The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-12-19 00:00:00, page 2

BOSTON, (Monday) December 12.
Our Brethren in the country are cautioned to beware of
falfe brethren, as there are unfortunately such in almost
every town. CoulawepojjiFly conceive that such a Mon
tier of perfidy jhould inhabit any town of this province,
as to become afpy andbafe betrayer of his brithrenywhen
they arcftruggling to redeem not only themselves, but the
very mijcreant who abets the conspiracy against them from
the foul fiend of tyranny ? I weep for the degeneracy of
my countrymen ! Refiect, ye miserable hirelings I on the
necefary ccnfequences of your apofiacy at this distressing
fundure', aodpe hafe Defevers of your Country's Cause,
who are tn League with the Enemies of America, who
are pitparing to revolt and cut the ’Throats of your Bre
thren, Jhould the Hour of Hazard ever arrive', ye are
known; our Abhorrence of your Conduct is enkindled, do
not urge cur Patience too far, the Hour of Vengeance comes
louring on, the Hand of Desperation, may urge a flroke fa
tal to the Bofcm that could harbour such infernal Designs :
He Sons of Pet-----m, W r, W n, &c. hear
and forbear, and do no more so wickedly.
Inprovincial Congress, Cambridge, December 10, 1774-
To die fiteholders & other inhabitants of the towns
and diftrifts of Massachusetts-Bay.
FRIENDS and BRETHREN,
At a time when the good people of this colony
were deprived of their laws, and the administration
cf justice, civil and criminal ; when the cruel op
pressions brought on their capital had stagnated al
most all their commerce; when a (landing army
was illegally polled among us for the express pur
pose of enforcing fubmiflion to a fyflem of tyranny ;
and when the general court was with the fame
design prohibited to fit; we were chosen and
empowered by you to aflemble and consult upon
measures neceflary for our common fafety and de
fence.
With much anxiety for the common welfare, we
have attended this service ; and upon the coolest de
liberation have adopted the mealure recommended
to you.
We have still confidence in the wifdem, justice &
goodness of our Sovereign, as well as the integrity,
humanity and good sense of the nation : And if we
had a reasonable expectation that the truth of fads
would be made known in England, we Ihould en
tertain the moll pleating hopes that the measures
concerted by the coloaies, jointly and severally,
would procure a full redress of our grievances : But
we are constrained in justice to you, to ourselves and
pollerity, to fay, that the incessant unrelenting ma
lice of our enemies, has been fofuccefsful as to fill the
court and kingdom of Great-Britain with fallhoods
and calumnies concerning us, and to excite the moll
bitter and groundless prejudices against us; that
the ludden diflblution of Parliament, and the sum
mons for a new eleftion, gives us reason to appre
hend that a majority of the House of Commons will
be again elected under the influence of an arbitrary
ministry; and that the general tenor of our intelli
gence from Great-Britain, with the frequent rein
forcements of the army and navy at Bolton, excites
the strongest jealousies that the fyflem of colony ad
In ProvincialCongrefs, Cambridge, Dec. 9, 1774,
Resolved, That it is the clear opinion of this
congress, that the firft article in the aflbeiation
of the continental congress extends to all goods,
wares and merchandizes of the growth, pro
du&ion or manufafture of any part of Europe, or
any other part of the world, imported from Great-
Britain or Ireland, in case they have been entered
and cleared in any port of either of those kingdoms,
as fuliyasto goods, wares and merchandizes of the
growth, production and manufactures of any part
bf Europe, or any other part of the world, imported
from G eat-Britain or Ireland, and that the said
firft article ought to be so construed by all concern
ed, and in that uriiverfal sense carried ftriclly into
Execution.
Signed by Order of the Provincial Congress.
John Hancock, President.
A true Extract from the Minutes,
BENJAMIN LINCOLN, Secretary.
In provincial Congress, Dec. 10, 1774.
Whereas attempts may be made by the inveterate
enemies of America to excite and raise jealousies,
if poffibki among the colonies, now happily united,
relative to the alibciation of the continential Con
gress, and as the mode of felling goods imported af
ter the firft Instant and before the firft of February
next, is not in the tenth Article of the aflbeiation
particularly pointed out, and ibme doubts may a
rise relative to the fame ? Therefore,
Resolved, That it be and is hereby recommended
to the committees of infpedtion in this colony, that
in carrying the aflbeiation aforefaid into execution;
they cause the fame to be advertized in the Boflon
and Salem news-papers,at least ten days before they
Shall be fold, and that they dispose of them to such
Person or Persons as will give the bigeft price.
JOHN HANCOCK, President.
