Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
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the controversy: but subsequent events have shown, how vain was this
hope of finding moderation in our enemies.
Several threatening expressions against the colonies were inserted in
his majesty’s speech; our petition, though we were told it was a decent
one, and that his majesty had been pleased to receive it graciously, and to
promise laying it before his parliament, was huddled into both houses
among a bundle of American papers, and there neglected. The lords and
commons in their address, in the month of February, said, that ‘‘a rebellion at that time actually existed within the province of MassachusettsBay; and that those concerned in it, had been countenanced and encouraged by unlawful combinations and engagements, entered into by his
majesty’s subjects in several of the other colonies; and therefore they besought his majesty, that he would take the most effectual measures to enforce due obedience to the laws and authority of the supreme legislature.’’—Soon after, the commercial intercourse of whole colonies, with
foreign countries, and with each other, was cut off by an act of parliament; by another several of them were entirely prohibited from the fisheries in the seas near their coasts, on which they always depended for
their sustenance; and large reinforcements of ships and troops were immediately sent over to General Gage.
Fruitless were all the entreaties, arguments, and eloquence of an illustrious band of the most distinguished peers, and commoners, who nobly
and stren[u]ously asserted the justice of our cause, to stay, or even to mitigate the heedless fury with which these accumulated and unexampled
outrages were hurried on. . . .
. . . General Gage, who in the course of the last year had taken possession of the town of Boston, in the province of Massachusetts-Bay, . . . on
the 19th day of April, sent out from that place a large detachment of his
army, who made an unprovoked assault on the inhabitants of the said
province, at the town of Lexington, as appears by the affidavits of a great
number of persons, some of whom were officers and soldiers of that detachment, murdered eight of the inhabitants, and wounded many others.
From thence the troops proceeded in warlike array to the town of Concord, where they set upon another party of the inhabitants of the same
province, killing several and wounding more, until compelled to retreat