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a few persons, barely to satisfy their curiosity."

On the 9th of March, I wrote to the same person, not having then received the preceding letters, and mentioned my having written to him on the 2d of December and 5th of January; and knowing what use was made against the people there, of every trifling mob; and fearing lest if the letters should, contrary to my directions, be made public, something more serious of the kind might happen, I concluded that letter thus: "I must hope that great care will be taken to keep our people quiet, since nothing is more wished for by our enemies, than that by insurrections, we should give a good pretence for increasing the military among us, and putting us under more severe restraints. And it must be evident to all, that by our rapidly increasing strength, we shall soon become of so much importance, that none of our just claims or privileges will be, as heretofore, unattended to, nor any security we can wish for our rights be denied us."

Mine of May 6th, begins thus:-"I have received none of your favours since that of Nov. 28th. I have since written to you of the following dates, Dec. 2d, Jan. 5th, March 9th, and April 3d, which I hope got safe to hand." Thus in two, out of three letters subsequent to that of Dec. 2d, which inclosed the governor's letters, I mentioned my writing that letter, which shows I could have no intention of concealing my having written it; and that therefore the assertion of my sending it anonymously is without probability.

read to whom and as many as you think proper."

The same person wrote to me, June 14th, 1773, in these terms: "I have endeavoured inviolably to keep to your injunctions with respect to the papers you sent me; I have shown them only to such persons as you directed; no one person, except Dr. Cooper, and one of the committee, knows from whom they came, or to whom they were sent. I have constantly avoided mentioning your name upon the occasion, so that it never need be known (if you incline to keep it a secret) who they came from, and to whom they were sent; and I desire, so far as I am concerned, my name may not be mentioned; for it may be a damage to me. I thought it, however, my duty to communicate them as permitted, as they contained matters of importance that very nearly affected the government; and notwithstanding all my care and precaution, it is now publicly known that such letters are here. Considering the number of persons who were to see them, (not less than ten or fifteen) it is astonishing they did not get air before." Then he goes on to relate how the assembly having heard of them, obliged him to produce them, but engaged not to print them; and that they afterwards did nevertheless print them, having got over that engagement by the appearance of copies in the house, produced by a member who it was reported had just received them from England. This letter concludes, “I have done all in my power strictly to conform to your restrictions, but from the circumstances above related, you must be sensible it was impossible to prevent the letters being

free from all blame respecting this matter."

In mine of June 2d, 1773, I acknowledge the receipt of his letter of March 24th, and not being able to answer immediately, his re-made public, and therefore hope I shall be quest of leave to copy the letters, I said nothing of them then, postponing that subject to an opportunity which was expected two days after, viz: June 4th, when my letter of that date concludes thus:-" As to the letters I communicated to you, though I have not been able to obtain leave to take copies or publish them, I have permission to let the originals remain with you, as long as you may think it of any use to have the originals in possession."

In mine of July - 1773, I answer the above of April 20, as follows:-"The letters communicated to you were not merely to satisfy the curiosity of any, but it was thought there might be a use in showing them to some friends of the province, and even to some of the governor's party, for their more certain information concerning his conduct and politics, though the letters were not made quite public. I believe I have since written to you, that there was no occasion to return them speedily; and though I cannot obtain leave as yet to suffer copies to be taken of them, I am allowed to say, that they may be shown and

This letter accounts for its being unexpectedly to me, made a secret in Boston that I had sent the letters. The gentleman, to whom I sent them, had his reasons for desiring not to be known as the person who received and communicated them; but as this would have been suspected, if it were known that I sent them, that circumstance was to be kept a secret. Accordingly, they were given to another, to be by him produced by the committee.*

* When Dr. Franklin put in his answer to the bill

in Chancery, which had been filed against him in the name of Mr. Whately, he demurred to two of the interrogatories which it contained, and by which he was he had received the letters in question, and also the required to name the person in England from whom person in America to whom they had by him been transmitted; and declined making any disclosure of and he was ordered to answer these interrogatories but feeling that his doing so would be a violation of his the letters, and probably injurious to the person to engagement to the person from whom he had received whom they had been sent, he thought it incumbent on breach of his engagement, and he appears to have him to return to America, and thereby avoid the done this conscientiously; and so completely, that the

their names. This demurrer was however overruled;

