REPLY TO WETHERSFIELD.1

Boston, July 29th, 1774.

SIR, Your very obliging letter of the 25th instant, directed to the Selectmen or Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Boston, has been by them communicated to a Committee of this Town appointed to receive the donation made for the employment or relief of such inhabitants as are or may be more immediate sufferers by the cruel Act of Parliament for shutting up our harbor. This, at the desire and in the name of this Committee, I am very gratefully to acknowledge, the generosity of the Town of Wethersfield, in the donation made by them, for the purpose above mentioned, consisting of 343 bushels of wheat, 248 of rye, and 390 of Indian corn, which your letter informs is forwarded by Capt. Israel Williams, and for their kind intentions still further. They may be assured that their beneficence will be applied to the purpose for which they have designed it. This Town is suffering the stroke of ministerial vengeance, eas as they apprehend, for the liberties of America, and it per affords them abundant satisfaction to find that they have the concurrent sentiments of their brethen in the sister Colonies in their favor, evidenced by the most liberal acts d of munificence for their support. While they are thus encouraged and supported, I trust they will never be so rungrateful to their friends, as well [as] so lost to a sense of sto virtue, as to “give up the glorious cause." They have need of wisdom and fortitude to confound the devices of their lers enemies, and to endure the hard conflict with dignity. en They rejoice in the approaching general American Congress, and trust that, by the divine direction and blessing, such measures will be taken as will "bring about a happy

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Boston, July 28, 1774. "Every part of this extensive continent, as we have yet heard, appears to be deeply interested in the fate of this unhappy Town. Over Many and great are the donations we have already received, and many more we have good reason to expect. The cry of hunger is not so great as we at first expected. Even our poorest people have not suffered for the want of bread. din May that Being who hath the hearts of all men in his hands, and who turneth they? them as he pleaseth, still dispose our sympathizing brethren to continue their benefactions, till we are happily relieved from our present difficulties."-Force's Archives, vol. i. 646.

[ED.

issue of the present glorious struggle," and secure the rights of America upon the permanent principles of equal liberty and truth.

I am, with very great regard to the Gentlemen of your Committee, Sir, your friend and fellow-countryman,

To Ezekiel Williams, Esq., at Wethersfield.

SAM. ADAMS.

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LETTER FROM NEW JERSEY.1

Elizabeth Town, (New Jersey,) 28th July, 1774.

GENTLEMEN,

The arbitrary and cruel oppression under which your metropolis now labors, from the suspension of commerce, must inevitably reduce multitudes to inexpressible difficulties and distress. Suffering in a glorious and common cause, sympathy and resentment, with peculiar energy, fills the breasts of your anxious countrymen. As the King of kings and Ruler of princes seems in a remarkable manner to be inspiring these Colonies with a spirit of union, to confound the councils of your unrighteous oppressors, and with a spirit of humanity and benevolence towards an innocent and oppressed people, so we trust he will also inspire your Town with patience, resignation and fortitude, until this great calamity shall be overpast.

We have the pleasure to acquaint you, that on the 21st

1 The Committee of Correspondence of New Jersey, on the 1st of June, in a reply to a communication received from Massachusetts, expressed their sympathy with the people of Boston; and public meetings were called in different places throughout the Province, to consider the Port Bill. At a meeting held at Newark on the 11th of June, it was proposed that meetings should be held in the Counties to appoint Committees to meet together and take measures for acting with the other Colonies.-Mulford's New Jersey, p. 389. At a meeting of the inhabitants of Morris County, in Morristown, on the 27th of June, 1774, it was "Voted, That it is the request of this meeting, that the County Committees, when met for the purpose aforesaid, do take into their serious consideration the propriety of setting on foot a subscription for the benefit of the sufferers at Boston, under the Boston Port Bill, above mentioned, and the money arising from such subscription to be laid out as the Committees so met shall think will best answer the ends proposed."

At a meeting of the inhabitants of Middlesex County, on the 15th of July, "Voted, That an immediate subscription be set on foot throughout this County, towards the relief of the suffering families in the Town of Boston;" and a meeting of Committees from the Townships of Monmouth County, on the 19th of July, expressed "the sincerest sympathy and most cordial commiseration” with

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inst., at the City of New Brunswick, the Province of New Jersey, with singular unanimity, (72 delegates from the several Counties, and a majority of the House of Representatives present and approving,) entered into similar resolutions with the other Colonies, elected five Deputies for the proposed Congress, and the County Committees then agreed to promote collections in their respective Counties for the relief of such of the unhappy inhabitants of the Town of Boston, as may be now reduced to extremity and want. To accomplish this purpose with the more acceptation to yourselves, we, the Committee of Correspondence for the Eastern division, request that, by the return of the post, you would be pleased to advise us in what way we can best answer your present necessities-whether cash remitted, or what articles of provision, or other necessaries we can furnish from hence, would be most agreeable, and which we hope we shall be able to forward to Boston very soon after your advice shall be received. We doubt not gentlemen are devising every possible method for the employment of those who, by their deplorable situation, are cut off from all former means of subsistence.

We are, Gentlemen, your very humble servants.

By order.

WM. P. SMITH, Chairman.

Be pleased to direct your letter, in answer, to Wm. P. Smith, at Elizabeth Town, New Jersey.

