2d. That the cause of Boston is the common cause of all the North American colonies. 3d. That the preservation of the lives, liberties, and properties of the subjects in North America, depends (under God) on a strict union of all the colonies throughout the continent. 4th. That we earnestly wish for, and will promote all in our power, a General Congress of Commissioners from all the colonies on this continent, to be convened with all possible speed. broken in, and a part of his furniture destroyed. The next day, he announced his determination of having no agency in the execution of the stamp act. The same month, Jared Ingersoll, Esq., who had received the appointment of stamp-master in Connecticut, was burnt in effigy at New Haven; but notwithstanding this modest hint to resign his office, he signified his determination to discharge its duties. This annunciation, instead of allaying the indignation of the populice, aroused it to a still higher degree, and prompted them to secure his person, and convey him to Hartford for farther proceedings. The following account of their proceedings is copied from the Connecticut Courant of Sept. 23d, 1765, and does not differ materially from the relation given by Mr. Ingersoll, and published in the Connecticut Gazette of the 27th of the same month, (viz.): "Last Wednesday afternoon, a large company of able bodied men, came to town (Hartford) on horseback from the eastern part of this government, and informed those who were willing to join them, that they were on their way to New Haven, to demand the stamp-master of this colony to resign his office; that a number of their companions were gone on the lower roads, and that they had all agreed to rendezvous at Branford, the next day, (Thursday) and that they should tarry in town that night; they then dispersed to different parts of the town for lodging. In the evening advice was received, that Mr. Ingersoll was on the road to this place; that he would be in town the next day, and that he intended to apply to the Assembly for protection; and it being conjectured that he might come to town in the night to shun the mob, (who he had heard were on their way to pay him a visit) it was agreed that a watch should patrol the streets all night, to prevent his coming in unnoticed; but they made no discoveries. "On Thursday morning, the whole body, including a considerable number from this town, (Hartford) set off on their intended expedition, and in about an hour, met Mr. Ingersoll at the lower end of Wethersfield, and let him know their business. He at first refused to comply, but it was insisted upon, that he should resign his office of stamp-master, so disagreeable to his countrymen. After many proposals, he delivered the resignation, mentioned below, which he read himself in the hearing of the whole company; he was then desired to pronounce the words liberty and property, three times, which he having done, the whole body gave three huzzas. Mr. Ingersoll then went to a tavern and dined with several of the company; after dinner the company told Mr. Ingersoll, as he was bound to Hartford, they would escort him there; which they did, to the number of about five hundred persons on horseback. After they arrived in town, Mr. Ingersoll again read his resignation in public, when three huzzas more were 5th. That it is our hearty desire said General Congress should, among other of their determinations, resolve to stop all imports and exports to and from Great Britain, and otherwise discontinue trade as they shall see fit. That a General Congress should be annually held on this continent, and in that case point out the method for best effecting so noble a design on which the future happiness of the colonies greatly depends. 6th. That we will religiously abide by the resolves of the General Congress of the united North American colonies. 7th. That the resolves of the General Assembly of this colony, at their session in May last, be recorded at large in the Town Book. 8th. That Richard Law, Esq., Col. Gurdon Saltonstall, Mr. Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., Maj. Samuel Holden Parsons, and Capt. Guy Richards, be, and they are hereby appointed a committee to correspond with the committees of correspondence in this or any other colony in North America; and they are hereby directed to given; when the whole company immediately dispersed without making the least disturbance." The following is a copy of Mr. Ingersoll's resignation. "WETHERSFIELD, Sept. 19th, 1765. "I do hereby promise, that I will never receive any stampt papers, which may arrive from Europe, in consequence of any act lately passed in the Parliament of Great Britain, nor officiate in any manner as stamp-master, or distributor of stamps within the colony of Connecticut, either directly or indirectly; and I do hereby notify all the inhabitants of his majesty's colony of Connecticut (notwithstanding the said office, or trust has been committed to me) not to apply to me, ever hereafter, for any such stamped paper, hereby declaring that I do decline said office, and execute these presents of my own free will and accòrd, without any equivocation, or mental reservation. "In witness whereof, I have hereto set my hand, "J. INGERSOLL." “An aged gentleman, of Wethersfield, who was an eye witness, and distinctly remembers the transaction, represents it as being peculiarly pompous and imposing. He says Mr. Ingersoll was a middle aged man, dressed in the full costume of the time-brown coat, buckskin breeches, long boots, bob-tailed wig, and three cornered hat; that he mounted a stage, which had been prepared for his accommodation, and addressed the multitude with great ease and fluency, and that when he gave up his commission, he threw up his hat and commission, both of which he held in his hand; they cheered him with great enthusiasm. There were several other out-breakings of indignant feeling in other parts of the colony, but none worthy of particular notice. transmit a copy of these resolves to the committee of correspondence in Boston; and that any three of the above said committee be a quorum. A true copy of record, examined by GURDON SALTONSTALL, Recorder. NOTE. The following song shews the spirit of the Americans, previous to the war. COMPOSED BY A SON OF LIBERTY. [Written Feb. 13th, 1770.] TUNE-THE "BRITISH GRENADIER." That seat of science, Athens, and earth's great mistress, Rome— Proud Albion bow'd to Cæsar, and num'rous lords before- We led fair Freedom hither, and lo! the desert smil'd! A Paradise of pleasure was open in the wild: Your harvest, bold Americans-no power shall snatch away!