I

My answer to this was of July 25th, 1773, | ed the communication of them so far as I as follows: "I am favoured with yours of could. I was sensible I should make enemies June 14th, containing some copies of the re- there, and perhaps might offend government solves of the committee upon the letters. I here; but these apprehensions I disregarded. see by your account of the transaction, that did not expect, and hardly still expect, that you could not well prevent what was done. my sending them could be kept a secret. But As to the report of other copies being come since it is such hitherto, I now wish it may from England, I think that could not be. It continue so, because the publication of the was an expedient to disengage the house.* I letters, contrary to my engagement, has hope the possession of the originals, and the changed the circumstances."-His reply to proceedings upon them, will be attended with this of the 10th of November, is, "After all salutary effects to the province, and then I the solicitous inquiries of the governor and shall be well pleased. I observe what you his friends respecting his letters, it still remention, that no person besides Dr. Cooper, mains a secret from and to whom they were and one of the committee, knew they came sent here. This is known among us, to two from me. I did not accompany them with only besides myself; and will remain undisany request of being myself concealed, for be- covered, unless further intelligence should lieving what I did, to be in the way of my come from your side the water, than I have duty as agent, though I had no doubt of its reason to think has yet been obtained. I cangiving offence, not only to the parties ex- not, however, but admire your honest openposed, but to administration here, I was re- ness in this affair, and noble negligence of gardless of the consequences. However, any inconveniencies that might arise to yoursince the letters themselves are now copied self in this essential service to our injured and printed, contrary to the promise I made, country." I am glad my name has not been heard on the occasion; and as I do not see it could be of any use to the public, I now wish it may continue unknown, though I hardly expect it. As to yours, you may rely on my never mentioning it, except that I may be obliged to show your letter in my own vindication, to the person only who might otherwise think he had reason to blame ME for breach of engagement."

With the abovementioned letter of the 14th of June, I received one from another of the gentlemen to whom the papers had been communicated, which says, "By whom and to whom they were sent, is still a secret, known only to three persons here, and may still remain so if you desire it." My answer to him of July 25th, was, “I accompanied them with no restriction relating to myself; my duty to the province as their agent, I thought requir

To another friend I wrote of the same date, July 25th, what will show the apprehensions I was constantly under, of the mischiefs that might attend a breach from the exasperated state of things, and the arguments I used to prevent it, viz. "I am glad to see that you are elected into the council, and are about to take part in our public affairs. Your abilities, integrity, and sober attachment to the liberties of our country, will be of great use at this tempestuous time, in conducting our little bark into a safe harbour. By the Boston newspapers, there seem to be among us some violent spirits who are for an immediate rupture. But I trust the general prudence of our countrymen will see, that by our growing strength we advance fast to a situation in which our claims must be allowed; that by a premature struggle we may be crippled and kept down another age; that as between friends every affront is not worth a duel, and person from whom the letters were received, was never between nations every injury is not worth a ascertained, till declared by Dr. W. himself; nor were war; so between the governed and the goany of the conjectures respecting that person founded verning, every mistake in government, every upon, or suggested by, any infidelity or indiscretion on the part of Dr. Franklin. He was not however under encroachment on rights, is not worth a rebelan equal obligation to secrecy, in regard to the person lion: it is, in my opinion, sufficient for the to whom the letters were immediately transmitted; and he therefore confidentially informed a friend of his, (Dr. present, that we hold them forth on all occaBancroft,) that they had been sent to Mr. Cushing, sions, not giving up any of them, using at then speaker of the house of representatives of the the same time every means to make them Massachusetts' Bay; with whom it was Dr. Franklin's duty, as agent for the assembly of that province, to generally understood and valued by the peocorresponda fact now ascertained in his PRIVATE ple; cultivating a harmony among the coloCORRESPONDENCE, Part II., and which there is no long-nies, that their union in the same sentiments Men sometimes think it allowable to act improper may give them greater weight; rememberly for what they consider as good purposes. This was done at Boston, in regard to the letters under considering, withal, that this Protestant country (our ation:-a publication of these letters was deemed of mother, though of late an unkind one,) is the highest importance, by the leading members of the worth preserving, and that her weight in the house of representatives; and copies of them were therefore made unwarrantably; and these, the late scale of Europe, her safety in a great degree, Mr. Hancock was induced to bring forward in that may depend on our union with her. Thus house, of which he was a member, and to declare that conducting, I am confident, we may within a they had been sent to him from England; a declara. tion which could not have been true. few years, obtain every allowance of, and

