No More Learning

, vol. viii, pp. 709-710.
1 From June 8 to July 20, it is recorded that eleven of the thirteen
counties acted; in chronological order: Essex, Bergen, Morris, Somer-
set, Hunterdon, Salem, Middlesex, Sussex, Gloucester, Monmouth and
Burlington. 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, 403-404, 450, 524-525, 553-554, 594, 610-
613; Pa. Journ. , July 20, 1774. These meetings endorsed a suspension
of trade contingent upon the approval of the congress, most of them
preferring non-importation and non-consumption alone. Salem County
showed some individuality in introducing the act of Parliament aga:nst
slitting and plating mills as a grievance and denouncing it as "an
absolute infringement of the natural rights of the subject. "
1Pa. Gas. , July 27, 1774; also 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, pp. 624-625. Vide
also Adams, J. , Works (Adams), vol. ii, p. 356.
4 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, pp. 410-420, 658-661.
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? 358 THE COLONIAL MERCHANTS: 1763. 1776
County on June 29, recommended a continental congress
as the proper agency for securing redress, and appointed a
committee to correspond with the other counties and prov-
inces with reference to the matter. One resolve requested
the speaker of the House of Assembly to convene the mem-
bers of that body not later than August 1, in order to ap-
point delegates to the congress, no request being made of
the governor because of his refusal in the case of the Phila-
delphia petition. 1 A few weeks later county meetings in
Kent and Sussex took similar action. 2 The convention as-
sembled at Newcastle on August 1. Its resolutions ar-
raigned the British Parliament for restricting manufactures
in the colonies, for taking away the property of the colonists
without their consent, for introducing the arbitrary powers
of the excise into the customs in America, for making all
revenue causes tryable without a jury and under a single
dependent judge, and for passing the coercive acts. Dele-
gates were chosen to the approaching congress. 8
14 Am. Arch. , vol. i, p. 664; also Pa. Gas. July 6, 1774.
1 Ibid. , Aug. 3, 1774; also 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, pp. 664-666.
1 Ibid. , vol. i, pp. 666-667.
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? CHAPTER IX
CONTEST OF MERCHANTS AND RADICALS FOR DOMINANCE
IN THE PLANTATION PROVINCES (MAY-
OCTOBER, 1774)
IT is apparent that a revolution of sentiment had oc-
curred among the merchants of the northern seaports.
Those who had promoted movements oi protest against
earlier acts oi Parliament now sought to stop or restrain
the present popular uprising Ry thijt rpvprgf1l rtf front
they occupied the same position of obstruction 011774
that the mercnants and factors ol the plantat1on pro^
vinces had maintained on all occas1ons smcg the begin-
mng ot the commot1ons ten years betore. For this
reason, the course of the plantation provinces in response
to the circular letter of the Boston town meeting of
May 13, 1774, does not show the marked contrast to the
events in the commercial provinces that had characterized
the earlier occasions.
The nature of the contest in 1774 struck closer home
to the Southern planters than the earlier quarrels over
trade reforms, for the issue was more clearly one of per-
sonal liberty and constitutional right, and in the school
of dialectic the plantation provinces acknowledged no
superiors. The long-standing indebtedness of the
planters to the British merchant,,*, was a source of irrita-
tion that undoubtedly jn^11^fd. r^dir^] action, in the
tobacco provinces and in North Carolina in particular.
The demand for a suspension of debt collections played
359
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? 360 THE COLONIAL MERCHANTS: 1763-1776
a part in the popular movement in these provinces, and,
at a later time, in South Carolina as well. On the pre-
sent occasion, the_merchants of Charleston^nd Savannah
were able to coni1n3. I1cl s1vnnort fr^n1 tile, rural d1stricts
'pg due to peculiar local conditions; but
in Virginia anH Nnrt^ QmlinP "-*""? " *h" mfrc,hants
were forff>H tn stanH alnnp, . tha. . planters adopted the
most radical measures of cnm. mcrf. Bl opposition that
were to be found anywhere in, Brij^fy APWiCjiL Mary-
land was only less extreme in the measures adopted.
