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their refolutions, and the readieft in fhew

ing their determination to support, at all rifques and events, what they determined the rights of America. In other refpects, the greatest order and quiet was preferved in the province; and, notwithstanding the uneafinefs excited by the prorogation or diffolution of their affemblies, and the confequent expiration of their militia laws, yet, with thefe caufes of complaint, the people feemed to pay a more than common degree of regard to the Earl of Dunmore, their Governor.

In this state of things, however, the want of a legal affembly feeming to give fome fanction to the holding of a convention, a Provincial Congrels was affembled in the month of March, 1775; who immediately (under the cover of an old law of the year 1738, faid to be still effective) took measures for arraying the militia; but, to fupply in fome degree thofe defects in that law, to remedy which, as they pretended, all fubfequent ones had been paffed, they recommended to each county to raise a volunteer company, for the better defence and protection of the country.

This interference in the militia alarmed the Governor, and feems to have been the cause that rendered the public magazine belonging to the colony in the capital city of Williamsburg an object of his apprehenfion. However that was, he foon afterwards employed the Captain of an armed veffel, which lay at a few miles diftance in James River, with a detachment of marines to convey the powder by night from the magazine on board his fhip.

Though this measure was conducted with great privacy, it was by fome means difcovered the enfuing morning, when the apparent secrecy of the act increased the confternation and alarm among the inhabitants, who immediately affembled with fuch arms as they had at hand, with an intention of obtaining reftitution of the gunpowder. The Mayor and corporation, however, prevented their proceeding to any extremities, whilst they prefented an addrefs to the Governor, ftating the injury, reclaiming the powder as a matter of right, and fhewing the dangers to which they were peculiarly liable from the infurrection of their flaves; a calamity which the removal of their only means of defence would at any time have accelerated. His Lordfhip acknowledged, that the gun-powder had been removed by his order; faid, that as he had heard of an infurrection in a neighbouring county, and did not think it fecure in the magazine, he had it con

veyed to a place of perfect fecurity; but gave his word, that, whenever an infurrection rendered it neceffary, it should be immediately returned. He also faid, that it had been removed in the night to prevent giving an alarm; expreffed great furprize at the people's affembling in arms; and observed, that he could not think it pru dent to put powder into their hands in fuch a fituation.

Whatever fatisfaction this answer might have afforded to the Magiftrates, they prevailed on the people to retire quietly to their houfes, without any remarkable outrage having been committed. Indeed it appeared, from depofitions afterwards taken by order of the affembly, that the Officers of the men of war on that station, and particularly the gentleman who might be fuppofed to have rendered himself obnoxious by removing the powder, appeared publicly in the ftreets during the time of the greateft commotion, without receiving the falleft infult. A report being, how ever, spread in the evening, that detach ments from the men of war were upon their march to the city, the people again took to their arms, and continued all night upon the watch, as if in expectation of an attack from an enemy. They also from this time increased their night patroles, and fhewed an evident defign to protect the magazine from any further attempts.

The whole value of the powder and arms in the magazine feemed very inadequate to the alarm, fufpicion, and difturbance, which this meafure excited. The powder amounted only to fifteen half barrels, containing fifty pounds each, of a very ordinary fort, and the remaining ftock left behind in the magazine, to about fix of the fame kind: nor does it appear, that the number of ferviceable mufkets was fufficient to justify apprehenfion; and the cause of stripping thefe of their locks only marked the fufpicion from which it proceeded. A confiderable quantity of old arms, and common trading guns, were not meddled with. Upon the whole, this act derived its only importance, from time, manner, and circumftance,

The Governor feems to have been exceedingly irritated at the behaviour of the people in thefe commotions, and perhaps refented too highly, for fuch times, their affembling in arms, with an evident intention to oppofe his authority. In this warmth of temper fome threats were thrown out, which upon a cooler reflection would probably have been avoided. Among thefe, a threat of setting up the royal. Randard, Xx 2

of

of enfranchizing the negroes, arming them against their masters, and deftroying the city, with other expreffions of a fimilar nature and tendency, not only spread a general alarm throughout the colony, but excited a kind of abhorrence of government, and an incurable fufpicion of its defigns.