er any motive for concealing.

every security for, our inestimable privileges, and its friendship of course daily becoming

more valuable, and more likely to be cultivated by an attention to its rights. The newspapers have announced, that treason is found in some of my letters. It must then be of some new species. The invention of court

covery of new treasons: and perhaps it is now become treason to censure the conduct of ministers. None of any other kind, I am sure, can be found in my correspondence.

The effect of the governor's letters on the minds of the people in New England, when they came to be read there, was precisely what had been expected, and proposed, by sending them over. It was now seen that the grievances, which had been so deeply resented, as measures of the mother country, were, in fact, the measures of two or three of their own people; of course all that resentment was withdrawn from her, and fell where it was proper it should fall, on the heads of those caitiffs, who were the authors of the mischief. Both houses took up the matter in this light. The council resolved that [This piece is wanting.] and the house of representatives agreed to the following resolves, reported by the committee appointed to consider the letters, viz:—

"The Committee appointed to consider certain Letters, laid before the House of Representatives, reported the following Resolves.

that we can wish or desire."-His answer of December 31st, is, "I concur perfectly with you in the sentiments expressed in your last. No considerate person, I should think, can approve of desperate remedies, except in desperate cases. The people of America are ex-lawyers has always been fruitful in the distremely agitated by the repeated efforts of administration to subject them to absolute power. They have been amused with accounts of the pacific disposition of the ministry, and flattered with assurances that upon their humble petitions all their grievances would be redressed. They have petitioned from time to time; but their petitions have had no other effect than to make them feel more sensibly their own slavery. Instead of redress, every year has produced some new manœuvre, which could have no tendency but to irritate them more and more. The last measure of the East India company's sending their tea here, subject to a duty, seems to have given the finishing stroke to their patience. You will have heard of the steps taken at Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, to prevent the payment of this duty, by sending the tea back to its owners; but as this was found impossible at Boston, the destruction of the tea was the consequence. What the event of these commotions will be, God only knows. The people through the colonies appear immovably fixed in their resolution, that the tea duty shall never be paid; and if the ministry are determined to enforce these measures, I dread the consequences. I verily fear they will turn America into a field of blood. But I will hope for the best." I am told that administration is possessed of most of my letters sent or received on public affairs for some years past. Copies of them having been obtained from the files of the several assemblies, or as they passed through the post office. I do not condemn their ministerial industry, or complain of it. The foregoing extracts may be compared with those copies; and I can appeal to them with confidence, that upon such comparison these extracts will be found faithfully made. And that the whole tenor of my letters has been, to persuade patience and a careful guarding against all violence, under the grievances complained of, and this from various considerations, such as that the welfare of the empire depended upon the union of its parts, that the sovereign was well disposed towards us, and the body of this nation, our friends and well-wishers; that it was the ministry only who were prejudiced against us; that the sentiments of ministers might in time be changed, or the ministers themselves be changed; or that if those chances failed, at least time would infallibly bring redress, since the strength, weight, and importance of America was continually and rapidly increasing,

"Tuesday, June 15th, 1773.

"Resolved, That the letters signed Thomas Hutchin

son, and Andrew Oliver, now under the consideration of this house, appear to be the genuine letters of the present governor and lieutenant-governor of this pro vince, whose hand-writing and signatures are well known to many of the members of this house: and that they contain aggravated accounts of facts, and misre presentations: and that one manifest design of them was to represent the matters they treat of in a light highly injurious to this province, and the persons against whom they were written.