The movement to take action in response to the Bos-
ton circular letter received its initial impulse in Mary-
land at a meeting of the inhabitants of Annapolis on
May 25, 1774. The resolutions were an advance be-
yond anything that had been adopted elsewhere up to
this time. The meeting declared that all provinces
should unite in effectual measures t_o_obtain the repeal of
the Boston Port Act and that the inhabitants of Annapolis
would join_ in an oath-bound association, in conjunction
with theth^jVIaryJiai1jir"'1"t1*"7 ? "^ thr> nth0r
provinces for a. n immediate no1i=im. por. t;1t1. '1n w1th
Britain and a sus^cjLdj;d. JQJL^ejUP. gJ! ^atiQIL. The inhabit-
ants would immediately _boycott any province that re-
fused to enter similar resolut1ons with a majority of the
provinces. The meeting further resolved thatj1o lawyer
should bring suit for the recovery of any debt due from
a Marvlander to anv inhabitant _QJ Great Britain until
the Pnrt^Act should t? e repealed. A committee of cor-
respondence was appointed, with instructions to join
with similar committees to be appointed elsewhere in
the province to form one grand committee. 1 The dec-
1 Md. Ga? . , May 26, 1774; also 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, pp. 352-353.
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? CONTEST IN PLANTATION PROVINCES 361
laration about the payment of debts at once aroused pro-
test in the city; and two days later a second meeting
was held to re-consider the question, and the resolution
was carried again, forty-seven to thirty-one. 1 Daniel
Dulany, Jr. , was one of those opposed to the resolution
but later he admitted: "I would have agreed to it if it
had extended to merchants in this country as well as
foreign merchants. ""
All the subsequent meetings in Maryland were county
assemblages, thus reducing the opportunities for mer-
cantile influence. Within three weeks eight of the six-
teen counties were recorded as following the example
of the town of Annapolis. 8 Six of these meetings fav-
ored a non-exportation and non-importation, simultane-
ous or successive; Caroline preferred a modified non-im-
portation only; and Kent was silent on the subject. A
suspension of debt collections, foreign and domestic, was
advocated by four counties, in case of complete non-
intercourse. 4 Six counties declared that all provinces
failing to adopt the general plan should be boycotted.
All the meetings organized committees of correspon-
dence and appointed delegates to the forthcoming pro-
vince convention.
The convention of committees assembled at Annajpjjs
on Wednesday, June 22, for a four days' sitting, with
ninety-two members representing every county in the
1 Md. Gas. , June 2, 1774; also 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, p. 353.
1Ibid. , vol. i. pp. 354-355. A formal protest against the resolution,
signed by one hundred sixty-three names, mostly of stay-at-home
citizens, appeared a few days later. Ibid. , pp. 353-354.
*In chronological order: Queen Anne's, Baltimore, Kent, Anne
Arundel, Harford, lower part of Frederick, Charles, Caroline, Fred-
erick. Ibid. , vol. i. pp. 366-367. 379. 384-386, 402-403, 409, 425-426,
433-434: also Md. Gas. , June 9, 16, 30, 1774.
4 Anne Arundel, Caroline, Frederick, Harford.
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? 362 THE COLONIAL MERCHANTS: 1763-1776
province. It was agreed that everv cquntv should c$st
one vote. The resolutions denounced the punitive acts
of Parliament and declared the willingness of the pro-
vince t9 J9Jn in a retaliatorv association, in company
with the principal provinces of the continent, to -fi^O-P
all, or almost all, commercial intercourse with the
mother country, at a date to be fixed by the general
congress. This latter resolve occasioned long debates
on Friday, lasting from ten in the morning until nine at
night. The division, it would appear, was on the ques-
tion whether the non-intercourse should be absolute, as
proposed by the preliminary county meetings, or quali-
fied. The moderates forced a compromise by which it
was agreed that the non-exportation of tobacco should
not take place without a similar restraint in force in
Virginia and North Carolina, and that articles should be
excepted from the non-importation in case a majority of
the provinces should so decide. Further resolutions
declared that rnemliaiits_nui&t_not raise prices, on pain
of boycott; and that the province would sever all rela-
tions with any province or town which declined the plan
recommended by the congress. 1 Apparently there was
little thought of adopting an association which should go
into effect independently of Congress; the resolutions
were in the nature of instructions to the delegates to
Congress, who were forthwith chosen.
The ^Virginia House of Burgesses was in session when
news was received at Williamsburg of the passage of the
Boston Port Act. ^jfharH Henrv l^eer one of the mem-
bers, urged that an immediate declaration be made in
behalf of Boston, but was dissuaded by some "worthy
1 Md. Gas. t June 30, 1774; also 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, pp. 439-440.
Vide a letter from Annapolis in Pa. Journ. , June 29.
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? CONTEST IN PLANTATION PROVINCES 363
members" who desired first to dispose of necessary
provincial business. 1 "Whatever resolves or measures
are intended for the preservation of our rights and lib-
erties," wrote George Mason, who was a spectator of
these events, "will be reserved for the conclusion of the
session. Matters of that sort here are conducted and
prepared with a great deal of privacy, and by very few
members; of whom Patrick Henry is the principal. "
Finally, on Tuesday, May 24, the House resolved that
the first of June, the day on which the harbor of Boston
was to be closed, should be set aside as a "day of fast-
ing, humiliation and prayer. " Governor Dunmore, sus-
pecting rightly that the fast was 1ntended to prepare the
minds of the people to receive other and more inflam-
matory resolutions, ^'fgfllv^ tllA Wn^g^ two days later.