In the mean time, several public meetings were held in different counties, in all of which, the measure of feizing and removing the powder, as well as the Goverpor's threats, were reprobated in the ftrong eft terms. Some of the gentlemen of Hanover, and other neighbouring counties, were not, however, fatisfied with fimple declarations. They assembled in arms to a confiderable number, under the conduct of a Mr. Henry, who was one of the provincial Delegates to the General Congrefs, and marched towards Williamsburg, with an avowed defign, not only to obtain reftitution of the gun-powder, but to take fuch effectual measures for fecuring the public treasury as fhould prevent its experiencing a fimilar fate with the magazine. A negociation was, however, entered into with the Magiftrates, when they had arrived within a few miles of the city, in which it was finally fettled, that the Receiver-general of the colony's fecurity, for paying the value of the gun powder, should be accepted as reftitution, and that, upon the inhabitants engaging for the future effectually to guard both the treasury and magazine, the infurgents should return to their habitations.

The alarm of this affair induced Lady Dunmore, with the Governor's family, to retire on board the Fowey man of war, in James River, whilft his Lordship, with the affiftance of a detachment of marines, converted his palace into a little garrison, fortified it in the best manner he was able, and surrounded it with artillery. A proclamation from the Governor and Council, in which Henry and his followers were charged with rebellious practices, in extorting the value of the powder from the Receiver-general, and the prefent commotions were attributed to difaffection in the people, and a defire of changing the established form of government, ferved only to increase the heat and discontent. Several country meetings were held, Henry's conduct was vindicated and applauded, and refolutions paffed, that at the rifque of every thing dear he and his followers (hould be indemnified from all injury upon that account. The charge of difaffection was peremptorily denied, and those of changing

the form of government, and caufing the prefent troubles, retorted. They infifted, that they wanted nothing but to preferve their ancient constitution, and only opposed innovations, and that all the disturbances fprung from the Governor's late conduct.

As there are times when all circumlian. ces feem to confpire towards the nourishment and increase of political, as well as natural, diforders, fo it appeared now in Virginia, every thing tending to one com mon center of distrust, jealousy, and discontent. The copies of fome letters from the Governor to the Minister of the American department were by fome means procured, and public and severe cenfures paffed upon them, as containing not only unfavourable, but unfair and unjust repre fentations, as well of facts, as of the temper and difpofition of the colony. Thus one diftruft begot another, until all confi dence being totally loft on both fides, every falfe report that was circulated served for is time to keep up the public fever.

In this ftate of commotion and diforder, upon the arrival, of dispatches from England, the General Assembly was fuddenly and unexpectedly convened by the Governor. The grand motive for this measure was to procure their approbation and acceptance of the terms, included in Lord North's conciliatory motion, and the parliamentary refolutions founded thereupon. His Lordship, accordingly, in his speech, used his utmost address to carry this favourite point; he stated the favourable difpofition of government towards the colonies, which induced the prefent advances towards a happy reconciliation; he dwelt upon the juftice of their contributing to the common defence, and bearing an equitable proportion of the public burthens; obferved, that as no fpecific fum was demanded, they had an opportunity of giving a free scope to their juftice and liberality, and that whatever they gave would be a free gift, in the fulleft fenfe of the terms; that they fhould thus fhew their reverence for Parliament, and manifeft their duty and attachment to the Sovereign. He also took pains to convince them, from the proceedings and refolutions of Parliament, that a full redrefs of all their grievances would be the immediate confequence of their compliance.

The first act of the Affembly was the appointment of a Committee to enquire into the causes of the late difturbances, and particularly to examine the state of the magazine, that necellary measures might be accordingly taken for its replenishment.