Resolved, That though the letters aforesaid, signed Thomas Hutchinson, are said by the governor in his message to this house of June 9th, to be, private let ters written to a gentleman in London, since deceased. and that all except the last were written many months before he came to the chair; yet that they were writ ten by the present governor, when he was lieutenant-governor and chief justice of this province; who has been represented abroad, as eminent for his abilities, as for tion to transmit private intelligence: and that they therefore must be considered by the person to whom they were sent, as documents of solid intelligence: and that this gentleman in London to whom they were written, was then a member of the British parliament, and one who was very active in American affairs; and therefore that these letters, however secretly written, must naturally be supposed to have, and really had, a pub lic operation.

his exalted station; and was under no official obliga

Resolved, That these private letters' being writ ten with express confidence of secrecy,' was only to prevent the contents of them being known here, as ap pears by said letters; and this rendered them the more injurious in their tendency, and really insidious.

Resolved, That the letters signed Thomas Hutchinson, considering the person by whom they were writ ten, the matters they expressly contain, the express reference in some of them for full intelligence' to Mr Hallowell, a person deeply interested in the measures so much complained of, and recommendatory notices of divers other persons, whose emoluments arising from our public burdens must excite them to unfavourable

2

representations of us, the measures they suggest, the "Resolved, That this is a most wicked and injurious temper in which they were written, the manner in which representation, designed to inflame the minds of his they were sent, and the person to whom they were ad- majesty's ministers, and the nation; and to excite in dressed, had a natural and efficacious tendency to in- the breast of our sovereign, a jealousy of his loyal subterrupt and alienate the affections of our most gra-jects of said town, without the least grounds therecious sovereign King George the Third, from this his loy. for, as enemies of his majesty's person and governal and affectionate province; to destroy that harmony ment. and good will between Great Britain and this colony, "Whereas, certain letters by two private persons, which every friend to either would wish to establish; signed, T. Moffat and G. Rome, have been laid before to excite the resentment of the British administration the house, which letters contain many matters highly against this province; to defeat the endeavours of injurious to government, and to the national peace: our agents and friends to serve us by a fair representa Resolved, That it has been the misfortune of this gotion of our state of grievances; to prevent our hum- vernment, from the earliest period of it, from time to ble and repeated petitions from reaching the royal ear time, to be secretly traduced and maliciously representof our common sovereign; and to produce the severe ed to the British ministry, by persons who were neiand destructive measures which have been taken ther friendly to this colony, nor to the English constiagainst this province, and others still more so, which tution. have been threatened. Resolved, That this house have just reason to com"Resolved, As the opinion of this house, that it plain of it as a very great grievance, that the humble clearly appears from the letters aforesaid, signed Tho-petitions and remonstrances of the commons of this mas Hutchinson and Andrew Oliver, that it was the province, are not allowed to reach the hands of our desire and endeavour of the writers of them, that cer most gracious sovereign, merely because they are prelain acts of the British parliament, for raising a reve- sented by an agent, to whose appointment the governor, nue in America, might be carried into effect by military with whom our chief dispute may subsist, doth not force; and by introducing a fleet and army into this consent; while the partial and inflammatory letters of his majesty's loyal province, to intimidate the minds individuals who are greatly interested in the revenue of his subjects here, and to prevent every constitutional acts, and the measures taken to carry them into exemeasure to obtain the repeal of those acts, so justly es- cution, have been laid before administration, attended to, teemed a grievance to us, and to suppress the very spirit and determined upon, not only to the injury of the repu tation of the people, but to the depriving them of their invaluable rights and liberties.

of freedom.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this house, that as the salaries lately appointed for the governor, lieutenant-governor, and judges of this province, directly repugnant to the charter, and subversive of justice, are founded on this revenue; and as these letters were written with a design, and had a tendency to promote and support that revenue, therefore, there is great reason to suppose the writers of those letters were well knowing to, suggested and promoted the enacting said revenue acts, and the establishments founded on the

same.