To the Committee of Correspondence

for the Town of Boston.

their "respected brethren" of Boston; and declared that, " as they expect, under God, that the final deliverance of America will be owing, in a great degree, to a continuance of their virtuous struggle, they esteem themselves bound in duty and interest, to afford them every assistance and alleviation in their power; and they also recommended the Committees of all the Counties to provide for subscriptions in every part of the Colony.

The meeting of the Committees of the several Counties of New Jersey, was held at New Brunswick, on the 21st of July, when it was "Resolved, That it appears to us, to be a duty incumbent on the good people of this Province, to afford some immediate relief to the many suffering inhabitants of the Town of Boston. Therefore, the several County Committees do now engage to set on foot, and promote collections, without delay, either by subscriptions or otherwise, throughout their respective Counties; and that they will remit the moneys arising from the said subscriptions, or any other benefactions, that may be voluntarily made by the inhabitants, either to Boston, or into the hands of James Neilson, John Dennis, William Ouke, Abraham Hunt, Samuel Tucker, Dr. Isaac Smith, Grant Gibbon, Thomas Sinnicks, and John Carey, whom we do hereby appoint a Committee for forwarding the same to Boston, in such way and manner as they shall be advised will best answer the benevolent purposes designed."-ED.

SIR,

REPLY TO NEW JERSEY.

Boston, August 22d, 1774.

The Committee of Correspondence for this Town have handed to the Committee of Donations a letter from you, of 28th ultimo, which breathes such a spirit of union and hearty concern for the rights of America, as must enkindle in every breast the highest opinion of the virtue and firmness of the inhabitants of New Jersey. With hearts deeply impressed with gratitude, we note your kind intentions to contribute for the relief of the inhabitants of this Town, suffering by means of the Boston Port Bill, and desire to know in what way you can best answer our present necessities, whether cash remitted or articles of provision." For answer, if cash should be equally agreeable to our friends, it would be very acceptable at this time, but would leave that matter entirely to your convenience. The Christian sympathy and generosity of our friends through the continent, cannot fail to inspire the inhabitants of this Town with patience, resignation and firmness, while we trust in the Supreme Ruler of the universe, that he will graciously hear our cries, and in his time free us from our present bondage, and make us rejoice in his great salvation. Please to present our grateful acknowledgment to our friends of New Jersey, and be assured we are, with the greatest esteem, Sir, your friends and fellow-countrymen, NATH. APPLETON, per order.

Mr. William P. Smith, New Jersey.

GENTLEMEN,

LETTER FROM CAPE FEAR.1

Cape Fear, North Carolina, July 29th, 1774.

We most heartily sympathize with the distressed inhabitants of the Town of Boston, and take the earliest

1 In North Carolina, subscriptions for the relief of Boston were commenced in July. A letter in the Boston Gazette of August 22, dated Wilmington, N. C., July 20, states that, in a very short time after a subscription had been opened for the sufferers by the Port Bill, "a considerable sum was subscribed by several of the

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opportunity to assure them that we consider ourselves as deeply involved in the misfortunes of that brave people. We view the attack made by the Minister upon the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay, to be intended to pave the way to a general subversion of the constitutional rights of North America. It becomes, therefore, the duty of every American, who is not an apostate to his country, to pursue every justifiable method that may have a tendency to avert this impending calamity. The inclosed Resolves speak the sentiments of the inhabitants of Cape Fear, and, we are well assured, of this Province in general. As a testimony of the sincerity of our professions and good wishes in behalf of your Town, we have loaded a sloop with provisions, which we have taken the freedom to address to your care; and we request that you will apply them to the support of the indigent inhabitants of Boston, who, by the late oppressive Acts of Parliament, are now deprived of the means of procuring their subsistence by their daily labor and honest industry. Although inconsiderable in its value, yet we flatter ourselves that, when it is viewed as a testimony of the heartfelt share we take in the calamity of that Town, and as an earnest of our zealous endeavors to encourage them to persist, with prudent and manly firmness, in the

inhabitants of Cape Fear for that charitable purpose. Parker Quince, Esq., of Brunswick, has upon this occasion, offered a vessel to convey the provisions without a farthing expense to the subscribers, and Captain Budd and his sailors have agreed to navigate her to Salem gratis."

At a meeting of the inhabitants of the District of Wilmington on the 21st of July, it was "Resolved, That we consider the cause of the Town of Boston as the common cause of British America, and the inhabitants thereof as suffering in the defence of the rights of the Colonies in general; and that therefore we have, in proportion to our abilities, sent a supply of provisions for the indigent inhabitants of that place, thereby to express our sympathy in their sufferings, and as an earnest of our sincere intentions to contribute, by every means in our power, to alleviate their distress, and to induce them to maintain, with prudence and firmness, the glorious cause in which they are at present embarked." A committee, raised at this meeting, addressed to the freeholders of the Province a circular letter, in which they tender congratulations, "upon the generous contribution of the inhabitants, which has put it in our power to load a vessel with provisions, which will sail this week for the port of Salem." An account, tres dated Wilmington, July 27, states that several widow ladies of that town had contributed very liberally to this object.

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The Boston Gazette, of Sept. 5, contains the following extract from a letter from Wilmington, dated Aug. 2, 1774, addressed to a citizen of Boston:

"As to public matters I shall likewise please you, when I inform you that a patriotic spirit possesses every bosom, which all ranks of persons seem emulous to express by actions as well as by words; even those few from whom another