cause in which they now suffer, it will not be thought altogether unworthy their acceptance. In behalf of the inhabitants of Cape Fear, North Carolina, permit us to subscribe ourselves, Gentlemen, your most obedient servants, JAMES MOOre. GEO. HOOPER. A. MACLAINE. WILL. HOOPER. JNO. ANCRUM. ROB'T HOGG. FRANCIS CLAYTON. To John Hancock, John Rowe, and Samuel Adams, Esquires. conduct was expected, have surprised the world by a zeal for the service of our suffering brethren in Boston, and a liberality in contributing to their relief, which, till this occasion gave them an opportunity of displaying, scarce any body supposed them capable of. A subscription having been set on foot for the support of the Bostonians, (suffering nobly in the common cause of America,) a very few days, from a few individuals, produced as much as loaded the vessel by which this letter comes. And by this time, I have no doubt, enough is collected to load another. Nor is this all; for there is apparent, in almost every individual, a proper sense of the injury done to the Colonies, in the tendency of those oppressive acts of Parliament, and a determined spirit of opposition and resentment worthy of a human bosom, in the great cause of liberty. "A numerous and respectable meeting of the six Counties in the District of Wilmington has been had, and they have, without one dissenting voice, resolved upon pursuing every legal and rightful measure, to aid and assist their sister Colony of the Massachusetts-bay to the utmost of their power, and have sent expresses to every County in the Province, strictly recommending a subscription in each of them for the same purpose." Another letter from Wilmington, dated August 3d, says: "No sooner was a subscription put about for the relief of our suffering brethren in Boston, than in a few days I am told two thousand pounds our currency were raised, and it is expected something very considerable will be contributed at Newbern and Edenton for the same noble purpose, as subscriptions are set on foot in every County in the Province." The Provincial Convention of this Colony, held at Newbern, on the 27th of August, 1774,"Resolved, That the inhabitants of the Massachusetts Province have distinguished themselves in a manly support of the rights of America in general, and that the cause in which they now suffer is the cause of every honest American, who deserves the blessings which the constitution holds forth to them. That the grievances, under which the Town of Boston labors at present, are the effect of a resentment, levelled at them, for having stood foremost in an opposi tion to measures, which must eventually have involved all British America in a state of abject dependence and servitude. "Resolved, That we view the attempts made by the ministers upon the Town of Boston, as a prelude to a general attack upon the rights of the other Colonies, and that upon the success of this depends, in a great measure, the happiness of er Amer GENTLEMEN, REPLY TO CAPE FEAR. Boston, September 7th, 1774. Your favor of July 29th ult., directed to Messrs. Hancock, Rowe, and Adams, came to the hands of the Committee of Donations. The contents of the bill [of] lading which you inclosed, are received and landed here, and shall be applied to the purposes for which they were so generously bestowed. The tender sympathy and brotherly kindness expressed in your letter, and so fully evidenced by the very liberal donations of our worthy and patriotic brethren of Cape Fear, are truly affecting. Our sincere and grateful acknowledgments are justly their due. They will please kindly to accept this testimony thereof; and may they find, to their everlasting consolation, the truth of our Lord and Saviour's observation, that "it is more blessed to give than to receive." But while we are ready to acknowledge the Christian charity, yea, munificence, of our friends, we should be very guilty in the sight of God, if we did not explicitly acknowledge his superintending providence and gracious attention to the state of this distressed Town, manifested by repeated and seasonable supplies. He has the hearts of kings, and of all their subjects, in his hand, and no creature can either help or hurt but by his sovereign direction or permission. To him, therefore, both givers and receivers are infinitely obliged, and to him they should render their most humble and thankful praises. God grant that herein we may all unite. It is ordered by God, who can never do any wrong to his he creatures, that Massachusetts in general, and Boston in Pparticular, should receive the first blow, and feel the weight of ministerial vengeance. We have felt the shock. We th feel it still, but we are not yet intimidated; we remain erv to America, in its present race and in posterity; and that therefore it becomes our duty to contribute, in proportion to our abilities, to ease the burden imposed upon that Town, for their virtuous opposition to the revenue acts, that they may be enabled to persist in a prudent and manly opposition to the schemes of Parliament, and render its dangerous designs abortive."