, that things with you were going on slowly and surely, and any Kind of Eagerness in us upon this Question would do Hurt. Others said that the Congress might not choose to move such a Point to their Constituents tho they might be very glad to know their minds upon it-that it was beginning at the right End for the Con- stituents to instruct their Delegates at Congress, & not wait
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for their asking Instructions from their Constituents-that the Question had been long thought of & agitated thro the Colonies, & it was now high Time to come to some Determina- tion upon it; otherwise our artful Enemies might sew the Seeds of Dissention among us to the great Prejudice if not Ruin of the common Cause. The House, tho they would have been glad of the Concurrence of the Council in this Matter, have determin'd to proceed without them; and Instructions will go from all Parts on this Head; and it seems, by Appear- ances thro the Continent, you will not be able to defer a great While your Decision on this grand Question-"
ACTION OF THE GENERAL COURT (JUNE 7, 1776)
The General Court, as above mentioned, was dissolved by the Council without any further action and did not reassemble until May 29, 1776, at the meeting house in Watertown. On June 6, inquiry was made of the Members from the several towns, whether they had instructions from their respective towns, with regard to independency. Many of whom informed the House, that their towns were unanimous for the measure. Other towns had not instructed their Representatives.
"Ordered, That Col. [John] Cumings, Mr. [Aaron] Wood, and Mr. [Joseph] Dorr, bring in a resolve to notify such towns to forward their sentiments on this subject, without delay."
On June 7, the committee appointed to bring in a resolve, recommending to those towns which have not yet instructed their representatives with regard to independency, to forward their sentiments on that subject, without delay, reported : "Whereas by a resolve of the late House, the 10th of May, 1776, it was resolved, That the inhabitants of each town in this colony ought, in full meeting warned for that purpose, to advise the person or persons who should be chosen to rep- resent them in the next General Court, whether, should the Honorable Congress, for the safety of the said Colonies, de- clare them independent of the kingdom of Great-Britain, they, the said inhabitants, will solemnly engage, with their lives and fortunes, to support them in the measure. And though said resolve was published in the public news-papers, yet it has since been manifest to the present House, that some towns in
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the said colony, were not so seasonably favored with the said prints, as to have it in their power to instruct their Represen- tatives, agreeable to advice in said resolve (had they been so minded) so that the present General Assembly are unable to collect the sentiments of many towns in the said colony, on so interesting and important a subject. And as some towns, who had seasonable notice, have given their Representatives instructions to comply fully with the resolve aforesaid, whose numbers, to the honor of their constituents, are very numer- ous; and as some of the United Colonies have of late bravely refused to subject themselves to the tyrannical yoke of Great- Britain any longer, by declaring for independence.
"Therefore, Resolved, As the opinion of this House, that such towns as have not complied with the resolve aforesaid, whether they are represented or not, duly warn a town-meeting for such purpose, as soon as may be, that their sentiments may be fully known to this House, agreeable to the former resolve of the late House of Representatives; and that one hundred and fifty hand-bills be forthwith printed and sent to such towns for the purpose aforesaid."
BOSTON ON INDEPENDENCE (1776)
Some idea of the sentiment of the inhabitants on the sub- ject can be gathered from the following, passed at their re- spective town meetings :
BOSTON :- "At a time when, in all Probability, the whole United Colonies of America are upon the Verge of a glorious Revolution, & when, consequently, the most important Ques- tions that ever were agitated by the Representative Body of this Colony, touching its internal Policy, will demand your Attention ; your Constituents think it necessary to instruct you, in several Matters, what Part to act, that the Path of your Duty may be plain before you.