A true extract from the minutes.
BENJAMIN LINCOLN, Secretary.
You are placed by providence in the poll of honor,
becaufeit is a poll of danger.-—And while ftruggle
ing for tne noblest objects, the liberties of your country,
the happmefs of pofierity, and rights of human nature,
tne eyesnot only of North-America and the whole
Biitilh empire, but of all Europe, are upon you.-—
Let us be therefore altogether felicitous, that no dis
orderly behavour, nothing unbecomming our cha
raClers as Americans, as citizens, and chriftians, be
jullly chargeable to us.
W hoever with a small degree of attention, con
templates the commerce between Great-Britain and
America,, will be convinced that a total lloppage
thereof will soon produce in Great-Britain such dan
gerous effects,as cannot fail to convince the Ministry,
Parliament and Pepple, That it is their interest and
duty^ to grant us relief. Whoever confiders the
nnmoer of brave men inhabiting North-America
will know, that a general attention to military dis
cipline, mull so eitablifh their rights and liberties,
as under God, to render it impoflible for an arbitra
ry ministry of Britain to deilroy them. These are
faits which our enemies are apprised of, and if they
will not be influenced by principles of justice, to al
ter their cruel measures towards America,thefe ought
to lead them thereto. They however hope to effect
by stratagem \yhat they may not obtain by power,
and are using arts, by afliftance of base fcrib biers,
who undoubtedly receive their bribes, and by many
other means,to raise doubts and divisions throughout
the colonies, to defeat their iniquitous designs. We
think it neceflary for each town to be particularly
careful ftriftly to execute the plans of the continen
tial and provincial Congrefles; and while it censures
its own individuals, counteracting these Plans, that
it oe not deceived or diverted from its duty by ru
mours, should any take place, to the prejudice of o
ther communities. Your provincial Congrefles we
have, reason to hope will hold up the. towns, if any
fhouid be so loft as not to aft their parts, and none
can doubt that the continential Gongrefles will rec
tify errors should any take place in any colony thro’
tne fubtilty of our enemies.—Surely no arguments
can be neceflary to excite you to the molt ft rift ad
hearance to the American aflbeiation, since the mi
nutell deviation in one colony, efpeciallyin this,will
probably be misrepresented in the others, to dis
courage their general zeal and perseverance, which
however we allure ourselves <annot be effe&ed.
Wnilft the Britilh Ministry are fuffered with so
high a Hand to tyrannize over America, no part of
it, we prelume can be negligent in guarding against
the ravages threatened by the Handing army now
in Boston: The troops w'ill undoubtedly be em
ployed in attempts to defeat the Aflbeiation, which
our enemies cannot but fear will eventually defeat
them ; and so sanguinary are those our enemies, as
we have reason to think, so thirsty for the blood of
tnis innocent people, who are only contending for
their rights, that we Ihould be guilty of the most
unpardonable negledt, Ihould we not apprise you of
your danger, which appears to us imminently great,
and ought attentively to be guarded againll. The
improvement of the Militia in general, in the Art
Military has been therefore thought neceflary, and
strongly recommended by this Congress. We now
think, that particular care should be taken by the
towns and diftridts in this colony, that each of the
Minute Men not already provided therewith, Ihould
be immediately equipt with an effective fire arm,
bayonet, pouch, knapsack,. thirty rounds of ca
tridges and ball, and that they be disciplined three
times a week, and oftener, as opportunity may
offer: to encourage those our worthy countrymen
to obtain the (kill of complete soldiers, we recom
mend it to the towns and diftridls forthwith to pay
their own minute men a reasonable consideration for
their services. And in case of a general muller,
their further services must be recompenced by the
Province.—An attention to discipline the Militia
ia general, is however by no means to be neg
lected.
ministration, so unfriendly to the protestant religi
on, and deftrudtiv^ of American liberty, is still to be
pursued, and attempted with force to be carried into
execution.
With the utmost chearfulnefs we aflure you of
our determination to stand or fall with the liber
ties of America; and while we humbly implore the
sovereign Disposer of all things, to whose Divine
Providence the rights of his creatures cannot be in
different, to correct the errors and alter the mea
sures of an infatuated Ministry, we cannot doubt of
his lupport even in the extream difficulties which
we all may have to encounter. May all means de
viled for our fafety by the general Congress of A
merica and Aflemblies or Conventions of the Co
lonies be resolutely executed, and happily suc
ceeded ; and may the injured people be reinstated
in the full exercifeof their rights, without the evils
and devastations of a civil war.
Signed by order of the Provincial Congefs,
JOHN HANpOCK, President.