"Resolved, That while the writer of these letters figned Thomas Hutchinson, has been thus exerting himཏ self, by his 'secret confidential correspondence, to introduce measures destructive of our constitutional liberty, he has been practising every method among the people of this province, to fix in their minds an exalted opinion of his warmest affection for them, and his unremitted endeavours to promote their best interests at the court of Great Britain.

Resolved, as the opinion of this house, That by comparing these letters signed THO. HUTCHINSON, with those signed AND. OLIVER, CHAS. PAXTON, and NATH. ROGERS, and considering what has since in fact taken alace conformable thereto, that there have been for ma by years past, measures contemplated, and a plan form ed, by a set of men born and educated among us, to raise their own fortunes, and advance themselves to posts of honour and profit, not only to the destruction of the charter and constitution of this province, but at the expense of the rights and liberties of the American

colonies. And it is further the opinion of this house, that the said persons have been some of the chief in struments in the introduction of a military force into the province, to carry their plans into execution; and therefore they have been not only greatly instrumental in disturbing the peace and harmony of the government and causing and promoting great discord and animosities, but are justly chargeable with the great corrup tion of morals, and all that confusion, misery, and blood hed, which have been the natural effects of the introduc. tion of troops.

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"Whereas this house are humbly of opinion, that his majesty will judge it to be incompatible with the interest of his crown, and the peace and safety of the good people of this his loyal province, that persons should be continued in places of high trust and authority in it, who are known to have with great industry, though secretly, endeavoured to undermine, alter, and overthrow the constitution of the province. "Therefore,

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Resolved, That this house is bound in duty to the king and their constituents, humbly to remonstrate to his majesty, the conduct of his excellency Thomas Hutchinson, esq. governor, and the honourable Andrew Oliver, esq. lieutenant governor of this province; and to pray that his majesty would be pleased to remove them for ever from the government thereof."

Upon these resolutions was founded a petition, transmitted to me to be presented to his majesty.

Lord Dartmouth, secretary of state for the colonies, being in the country when I received this petition, I transmitted it to his lordship, inclosed in a letter.

No one who knows lord Dartmouth, can doubt of the sincerity of the good wishes expressed in his letter to me; and if his majesty's other servants had fortunately been possessed of the same benevolent dispositions, with as much of that attention to the public interest, and dexterity in managing it, as statesmen of this country generally show in obtaining and securing their places, here was a fine opportunity put into their hands of "reestablishing the union and harmony that formerly subsisted between Great Britain and her colonies," so necessary to the welfare of both, and upon the easy condition of only "restoring things to the state they were in at That it appears to this house, that the writers of the conclusion of the late war." This was a these letters have availed themselves of disorders that solemn declaration sent over from the province naturally arise in a free government under such op. pressions, as arguments to prove, that it was original most aggrieved, in which they acquitted Brily necessary such measures should have been taken, tain of their grievances, and charged them all and that they should now be continued and increased "Whereas, in the letter singed Cha. Paxton, dated upon a few individuals of their own country. Boston Harbour, June 20, 1768, it is expressly declared, Upon the heads of these very mischievous that unless we have immediately two or three regimen they deprecated no vengeance, though ments, 'tis the opinion of all the friends of govern that of the whole nation was justly merited; ment, that Boston will be in open rebellion.'

Whereas, for many years past, measures have been taken by the British administration, very griev as to the good people of this province; which this house have now reason to suppose, were promoted, if not originally suggested by the writers of these letters; and many efforts have been made by the people to obtain the redress of their grievances: Resolved,

