Rind's Virginia Gazette

Leed's-Town, March 1, 1766.

SIR,

YOUR publishing an Account of the following Proceedings of the Sons of Liberty in this Colony, will oblige many, and give an early Instance of your Determination to the FREEDOM of your PRESS.

CERTAIN Archibald Ritchie, of Hobb's-Hole, Merchant, having declared publicly at Richmond Court, That he was determined to clear out his Vessels on Stamp'd Paper; at the same Time saying, that he knew where to get such Paper: Enraged at the said Ritchie's matchless Impudence, in making such a Declaration, and alarmed at the dangerous Consequences, that such an iniquitous Practice might be productive of to the Liberty of their Country, if other Merchants should pursue so pernicious an Example; a Number of Gentlemen met at Leed's-Town on the Twenty-seventh of last Month, in the Evening, to consider of what Measures it would be necessary to take, against a Man who was thus attempting to introduce a Law so destructive to the Community. At this Place they chose a Committee to regulate their Plan of Operations, who drew up the following Scheme of an Association, viz.

WE who subscribe this Paper, have associated, and do bind ourselves to each other, to GOD and to our COUNTRY, by the firmest Ties that Religion and Virtue can frame, most sacredly and punctually to stand by, and with our Lives and Fortunes to support, maintain, and defend, each other, in the Observation and Execution of these following Articles:

I. WE declare all due Allegiance and Obedience to our lawful Sovereign GEORGE the Third, King of Great-Britain, and we determine, to the utmost of our Power, to preserve the Laws, Peace and good Order of this Colony, as far as is consistent with the Preservation of our constitutional Rights and Liberties.

II. AS we know it to be the Birthright Privilege of every British Subject (and of the People of Virginia as being such) founded on Reason, Law and Compact, that he cannot be legally tried but by his Peers, and that he cannot be taxed, but by Consent of a Parliament, in which he is represented by Persons of his own choosing, who themselves pay a Part of the Tax they impose on others: If therefore, any Person shall attempt, by any Action or Proceeding, to deprive this Colony of those fundamental Rights, we will immediately regard him as the most dangerous Enemy of this Community, and we will go to any Extremity, not only to prevent the Success of such Attempts, but to stigmatize and punish the Offender.

III. AS the Stamp-Act does absolutely direct the Property of the People to be taken from them without their Consent, expressed by their Representatives, and as in many Cases it deprives the British American Subject of his Right to Trial by Juries, we do determine, at every Hazard, paying no regard to Danger, or to Death, that we will exert every Faculty, to prevent the Execution of the said Stamp-Act, in any Instance whatever within this Colony; and that if any abandoned Wretch, Shall be So lost to Virtue, and public Good, as wickedly to contribute to the Introduction or Fixture of the Stamp-Act in this Colony, by using Stamp'd Paper, or by any other Means, We will, with the utmost Expedition, convince every such Profligate, that immediate Danger and Disgrace shall attend their prostitute Purpose.

IV. THAT the last Article may be most surely and effectually executed, we engage each to the other, that whenever it shall be known to any of this Association, that any Person is so conducting himself, as to favour the Introduction of the Stamp-Act, that immediate Notice shall be given to as many of the Association as possible, and that every Individual so informed, shall with Expedition repair to a Place of Meeting, to be appointed as near the Scene of Action as may be.

V. EACH Associator shall do his true Endeavour, to obtain as many Signers to this Association as he possibly can.

VI. IF any Attempt shall be made upon the Liberty, or Property of any Associator for any Action or Thing to be done in Consequence of this Agreement; we do most solemnly bind ourselves, by the sacred Engagements above entered into, at the utmost Risque of our Lives and Fortunes, to restore Such Associate to his Liberty, and to protect him in the Enjoyment of his Property.

IN Testimony of the good Faith, with which we resolve to execute this Association, we have hereunto put our Hands and Seals.

Virginia, 27th February, 1766.

THIS Association was immediately signed by the whole Company, and by great Numbers since. The Committee also prepared a Declaration, to be made, signed, and sworn to, by the said Ritchie, and came to a Resolution, that if he should refuse to sign and make Oath to the same, his Person should be taken and stripped naked to his Waist, tied to the Tail of a Cart, and drawn to the public Pillory, where he should be fixed for one Hour, and if in that Time he did not comply, that he should be brought up by the whole Company to Leed's-Town, to there to be farther determined on, as should seem expedient to the Friends of Liberty.

THE next Day the whole Company proceeded to Hobb's-Hole, where they were joined by a large Number, who had assembled from the adjacent Counties on the South Side of Rappahannock, in order to call the said Ritchie to Account for having presumed to throw out the Threat aforesaid.

THE Sons of Liberty, to the Amount of Four Hundred, drew up in Two Lines, in the main Street of the Town, whilst the Gentlemen appointed by the Committee for that Purpose, went to the House of the said Ritchie, and agreeable to their Instructions, read to him the Declaration prepared for him, and required him to go with them to the main Body, in order to read, sign and swear, to the same. He at first desired that a Committee might be appointed to reason with him upon the Subject, but the Deputies informed him, that the Expiation required of him, was already determined on; and demanded an immediate Answer, Whether he would willingly attend them to the main Body, or not? He answering that he would, they immediately conducted him thither;

where being arrived, he at first complained that the Terms proposed were too severe; but the Sons of Liberty calling out that they
were just, after some little hesitation, me, in the Presence of the whole Company, with his Hat off, and with an audible Voice, first read, and then swore to the following Declaration, viz.

SENSIBLE now of the high Insult I offered this Country, by declaring at Richmond Court lately, my Determination to make use of Stamped Papers for clearing out my Vessels; and being convinced, such Proceeding would establish a Precedent, by which the detestable Stamp-Act might be introduced into this Colony to the utter Destruction of public Liberty! I do most submissively, in Presence of the Public, sign this Paper, meaning to shew my deep Remorse for having formed so execrable a Design; and I do hereby solemnly promise, and swear on the Holy Evangelists, that no Vessel of mine shall fail cleared on Stamp'd Paper, and that I will, on my Pretence, make use of, or cause to be made use of, Stamp'd Paper, unless the Use of such Paper shall be authorized by the General Assembly of this Colony.

Archibald Ritchie.

The Company then separated, those in the Neighbourhood returned to their respective Habitations, whilst those who resided at a Distance, retired to the Taverns, where they pent the Evening with great Sobriety; indeed the Whole was conducted with so much Decency and Discretion, that not a single Man even attempted to introduce Drunkenness, Noise or Licentiousness, amongst them.