A true ExtraCi from the Minutes.
B e n j am in Lincoln, Secretary.
NEW-HAVEN, Dec. 14.
By a Gentleman lately from Canada, we are inform
ed, “ That Mons. Partuife, tin Indian interpreter, Jaid
to be lately sent by governor Carlton, among the Six Na
tions, and other Indians, to know if they would join the
king s troops againfi the American colonies, if required,
was returned with the following answer, That they
looked upon the dispute between Great-Britain and the
colonies, as a family quarrel between father and fans,
(which they made no doubt would be amicably fettled)
and tnat it was contrary to their cuflom to interfere be
tween parents and children ; and that they were moreo
ver apprehensive, in case they interfered, and the colonies
got the better of the king's troops, 'they of course must fall
afacrifice to their resentment. He also informs us, that
the priests and noblesse, employed to found the French Ca
nadians, have met with no better encouragement, they de
claring that they lock upon the other colonies as their bre
thren, and that they will by no means take up arms a
gainst them. And that it was generally imagined, by
gentlemen best acquainted with the difpfiticn of the Ca
nadians, that it would be itnpojjible to raise a sing e re
giment in all Canada ; and the farmers and tradefnen
were preparing a petition to the court of Great-Britain,
begging that the French laws might not take place, but
that the Englijb laws might be continued, which they had
found by experience to be much better,and with which they
were e xtremely well fatisfied."
By a private letter from Jamaica we are informed,
of the death of Capt. Steanard (late commander of
the snow Turkle belonging to New’-York) who was
taken by a Spanish guard a cofta, and carried into the
Havanna, where, he diedin a dungeon by die cruel
treatment he received from the Spaniards.
And this Congress being deeply impressed with
a leme of the mcreafing dangers which threaten
the rights and liberties of the people of.this.Province
with total rum; our adversaries being still indefa
tigable in their attempts to carry into execution
tneir deep-laid plans for that wicked purpose : And
confidenng the mdifpe^fible necessity that an Af
em y 0 the province Ihould be very frequently
itt.ng, to consult arid devise measures for their
common fafety ; therefore,
Resolved, 1 hat it be, and is hereby earnestly re
commenoed to the several towris and.diftriCls in this
lovince, that each of them do forthwith eleCt and
depute as many members as to them shall seem ne
ceflary and expedient to represen t them in a Provin
cial Congress to be held at Cambridge on the firft
aay of February next ensuing; to be chosen by foch
only as are qualified by law to vote for Representa
tives in the General Assembly, and be continued
by adjournment, as they shall fee cause, until the
tueluay next preceding the last wednefday in May
next, and no longer to consult, deliberate and re
felve upon such further measures as under God Ihal?
be effectual to save this people from impending ru
in, and to .eture those incllimjble liberties, derived
io us rrom our ancestors, and which it is our duty
to preierve for pollerity.
Andconiidering the great uncertainty of the pre
sent times, and that unexpe&ed important events
may take place, from whence it may be absolutely
neceflary that the Delegates who may be elefted as
above proposed, Ihould meet sooner than the day
aforementioned, it is recommended to the several
towns and diftrifts, that they inftruft and authorife
their laid Delegates, to aflemble at Cambridge a
forefaid, or any other place, upon notice given
them ot the necessity thereof,by the Delegates that
may be chosen by the towns of Charleftown, Cam
bridge, Brookline, Roxbury, and Dorchester, or
the majority of them, in such way as they shall
judge proper. And it is further recommended to
the Delegates to be elefted, that they conform them
selves to such inftrudions.
In ProvincialCongrefs, Cambridge Deer. 10, 177 4,
} Y A ^ UCH ’ as m any States have been taught
by fatal experience, that powers delegated by
the people for long periods, have been abused ti
the endangering the public rights and liberties :
And this Congress having just reason to suppose.
tnat their conilituents the good people of this pro
vince, when they appointed their pre fen t Delegates
were not apprehensive that the bTinefs neceflty 'to
be done, would require their attendance for any
long time. '
Refolvid, That the adjournment of this Congress,
on the twenty ninth day of OCloberlaft, was order
ed and made from a due consideration of the prefF
mg Exigencies of the public affairs, and-the evi
dent necessity of further deliberation thereon.
. 2 nd whereas, for the reason firft mentioned, it
is not expedient that there should be a further ad
journment of this Congress; therefore refdved,
to b e immediately
fofved Wd Ibe finilhcd » the Congress be difo
Signed by Order of the Provincial Congress,
JOHN HANCOCK, President.
A true Extraft from the Minutes.
Benjamin Lincoln, Secretary.