George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 7, 4th edition.

[58] the ocean, lay most exposed to ships of war. ‘Our

Chap. IV.} 1774. June.

hearts are warmed with affection for you,’ such was its message; ‘we address the Almighty Ruler to support you in your afflictions. Be assured we consider you as suffering in the common cause, and look upon ourselves as bound by the most sacred ties to support you.’

Jefferson, from the foot of the Blue Ridge of the Alleghanies, condemned the act, which in a moment reduced an ancient and wealthy town from opulence to want, and without a hearing and without discrimination, sacrificed property of the value of millions to revenge—not repay—the loss of a few thousands. ‘If the pulse of the people beat calmly under such an experiment by the new and till now unheard of executive power of a British parliament,’ said the young statesman, ‘another and another will be tried, till the measure of despotism be filled up.’ At that time the king was so eager to give effect to the law which subverted the charter of Massachusetts, that acting upon information confessedly insufficient, he, with Dartmouth, made out for that province a complete list of councillors, called mandamus councillors from their appointment by the crown. Copies of letters from Franklin and from Arthur Lee had been obtained; Gage was secretly ordered to procure, if possible, the originals, as the means of arraigning their, authors for treason. Bernard and Hutchinson had reported that the military power failed to intimidate, because no colonial civil officer would sanction its employment: to meet the exigency, Thurlow and Wedderburn furnished their opinion, that such power belonged to the governor