It appeared by the report of the Com-rity of himself and family; oblerving how mittee, that they found most of the remain der of the powder buried in the magazine yard, where it had been depofited by the Governor's orders, and fuffered confiderable damage from the rain: the depriving the moskets of their locks was also now difcovered, as well as the nakedness and infufficiency of the magazine in all respects. Among other matters which served to irritate the people, was the planting of springguns in the magazine (without giving any public notice of fuch a mode of fecurity) and fome effect they had taken at the time of the late depredations.

Whilft the Governor's speech, with the propofitions which it recommended, were yet under the confideration of the Affembly, and before their addrefs was determined upon, his Lordship, with his Lady and family, quitted the palace privately at night, and retired on board the Fowey man of war, which then lay near York town, He left a on the river of the fame name. meffage for the House of Burgesses, acquainting them, that he thought it prudent to retire to a place of fafety, as he was fully perfuaded, that he and his family were in constant danger of falling facrifices to the blind and unmeasurable fury of the people; that, fo far from intending to interrupt their fitting, he hoped they would fuccessfully proceed in the great bufineís before them; that he would render the communication between him and the Houfe as easy and safe as poffible; and that he thought it would be more agreeable to them to fend fome of their members to him, as occafion fhould require, than to have the trouble of moving their whole body to a nearer place. He affured them, that he should attend as ufual to the duties of his office, and of his good difpofition to restore that harmony which had been so unhappily interrupted.

This meffage produced a joint address from the Council and House of Burgeffes, declaring their unbelief that any perfons in that province could meditate fo horrid and atrocious a crime as his Lord fhip apprehended; lamenting that he had not acquainted them with the ground of his uneafiness before he had adopted this meafure, as they would have ufed all poffible means to have removed every cause of his difquietude; they feared that his removal from the feat of government would be a means of increating the uneasiness which unhappily prevailed among the people; declared that they would chearfully concur in any meafure which he should propofe for the secu

impracticable it would be to carry on the
business of the feffion with any degree of
propriety and difpatch, whilft he was at
fuch a diftance, and fo inconveniently fi-
tuated. They concluded by intreating his
return, with his Lady and family, to the
palace, which would afford great public
fatisfaction, and be the likelieft means of
quieting the minds of the people. Lord
Dunmore returned a written answer, in
which he justified his apprehenfions of dan-
ger, from the public notoriety of the com-
motions among the people, as well as of
the threats and menaces with which they
were attended; befides complaints of the
general conduct and difpofition of the House
of Burgeffes, he specified several charges
against that body; that they had counte-
nanced the violent and diforderly pro-
ceedings of the people, particularly with
respect to the magazine, which was forced
and rifled in the prefence of fome of their
members; that, instead of the commit-
ment of those perfons who had been guilty
of fo daring and heinous an offence, they
only endeavoured to procure a reftitution
of the arms. That the Houfe, or its Com-
mittee, had ventured upon a ftep fraught
with the most alarming consequences, in
appointing guards, without his approbation
or confent, under pretence of protecting
the magazine, fhewing thereby a defign
of ufurping the executive power, and of
fubverting the constitution. He obferved,
that no means could be effectual for afford-
ing the fecurity which they promifed to
concur in, but by re inftating him in the
full powers of his office, by opening the
Courts of justice, and reftoring the energy
of the laws; by difarming all independent
companies, or other bodies of men, raised
and acting in defiance of legal authority;
by obliging the immediate return of the
King's arms and stores; and by, what was
not less effential than any other matter,
their own example, and their endeavours
to remove that general delufion which kept
the minds of the people in a continual
ferment, and thereby to abolish that malice
and fpirit of perfecution, which now ope-
rated fo dangerously against all those who,
from duty and affection to their King and
country,opposed the prefent measures. That
there were the means to afford the fecurity
requifite for all parties; and that, for the
accomplishment of thofe ends, together with
the neceffary bufinefs of the feflion, he
should have no objection to their adjourn-
ing to the town of York, where he would
meet them, and remain rill the business

was

was finished. He concluded by reprefenting, that his return to Williamsburg would be as fruitless to the people, as it might poffibly be dangerous to himself; but that, if their proceedings manifefted that happy difpofition, he would return with the greatett joy, and confider it as the most fortunate event of his life, if they gave him an opportunity to be an inftrument of pro. moting their happiness, and of being a fuc cefsful mediator between them and the fupreme authority.

