The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1773-01-21

acts, which could noi isare any doubt IN the
minds OF the people OF the Generals in;en 4
don 10 employ military force againa the proA
vince, at length rouied the people TO think
Of defending themiclves and their prsperry hyl
arms, it nothing lels could fave them from viu-
lence and rapinc. For the juttihcarion Of the
conduit of tie people in that refpe6 we may
Eafely appeal to the continen,---to the world and
TO the fupremc omnifcient Governor of the Unit
yerie. All the trania6tiens from the fri arrival
of the troops we hope will hereafter te critical
ly and judiciouly examined And we tfuR that
the time will come when we fliali have fair and
impartial hcaring. We mean not now to give
particular aniwers except to fueh parts Of The
Generals letter as ieem TO charge the conrinentp}
Congreis with having milcoDceived the facts a4t-
ed in their letter 20 him. y
" FirR his Excellency Jays, that from the let
ter (meaning the letter of the Hon. continental
Congreis) g People would be led to believe that
works were RATED againR the town Of Bolton,
private property invaded, the folders fufered to
infult the inhabitants, and the communication
between she iowa and country fhut up and mo-
leted." How far his Excellency was governed
by the confederation of what anlwer he fhould
make when he gave this turn 20 the exPrelio1E
of the Congreis, need not be enquired intd7
To this charge his Excelleney replies, " there IS
not Jingle gun pointed againh the town.
His Excellency did not advert to the number Of
held-pieces which were, at the time that lertet
was written, and long before, pointed again1
the town from the common bat if the ahcrtion
had been literally true, it would not in the lean
affect the point under confederation.
he, L. dad fbe ,erlg ,nN
lily, ereeted againR the town Are they not
deligned TO intimidate the inhabitants, and TO
lead them to think that they were altogether
in the power Of the army! The continental
Congrels plainly express the fcnle in which they
mean to be underaood by his Excellency. They
fay " that the forrihcations erecting within that
town" (BoSon)" the frequent invaGons Of pri-
vate property, and the repeated infults they
the inhabitants) receive from the ioldiery have
gwen them great reaion to lufpe6t plan is form
ed very defTu6tve to them and tending TO over
throw the Liberties of America" The General
therefore has in no way anfwered the charge
brought againa him, but only by varying the
expreilion attempted to eldde it. The next az
isr;ion is that !" no mans property has been
ieized or hurt, except the Kings" We>TfEf
not enumerate all the inRances Of proPe7ySfeiz-
ed, it's enough to fay that number loP SaR
non, the property ola respectable mercA<Ria
the town, were ieized and carried oft by force.
/" That timber and lumber has Been violentlY
taken from the owners--that rightful proPrie
tors have been driven from their lands.-It is
impoifble for US tos,mention one half Of the in
ItaEces IN which property has been hurt; they
are notorious to every inhabitant and nave been
made known to the public from time to time.
q His Excellency is pleaied to fay, thar " no
troops have never given leis caute for complaint,
and greater care was never taken TO prevent il. !"
What care has been taken is not our part to de-
termine; we are ready to admin the mott candid
opinion But we beg leave to fay, THAT the in
fults received from officers and folders, have
been in many inltances iuch as were fhocking to
a fpirited people, and Of which humanity in
Tome inftances, decency in others, and in all, a
generous diipoiition to avoid placing even thole
who have injured as in an odious light, prevent
Us from giving a particular account
The General declares that =" the commu-
nication between the town and country has
been always free and unmoleled, and is 70
ftill." We fhall only give the facts. Guards
were fixed al every entrance into the town.--No
Perion was allowed to crois the ferry TO Charlel-
town after eight o'clock in the evening, howe
yer urgent his Observation-Disclosures CD the neck
topped for hours by the guard-their property
injured or detroyed. One inhabitant ltopt in
his chaiie and his horle tabled with a bayonet,
I others THANKFULLY beatea, abuled and confined,
and many other inRanoes very alarming to our
friends in the country, Whole tree ingreis to the
town is ehential to our iubhitence.
The General perhaps migh1 notjufify thefe
enormities, but could he not have prevented
them by removing the cauie of thole frequent
abuies Be that as it may, could he with jultice
4 ailert that " the communication between the
' town and country has been always free and
q unmoleaed, and is 70 Rill.''
!" We with the General had given us iome
particular initances concerning" the meDaces Of