— Torn from a world of tyrants, beneath this western sky We formed a new Dominion-a land of liberty: The world shall own their masters here-then hasten on the day--- God bless this maiden climate! and through her vast domain, Lift up your heads my heroes! and swear with proud disdain, Some future day shall crown us the masters of the main, At a meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Windham, legally warned and held in Windham, June 23d, 1774. Nathaniel Wales, Jr., Esq., Moderator. This meeting being impressed with a deep sense of the present alarming aspects of Divine Providence over the British colonies in North America, arising from the present depressed situation and condition of the capital of a neighboring province, in having their harbor and port blocked up by ships-of-war, in hostile array, to the terror of the people, totally and actually obstructing all commerce by sea into or from said port, thereby forcibly preventing the due performance of all private maritime contracts, rendering useless their whole navigation, stores, and wharves, built and erected at a vast expense by the inhabitants; a principle which threatens ruin and destruction both to the liberties and properties of every subject throughout the British empire. And being further alarmed by a bill late depending before the Parliament of Great Britain, for regulating the government of the Massachusetts Bay, too long to be here recited, though replete with arbitrary, threatening resolutions, threatening destruction to all corporations in Great Britain, and all chartered rights in America. In view of these, as well as many other impending dangers and calamities, and from a firm belief and persuasion that there is a supreme, almighty, infinitely good and merciful Being, who sits at the helm of universal nature, by whom kings reign, and princes decree justice, and who has the hearts of all princes and potentates of the earth in his hands, and under his almighty control; and however faulty the instruments and procurers of those calamities may be, yet, considering our sins and impieties, they are just as coming from the hand of God, and are to be averted by humiliation, deep repentance, and reformation. We therefore sincerely wish and hope a day may be set apart for solemn fasting and prayer, as recommended by our late General Assembly; and beg further to intimate to our brethren in the several towns in this colony, to render the observation of that day more agreeable to the divine direction, (viz: to undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free, to distribute to the necessities of the distressed,) that on that day we be united in opening our hearts in contributing to the relief of the injured and oppressed indigent inhabitants of the town of Boston, es pecially those who are now more immediately so, by means of the late iron hand of oppression on that worthy metropolis. But fully to express our sense of the late attempts upon the town and port of Boston, the arbitrary attacks on the most sacred rights of communities, the violent depredations on private property and liberty, and those more virulent efforts to break down the great barriers of civil society, founded on the solemn compact of kings; a principle proclaiming sudden destruction upon all corporations throughout the British dominions, at the will and pleasure of a vengeful British ministry, even without complaint, notice, trial, or constitutional adjudication or forfeiture, words fail, and the English language is deficient. But this is in part executed, and much more than threatened, only under the pretence at most, that some of the inhabitants of Boston, or the neighboring towns, have committed a trespass on the property of the East India Company, a company (horrendum dictu!) who have spread destruction over the eastern world! Behold the tragic scenes in that eastern clime! the murders of millions, by sword and baneful famine; depriving those innocents of the necessaries of life, who by the favor of heaven and their own industry, were overflowing with the wealth and profusion of the Indias, and all to satisfy the insatiable lust of gain and oppression! Let the Spanish barbarities in Mexico, and the name of a Cortez, sink in everlasting oblivion, while such more recent superior cruelties bear away the palm in the late annals of their rapine and cruelty; though many worthy individuals of that body ought, no doubt to be excused from the general imputation. We applaud the solemnity of the noble Virginians and Philadelphians, in their religious observations of that memorable first day of June; we approve their opinions and sentiments as to the threatened calamities and dangers impending America; as also the Maryland resolves, with the others by many worthy towns and bodies of people in this and neighboring provinces. We only wish there may be no delay in appointing time and place for a General Congress, which only can give union, firmness, and stability to the whole. We impatiently wait for injured Boston to give the lead in that appointment. Providence, no doubt has put into our hands the means to work out our temporal salvation, which has been repeatedly suggested. Let us, dear fellow Americans, for a few years at least, abandon that narrow, contracted |