The mollifying terms of the conclufion were by no means equal to the removal of the acrimony excited by those severe charges and implications, which were contained in the foregoing parts of this long mef fage. It accordingly produced a reply of an uncommon length, under the form of an address, which was fraught with all the bitterness of recrimination, as well as with defenfive arguments, and an examination of facts. The Houfe had now received the report of its Committee, relative to the caufes of the late disturbances, backed by the depofitions of a number of British merchants, who were refident in different and remote parts of the colony, all whofe tefrimony tended to fhew the general tranquil lity which prevailed previous to the late affair of the powder, and the Governor's declaration relative to the flaves, the latter of which, fo far as it was believed, having particularly irritated the people.

To refute the infinuations of difaffection the House of Burgeffes took a retrofpective view of the feveral tranfactions of the colony, for fome years back; they ftated the happinefs which they derived under the conduct of former Governors, as a strong contraft to their prefent fituation. They stated their former conduct and behaviour with refpect to his Lordship, and obferved, that changes feldom happened without fome fufficient caufe; that refpect was not to be obtained by force from a free people; that nothing was fo likely to infure it, as dignity of character, a candid and exemplary conduct. That they did not mean to infinuate his Lordship would, defignedly, mifreprefent facts; but that it was much to be feared he too easily gave credit to defigning perfons, who, to the great injury of the community, poffeffed much too large a fhare of his confidence.

The Houfe of Burgeffes alfo prefented their address in answer to the Governor's Speech, in which they entered into a long difcuffion of the propofition contained in the parliamentary refolution, founded upon Lord North's conciliatory motion: and

they ultimately declared, that as it only changed the form of oppreffion, without leffening its burthen, they could not close with its terms. For themselves, they made the following declaration: We have exhaufted every mode of application which our invention could fuggeft, as proper and promifing. We have decently remonftra ted with Parliament; they have added new injuries to the old. We have wearied our King with fupplications; he has not deign the native honour and justice of the British ed to anfwer us. We have appealed to nation; their efforts in our favour have been hitherto ineffectual.'

on both fides, every day afforded new In this ftate of diftruft and ill humour ground for bickering, and every incident fresh room for altercation, so that there was a continued intercourse, by addresses, meffages, and answers, between the House of Burgeffes and the Fowey. At length, the neceffary bills having paffed the Affembly, and the advanced feafon requiring their attendance in their several countries, the Governor's prefence to give his affent to Council and Burgeffes jointly intreated the them, and finish the feffion. They obferved, that tho' the bufinefs had been greatly impeded by his abfence from the feat of government, and they had submitted to the inconvenience of repeatedly fending their members twelve miles to attend his could not but think it highly improper, Excellency on board a fhip of war, they tutional and accustomed mode of tranfactand too great a departure from the conftiing their business, to prefent the bills to him at any other place than the capital. Lord Dunmore in his anfwer was fomewhat rough. He infifted upon his right of cal. ling them to any place in the colony, where the exigence of affairs might render their attendance necessary. He further observed, that, as he had not been made acquainted with the whole proceedings of the Affembly, he knew of no bills of importance, which, if he were inclined to rifque his perfon again among the people, they had to prefent to him, nor whether they were fuch as he could affent to if they had.