-Ed. undaunted. Our God supports and sustains us. To him we would continue humbly to look for wisdom, direction, firmness, resolution and success. We hope he has begun salvation for us. Our enemy doth not triumph over us. The cause in which this people are engaged, and which, God helping us, we are determined to live and die by, we believe to be the cause of truth and righteousness, and must therefore issue well. "Magna est veritas et [pre-valebit." All North America is deeply interested in the cause; our political life and death are bound up in the event. Our union, firmness and prudence, are our strength and hope, and no less the dread and terror of the enemies of our civil and religious rights and liberties, and under God will be our salvation. But after all, it is not for us to know the times or the seasons. When these troubles will end, or whether we shall not be called to yet greater trials, God only knows. He knows when, and what to do; and of this we may rest satisfied, that he will, by all that takes place, advance his own glory and his people's best interest; and, when he has answered the ends of his government in this part of his most holy and righteous administration, they shall be promoted to honor, perhaps in this world, certainly in the next; but his and his people's implacable enemies shall be covered with confusion, and filled with everlasting contempt. This we design by Parker Quince, Esqr., your friend and ours. A vessel arrived yesterday at Salem, and, it is said, with thirty-three chests of tea, and a mast-ship expected at Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, with a very large quan tity. What an insult this, upon the whole Continent! But as Mr. Quince is upon the spot, and doubtless gets information of what passes, we think it needless to go into a particular detail thereof, and would refer you to him. We are, with great affection and esteem, Gentlemen, Your very obliged, humble servants, To Colonel James Moore and others, a Committee at Cape Fear, North Carolina. SIR, Rhode Island, Aug. 19th, 1774. I arrived here two days past, in a sloop, with provision for the poor of Boston, and should esteem it a favor in your advising where will be most suitable to land her cargo. If it is equally convenient, I think Providence is the nearest place. I shall keep the sloop here, till I have the pleasure of a few lines from you by next post, and am, Sir, your most obedient servant, The Hon'ble John Hancock, Esq. P. QUINCE. tine SS GENTLEMEN, Boston, August 22d, 1774. The Committee of Donations have received advice this day, of a cargo of provisions from North Carolina, arrived at Newport, waiting for our directions. We have ordered. the master to proceed to Marblehead, and apply to you for further advice and directions. This is to ask the favor of you to direct the master, after regular entry and clearance, to proceed up to Boston, and if any expense should be incurred by you, your draft on us shall be immediately honored. The kindness this town have experienced from our friends of Marblehead, and especially from you, encourages us to take the freedom. We hope to persevere under our trials and firmly resist the hand of oppression, trusting in the Supreme Ruler of the universe, that he will in his time extricate us from all our troubles, and we shall yet be a free and happy people. With the highest esteem and respect, We are, Gentlemen, Mr. Elbridge Gerry, of Marblehead. The four succeeding letters relate to the donation received from Cape Fear. -ED. SIR, Boston, August 22d, 1774. Colonel Hancock favored the Committee of Donations with a letter from you, 19th instant, advising of the arrival of a cargo of provisions from North Carolina, for the relief of our poor, suffering by means of the Boston Port Bill. Said Committee have this day taken the matter into consid eration, and have agreed to request the favor of you to order the vessel round to Marblehead, and then apply to Colonel Orne and Mr. Elbridge Gerry, for their advice and assistance. We stand ready to defray any charges arising on the same. This Town are deeply affected with the Christian sympathy and generosity of our friends through the Continent, and we now, in behalf of the Town, retum our cordial and grateful acknowledgments to our worthy friends and brethren of Carolina, for this instance of their readiness to support the common cause of American liberty, and the relief of this Town, suffering under the cruel hand of oppression. Please, Sir, to accept our hearty thanks for the particular care you have taken in this matter. We wish you and our brethren of Carolina the best of Heaven's blessings, and are, with great esteem, your and their very obliged friends and fellow-countrymen, NATH'L APPLETON, Chairman pro tempore of the Mr. Parker Quince, at Newport. Committee of Donations. GENTLEMEN, Boston, Sept. 7th, 1774. It gives me pleasure to find my small endeavors have met with your approbation, and you may rest assured that the inhabitants of North Carolina, so far as their sentiments could be had at the time I left the Province, beheld with abhorrence the distresses brought on this Town and country, by the oppressive Port Bill and others, and unanimously resolved to aid and assist, to the utmost of their power, their suffering brethren in Boston, and to join |