"We have seen the humble Petitions of these Colonies to the King of Great Britain repeatedly rejected with Disdain. For the Prayer of Peace he has tendered the Sword ;- for Liberty, Chains ;- for Safety, Death! He has licensed the Instruments of his hostile Oppressions to rob us of our Prop- erty, to burn our Houses, & to spill our Blood-He has in- vited every barbarous Nation, whom he could hope to in-
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fluence, to assist him in prosecuting those inhumane Purposes, The Prince, therefore, in Support of whose Crown & Dignity, not many years since, we would most chearfully have ex- pended both Life & Fortune, we are now constrained to con- sider as the worst of Tyrants : Loyalty to him is now Treason to our Country :-
"We have seen his venal Parliament so basely prostituted to his Designs, that they have not hesitated to enforce his ar- bitrary Requisitions with the most sanguinary Laws .- We have seen the People of Great Britain so lost to every Sense of Virtue & Honor, as to pass over the most pathetic & earnest Appeals to their Justice with an unfeeling Indifference .- The Hopes we placed on their Exertions have long since failed .- In short, we are convinced, that it is the fixt & settled Deter- mination of the King, Ministry, & Parliament of that Island to conquer & subjugate the Colonies, & that the People there have no Disposition to oppose them-A Reconciliation with them appears to us to be as dangerous as it is absurd-A Spirit of Resentment once raised it is not easy to appease: The Recol- lection of past Injuries will perpetually keep alive the Flame of Jealousy, which will stimulate to new Impositions on the One Side, & consequent Resistance on the other ; & the whole Body politic will be constantly subject to civil Fermentations & Commotions .- We therefore think it absolutely impractic- able for these Colonies to be ever again subject to, or depend- ent upon Great Britain, without endangering the very Exist- ence of the State : Placing however, unbounded Confidence in the Supreme Council of the Congress, we are determined to wait, most patiently to wait, 'till their Wisdom shall dictate the Necessity of making a Declaration of Independency-Nor should we have ventured to express our Sentiments upon this Subject, but from the Presumption, that the Congress would chuse to feel themselves supported by the People of each Colony, before they should adopt a Resolution so interesting to the whole .- The Inhabitants of this Town, therefore, unan- imously instruct & direct you, that, at the Approaching Session of the General Assembly, you use your Endeavors, that the Delegates of this Colony, at the Congress, be advised, that in Case the Congress should think it necessary for the Safety of the United Colonies, to declare themselves inde- pendent on Great Britain, the Inhabitants of this Colony, with
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their Lives & the Remnant of their Fortunes, will most chear- fully support them in the measure."
ACTION OF OTHER TOWNS (1776)
Similar action was taken by many of the towns in the Com- monwealth. A few examples will reveal the patriotic spirit of the times.
PITTSFIELD : "You Shall on no Pretence whatever favour a Union with Great Brittain as to our becoming in any Sence Dependant on her everhearafter and use your In- fluence to persuade the Honble House to Notify the Honble Continental Congress that this whole Provence are waiting for the Important Moment which they in their Great Wisdom Shall appoint for a Declaration of Independence and a free Republic."
ACTON : "Our not Being Favored with the Resolution of the Late House of Representatives Calling upon the Several Towns in the Colony to Express their minds, with Respect to the Important Question of American Independence is the Ocation of our not Expressing our mind Sooner but we Cheer- fully Imbrace this Oppertunity to Instruct you on that Im- portant Question the Subverting our Constitution the many Injuries and unheard of Barbarities which these Colonies have Received from Great Britain Confirm us in the Opinion that the Present Age will be Deficiant in their Duty to God their Posterity and themselves if they Do not Establish and Ameri- can Republick, this is the only form of Government we wish to Se Established, but we mean not to Dictate we freely Sub- mit this Intresting affair to the Wisdom of the Honble Con- tinental Congress whom we trust are Guided and Directed in these Important Affairs by the Supreme Governor of the world and we Instruct you to Give them the Strongest Assurances that if they Should Declare America to be a free and Inde- pendent Republick your Constituents will Support and Defend the Measure with their Lives and Fortunes."