To obviate thefe objections, though it fent the bills, as well as the other papers was an unprecedented a&t, the Affembly the Fowey, for his infpection. The most which were afterwards demanded on board interesting of thofe bills, feemingly to all parties, was that for the payment of the forces, who had lately, under his Lordhip's command, fuffered confiderably, at the fame time that they had done effential

fervice

fervice to their country, by their bravery and fuccefs in the late Indian war. This bill was objected to by the Governor, for its impofing a tax upon the importation of flaves, and for fome informality in respect to the emiffion of paper money. The other bills were approved.

This produced the final addrefs from the Houfe of Burgeffes, in which they intreated his Excellency, that he would meet them the ensuing day at Williamsburg, to pass the bills that were ready; expreffed their hopes, that he could not ftill entertain any groundless fears of perfonal danger; but declared, that, if it was poffible he remained under so strange an influence, they pledged their honours, and every thing facred, for his fecurity. If nothing could prevail, they requested that he would grant a commillion for paffing fuch bills as he approved. Lord Dunmore perfifted in the objections he had made to the bill; faid, that the well-grounded cause he had for believing his perfon not fafe at Williamfburg had increased daily. That he therefore could not meet them, as they requested, at the capital; but that he would be ready to receive the Houfe on the following Monday, at his prefent refidence, for the purpofe of giving his afsent to such acts as he fhould approve.

This answer put an end to all public

correfpondence and busmess between the Governor, and colony. The transferring the Legislative Council, and House of Re prefentatives of a great country, on board a man of war, was evidently not to be expected. Their danger in fuch a fituation, if on other accounts it were poffible they could put themselves into it, was no less. than Lord Dunmore's could be on land. It may, however, be fuppofed, that the Governor's conduct was operated upon by caufes, or influenced by motives, with which we are unacquainted.

Upon receiving the foregoing anfwer, the Burgeffes paffed refolutions, in which they declared, that the message requiring. them to attend the Governor on board a fhip of war was a high breach of their rights and privileges. That the unreafonahle delays thrown into their proceedings, and the evasive answers to their fincere and. decent addreffes, gave them reason to fear, that a dangerous attack was meditated against the unhappy people of that colony, and it was therefore their opinion, that they should prepare for the prefervation of their property, and their inestimable rights and liberties. And then, ftrongly profeffing loyalty to the King, and amity to the mother-country, they broke up their feffion. [End of Chap. XXXIX]

Confiderations on WAR and SLAVERY.
Oh ftretch thy reign, fair Peace! from shore to shore,
Till Conqueft ceate, and Slav'ry be no more;
Till the freed Indians in their native groves
Reap their own fruits, and woo their fable loves;
Peru once more a race of Kings behold,
And other Mexicos be roof'd with gold.

HE horrors of war, and the mife

extensive, as not to be fully comprehended by those who happily have not experienced the calamities of the one, or the cruelties of the other. Yet every humane mind, every feeling heart, muft have fome conception, however faint, of the two greateft evils that can afflict mankind. Ruined commerce, ravaged countries, depopulated cities, and fmoking ruins; ravifhed virgins, infulted matrons, dying groans, and mangled carcafes; widowed wives and friendlefs orphans; pale famine and peftilential difeafe; are fome of the dire effects of foreign war, though regulated by the rules of honour, and fome regard to the rights of humanity. But how are thefe evils aggravated in civil war !

POPE.

Party principles and prejudices deftroy all

the city, imbitter men's minds, and work them up to deeds of favage fury. The waving banner is displayed, the fhrill trumpet founds, the glittering fword is drawn, and all former connexions cancel led in the unnatural conteft; the facred ties of confanguinity and friendship are cut afunder: the fword of the father is lifted up against the fon, and the fword of the fon against the father; brother encounters brother in the dreadful conflict, and former friends expire of mutual wounds,

Let us turn from fuch a melancholy fcene, and endeavour to explore the caufes of thefe dreadful effects. The chief causes of foreign wars in particular, in all ages, from Nimrod to Louis of Bourbon, have

been

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