The New Hampshire Gazette And Historical Chronicle

BOSTON.
MASSACHUSETTENSIS continued.
To the Inhabitants of the Province of
MASSACHUSETTS-BAY.

My DEAR COUNTRYMEN,

SOME of you may perhaps suspect that I have been wantonly scattering Firebrands, Arrows and Death, to gratify a most depraved, malicious and revengeful Disposition: The Truth is this; I had seen many excellent detached Pieces, but could see no Pen at Work to trace our Calamities from their Source, & point out the many adventitious Aids, that conspired to raise it to it's present Height, though I impatiently expected it, being fully convinced that you wait only to know the true State of Facts, to rectify whatever is amiss in the Province, without any foreign Assistance. Others may be induced to think that I grudge the industrious Poor of Boston their Scantlings of Charity.-- I will issue a Brief in their Favour.-- The Oppulent, be their political Sentiments what they may, ought to relieve them from their Sufferings, & those who by former Donations have been the innocent Cause of protracting their Sufferings, are under a tenfold Obligation to assist them now; and at the same Time to make the most explicit Declarations, that they did not intend to promote nor ever will join in Rebellion,--

Great Allowances are to be made for the Crossings, Windings and Tergiversations of a Politician; he is a cunning Animal, and as Government is said to be founded in Opinion, his Tricks may be a Part of the Arcana Imperii.: Had our Politicians confined themselves within any reasonable Bounds, I never should have molested them: but when I became satisfied, that many innocent suspecting Persons were in Danger of being seduced to their utter Ruin, and the Province of Massachusetts-Bay in danger of being drenched with Blood and Carnage, I could restrain my Emotions no longer; and having once broken the Bonds of my natural Reserve, was determined to probe the Sore to the Bottom, tho' I was sure to touch the Quick. It is very foreign from my Intentions to draw down the Vengeance of Great-Britain upon the Whigs; they are too valuable a Part of the Community to loose, if they will permit themselves to be saved; I wish nothing worse to the highest of them, than that they may be deprived of their Influence, till such Time as they shall have changed their Sentiments, Principles & Measures.--

Sedition has already been marked through it's zigzag Path to the present Times. When the Statute for regulating the Government arrived, a match was put to the Train, and the Mine that had been long forming sprung, and threw the whole Province into Confusion and Anarchy. The Occurrences of the Summer and Autumn past are so recent and notorious, that a particular History of them is unnecessary. Suffice it to say, that every Barrier that civil Government had erected for the Security of Property, Liberty and Life was broken down, & Law, Constitution and Government trampled under Foot by the rudest Invaders. I shall not dwell upon these harsh notes much longer. I shall yet become an Advocate for the leading Whigs; much must be allowed to Men in their Situation, forcibly actuated by the Chagrin of Disappointment, the Fear of Punishment, and the Fascination of Hope at the same Time.

Perhaps the whole Story of Empire does not furnish another Instance of a forcible Opposition to Government with so much apparent and little real Cause, with such Apparent Probability without any Possibility of Success-- The Stamp-Act gave the Alarm. The Instability of the public Councils from the Grenvillain Administration to the Appointment of the Earl of Hillsborough to the American department, afforded as great a Prospect of Success, as the Heavy Duties imposed by the Stamp-Act, did a Colour for the Opposition. It was necessary to give the History of this Matter in its Course, offend who it would, because those Acts of Government that are called the greatest Grievances, became proper and necessary, through the Misconduct of our Politicians, and the Justice of Great-Britain towards us, could not be made apparent without first pointing out that.

To be continu'd.