PALMER : "At a Varey full Meeting of the Inhabitants . . . Legally met at the Publick Meeting house ... whereas the Court of Great Britain hath by Sundry Acts of Parliament assumed the Power of Legislation for the Colonies in, all Cases whatsoever without the Consent of the Inhabitants &
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now likewise Exerted the assumed Power for Raising a Revenue in the Colonies without their Consent we Cannot Justly call that our one which others may when they Please take from us against our will Have likewise appointed a New Set of Officers to Superintend These Revenues wholly un- known in the Charter and by their Commissionars Invested with powers alltogether unconstitutional and Destructive to the Security which we have a Right to Enjoye Fleets and Armyes have Bin Introduced to Suport These unconstitutionall Revenues have Altered the Charter of the Collony and thereby overthrown the Constitution Together with many Other Greaveous Acts of Parliament too greaveous to be Born The Peaceable Inhabitants Being Allarmed at Such Repeated In- Rodes on the Constitution and Gigantick Strides to Despotick Power over the Collonies-The Collonies Petitiond the King for Redress of Grievances finding that to faill Petioned separately Beging as Chilldren to a father to be heard and Relieved. But all to no Purpose the Petitions being Treated with allmost contempt the Unnighted Collonies finding that No redress could be had from Great Britton Unnightedly agreed to an Opposition in the Most feasable way they Could Contrive Being willing to Trye Every Peasseable Measure that Could possably bee Invented Rather than Brake with Greate Britton Greate Britton Being Bent on her favourright Skeem of Enslaveing the Collonies Declared them Rebels and Treated them as Such The Collonies Being Dreven to a State of Dispear from the Least Releafe From them was Obliged by the Laws of Self preservation to Take up Arms in their own Defence and Ment to Use them only as Such But the Dispute has Arose to So Grate a height That it is Impossable for the Collonies Ever to be Joined with Greate Britton again with the Least Secueraty and Safety to them Selves or Pos- tarity. We the Inhabitants of this Town do Belive it Ab- solutely Nessary for the Safety of the Unnighted Collonies to be Independent from Greate Britton and Declare them Selves Intierly a Separate State as we Can See No Alternative But Inevitable Ruen or Independentansee.
"But as there is a General Congress of Wise and Good Men Who Set at the helm of Affairs Consulting Measures which will be most for the Safety and prosparyty of the Whole and have the means of Intelligence and Information
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in Their hands Submit the whole Affair to Their Wise Con- sideration and Determination and if they Shall Unight in a Separation from Greate Britton we do Unanimously Deter- mine and Declair we will Seport them with our Lives and Fortings.
"We do Dirrect the Representatives of this Town to Laye these Votes Before the honourable General Assembly of this Collony to Annable them to Communicate our Sentiments to the Honourable Continentiall Congress."
MURRAYFIELD: "At a Legal Meeting of the Inhabitants ... Regularly Assembled, on the Third Article in the Warrant with Regard to Independancy from Great Britain.
"Voted in a Very full Meeting that under the Present Cir- cumstances of the Thirteen United Colloneys, and the Treat- ment of great Britain towards America we View it Necessary and are Willing to a Man to be Declared an Independent State Whenever the Honourable Continental Congress Shall Judge Best."
WILLIAMSTOWN: "At a Legal Town Meeting ... the Fol- lowing Motion was made and put to Vote viz. Wheather Shold the Honourable Congress for the Safety of the Colonies, De- clare them Independent, of the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Inhabitants of this Town will Solemnly Engage with their Lives and fortunes, to Support them in the Measure, which was passed in the affirmative, Nemine contradicente."
ASHBY: "The Inhabitants of this Town being Assembled . Unanimously Voted as Followeth (viz.)
"That if the Honerable Congress for the Safety of the Colonies should Declare them Independent of Great Britain The Inhabitants of Ashby will Solemnly Engage with their Lives and Fortunes to Suport in the Measure."
WINCHENDON : "Att a Generall Town Meeting ... in re- gard to Independency-Being Duly Sensible of the Cruel & oppresive measures Which are pursued by the King & Par- liament of Great Britton in order to inslave these Colonies & Consequently the Defuculty that will attend our Being Ever again United With Great Britton Therefore unanimously Re- solve That if the Honble Continental Congress Should think Best for the Safety of the Colonies to Declare them independ- ant of the Kingdom of Great Britton that We will with our Lives & Fortunis Supourt Them in the Measure."
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PRELIMINARIES IN THE GENERAL COURT (JULY - AUGUST, 1776)
On July 3, The Massachusetts House of Representatives
"Ordered, That Mr. [John] Pitts, Mr. [ ] Watson and Mr. [Samuel] Osgood, be a committee to prepare a letter to the Delegates of this colony, at the Continental Congress, on the subject of independency.
"On motion, it was Voted, unanimously, That if the Hon- orable Continental Congress should think proper to declare the Colonies independent of the kingdom of Great-Britain, this House will approve of the measure."
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