city had become a close prison, and themselves no better than hostages in the hands of the British commanders. This consideration alone sufficed greatly to impede all civil and military operations projected by the Americans. Various expedients were suggested, in order to extricate the Bostonians from this embarrassing situation; which, if they evinced no great prudence, certainly demonstrated no ordinary obstinacy. Some advised, that all the inhabitants of Boston should abandon the city, and take refuge in other places, where they should be succored at the public expense; but this design was totally impracticable; since it depended on General Gage to prevent its execution. Others recommended, that a valuation should be made of the houses and furniture belonging to the inhabitants, that the city should then be fired, and that all the losses should be reimbursed from the public treasure. After mature deliberation, this project was also pronounced not only very difficult, but absolutely impossible to be executed. Many inhabitants, however, left the city privately, and withdrew into the interior of the country; some, from disgust at this species of captivity; others, from fear of the approaching hostilities; and others, finally, from apprehensions of being questioned for acts against the government; but a great number, also, with a firm resolution, preferred to remain, and brave all consequences whatever. The soldiers of the garrison, weary of their long confinement, desired to sally forth, and drive away these rebels, who interrupted their provisions, and fur whom they cherished so profound a contempt. The inhabitants of Massachusetts, on the other hand, were proudly indignant at this opinion of their cowardice, entertained by the soldiers; and panted for an occasion to prove, by a signal vengeance, the falsehood of the reproach.
"When the proceedings of Congress were made known, they were very generally and heartily approved, and the people everywhere began to make preparation for what, might be the final issue, viz., resisting even unto blood. The New York Assembly, strongly under royalist influence, declined giving its sanction to the resolves and proceedings of Congress; and in other colonies, more or less dissatisfaction and doubt existed. But, notwithstanding these differences of sentiment in different parts of the country, the people, as a whole, were very decided: "It is the united voice of America," said Warren, in a letter to Quincy, " to preserve their freedom, or lose their lives in defence of it. Their resolutions are not the results of inconsiderate rashness, but the sound result of sober inquiry and deliberation. I am convinced that the true spirit of liberty was never so universally diffused through all ranks and orders of people, in any country on the face of the earth, as it now is through all North America."[1]
Strangely but grossly deceived by Tory representations, it was supposed by the English ministry, that coercive
- ↑ See "Memoirs of the Life of Josiah Quincy, Jr., p. 205.
