The Virginia Gazette

Extract of a letter from Norwich, November 21, 1774.

"The present cruel and unnatural American war is a most fatal blow to the manufactories of every town and city in the kingdom, particularly to the woollen manufactory of this place; what the dreadful consequences will be, I tremble to think of. The ruin of the colonists must unavoidably be the ruin of ourselves; if we can have no remittances, we must become bankrupts; if we can obtain no orders, our numerous dependents of combers, dyers, hot-pressers, &c. must be the same; and as to our poor unhappy journeymen, they have no other prospect, no other alternative, than the workhouse, or starving.

Since the non-importation agreement of the General Congress has been known, very considerable orders for coarse camblets, and striped calimancoes, have been countermanded by the merchants and warehousemen in London: whose situation, on that account, must be very disagreeable, and who, like us, are no doubt repining at their loss, and execrating the men whose measures occasioned it. Was it not for a tolerable German, Spanish, and Italian trade, we should be without employment; the instant that fails, the distresses of this great city will be inexpressible, and the cries and clamour of our innumerable poor reach the ears of a hard-hearted unfeeling ministry.

Had that great man, and profound politician, Lord Chatham, continued in office, we should have continued to have enjoyed all the blessings of a wise and good government; England would have never foolishly taken up arms against herself, and passed the late six acts of suicide, that have astonished the world, and kindled such a flame in America. How much longer an unfeeling, arbitrary junto, will be suffered to disturb the repose of a good King, and to sport with the lives, liberties, and properties of his faithful subjects, at home and abroad, time only can determine; but this I will venture to affirm, that unless a speedy change of men and measures takes place a terrible convulsion in the state will be the consequence: For, as the before mentioned noble Lord justly observes, we have no right to tax America: their trade alone affords this nation four millions sterling a year; and whenever the exigencies of our affairs have made a requisition necessary, they have cheerfully complied with it, and sometimes even granted more than we asked for. What can justice wish for, what can subjects do more? Better, far better, had it been for this kingdom, in the opinion of thousands, that an unjust, oppressive Ministry, had perished in the Thames with the tea, before it was sent to Boston, than that they should live to make the destruction of that dutied article, by a few raggamuffins, a pretence for trampling upon the rights and privileges of the colonists, and ruining the trade of Great Britain.

In a word, things are now come to a crisis; the whole nation is alarmed, and perseverance in the violent measures that have been so long and so loudly complained of cannot fail to be productive of the most fatal events to this country."