they considered it as a hard thing for an ad- | imagining all now over between them, I still ministration to punish a governor who had kept silence, till I heard that the duel was acted from orders, though the orders had been understood to be unfinished, (as having been procured by his misrepresentations and calum-interrupted by persons accidentally near,) and nies; they, therefore, only petitioned, "that that it would probably be repeated as soon as his majesty would be pleased to remove T. Mr. Whately, who was mending daily, had Hutchinson, esquire, and A. Oliver, esquire, recovered his strength. I then thought it from their posts in that government, and place high time to interpose; and as the quarrel good and faithful men in their stead." These was for the public opinion, I took what I men might have been placed or pensioned thought the shortest way to settle that elsewhere, as others have been; or like the opinion, with regard to the parties, by pubscape-goats of old, they might have carried lishing an explanation in the PUBLIC ADVERaway into the wilderness all the offences TISER. which had arisen between the two countries, with the burden of which, they, having been the authors of these mischiefs, were most justly chargeable.

But this opportunity, ministers had not the wisdom to embrace; they chose rather to reject it, and to abuse and punish me for giving it. A court clamour was raised against me as an incendiary; and the very action upon which I valued myself, as it appeared to me a means of lessening our differences, I was unlucky enough to find charged upon me, as a wicked attempt to increase them. Strange perversion!*

This declaration of mine, was, at first, generally approved, except that some blamed me for not having made it sooner, so as to prevent the duel; but I had not the gift of prophecy: I could not foresee that the gentlemen would fight; I did not even foresee that either of them could possibly take it ill of me. I imagined I was doing them a good office, in clearing both of them from suspicion, and removing the cause of their difference. I should have thought it natural for them both to have thanked me, but I was mistaken as to one of them; his wound, perhaps, at first prevented him, and afterwards he was tutored probably I was, it seems, equally unlucky in another to another kind of behaviour by his court conaction, which I also intended for a good one, nections. My only acquaintance with this and which brought on the abovementioned gentleman, Mr. William Whately, was from clamour. The news being arrived here, of an application he made to me to do him the the publication of those letters in America, favour of inquiring after some land in Penngreat inquiry was made who had transmitted sylvania, supposed to have been purchased them. Mr. Temple, a gentleman of the cus- anciently from the first proprietor, by a major toms, was accused of it in the papers. He Thomson, his grandfather, of which they had vindicated himself. A public altercation en- some imperfect memorandums in the family, sued upon it, between him and a Mr. Whately, but knew not whether it might not have been brother and executor to the person to whom sold or conveyed away by him in his life-time, it was supposed the letters had been originally as there was no mention of it in his will. I written, and who was suspected by some of took the trouble of writing accordingly, to a communicating them, on the supposition, that friend of mine, an eminent lawyer there, well by his brother's death, they might have fallen acquainted with such business, desiring him into his hands. As the gentleman to whom to make the inquiry. He took some pains in it I sent them, had, in his letter to me above re- at my request, and succeeded; and, in a letter cited, given an important reason for his de- informed me, that he had found the land; that siring it should be concealed, that he was the the proprietary claimed it, but he thought the person who received them; and had, for the title was clear to the heir of Thomson; that same reason, chosen not to let it be known I he could easily recover it for him, and would sent them, I suffered that altercation to go on undertake it if Mr. Whately should think fit without interfering, supposing it would end, to employ him; or if he rather chose to sell it, as other newspaper controversies usually do, my friend empowered me to make him an when the parties and the public should be offer of five thousand pounds sterling for it. tired of them. But this dispute unexpectedly With this letter, I waited upon him about a and suddenly produced a duel. The gentle-month before the duel, at his house in Lommen were parted; Mr. Whately was wounded, bard street, the first time I had ever been in but not dangerously. This, however, alarmed it. He was pleased with the intelligence, me, and made me wish I had prevented it; but

*“We must not, in the course of public life, expect immediate approbation, and immediate grateful acknow. ledgment of our services. But let us persevere through

abuse, and even injury. The internal satisfaction of a

good conscience is always present, and time will do us justice in the minds of the people, even those at present the most prejudiced against us.”—Franklin's Private Correspondence.

and called upon me once or twice afterwards to concert the means of making out his title. I mention some of these circumstances to show, that it was not through any previous acquaintance with him that I came to the knowledge of the famous letters; for they had been in America near a year before I so much as knew where he lived:-and the others

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