Not to be foiled, eighty-nine
in the Long Room of the Raleigh
Tavern on Friday morning, with Peyton Randolph as
chairman, and adopted an association in which they
declared war on the East India Company
ing the disu se of dutied tea and of all East India com-
modities.
save saltpetre and spices^ It was further recom-
mended to the legislative committee of correspondence
to invite the various provinces to meeJjn annual congress
for the sake of deliberating on measures of common con-
cern. In point of time, this was the first pronounce-
ment by a meeting representing a whole province in
favor of an interprovincial congress; but, as we have
seen, the proposal had already been made by many town
gatherings in various other provinces.
1This account is based chiefly on: ? / Am. Arch. , vol. i, pp. 350-352,
387-388, 445-446; Washington, Writings (Ford), vol. ii, pp. 412-415,
n. 2; letter of a burgess in Rind's Va. Gas. , Sept. 22, 1774; Rowland,
George Mason, vol. i, pp. 168-171.
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? 364 THE COLONIAL MERCHANTS: 1763-1776
These measures, which Richard Henry Lee denomin-
ated as "much too feeble," were entered into indepen-
dently of any knowledge of what had been done else-
where. When the Boston circular letter arrived, with
other letters from the north, on Sunday, May 29, most
of the ex-burgesses had departed for their homes; but
Peyton Randolph succeeded in collecting twenty five of
them for a meeting on Monday morning. Most of those
present believed it absolutely necessary to enlarge the
association to include a general non-importation, but
they were badly divided as to the expediency of stopping
exportation. Furthermore, they felt that, in any case,
their number was too small to permit them to alter the
association. Therefore they addressed a circular letter
to the absent gentlemen, explaining the situation, ask-
ing them to collect the sense of their constituents, and
to assemble in Williamsburg on August 1 to take final
action.
This referendum to the people, occupying a space of
two months, showed conclusively that thp temper nf thf
rural constituencies was far more radjcal. than the action
o| their jqafesentatuteS-at the Williamsburg meeting in-
dicated. . The chief source of opposition to the popular
measures was disclosed by James Madison, when he
wrote that "the Europeans, especially the Scotch, and
some interested merchants among the natives, discounte-
nance such proceedings as far as they dare; alledging
the injustice aud perfidy of refusing to pay our debts to
our generous creditors at home. This consideration
induces some honest, moderate folks to prefer a partial
prohibition, extending only to the importation, of
goods. "' It was reported in London newspapers that
1 Madison, Writings (Hunt), vol. i, p. 26.
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? CONTEST IN PLANTATION PROVINCES 365
when a meeting of merchants at Norfolk, the chief trad-
ing centre, had the Boston circular letter under consid-
eration, a wag present observed that "the request put
him in mind of the old fable of the fox that had lost his
tail and who would have persuaded his brethren to cut
off theirs. " He believed that "as amputation is a dan-
gerous operation . . . it will be better to take time to
consider of it. " The meeting accordingly adjourned
without action. 1
The first county meeting was held at Dumfries in
Prince William County on June 6. One resolution de-
clared boldly: "that as our late Representatives have
not fallen upon means sufficiently efficacious to secure
to us the enjoyment of our civil rights and liberties, it
is the undoubted privilege of each respective county (as
the fountain of power from whence their delegation
arises) to take such proper and salutary measures as will
essentially conduce to a repeal" of the coercive acts. "
This resolve marked the tempo with which all the count-
ies acted. In the period up to the time of the provincial
convention on August 1, thirty-one, perhaps more,
counties gave expression to their sentiments as to a
proper mode of opposition to the mother country. 3
1 Mass. Gas. & Post-Boy, Sept. 12, 1774. Vide also Pa. Gas. , Aug.
24. This no doubt expressed the views of the merchants; but the in-
habitants of the borough in general were ready to adopt measures of
protest. 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, pp. 370-372.
"Rind's Va. Gas. , June g, 1774; also 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, p. 388.
Vide also the Stafford resolutions, ibid. , p. 617.
1In chronological order: Prince William, Frederick, Dunmore,
Westmoreland, Spotsylvania, Richmond, Prince George's, James
City, Norfolk, Culpepper, Essex, Fauquier, Nansemond, New Kent,
Chesterfield, Caroline, Gloucester, Henrico, Middlesex, Dinwiddie,
Surry, York, Fairfax. Hanover, Stafford, Isle of Wight, Elizabeth
City, Albemarle, Accomack, Princess Anne. Buckingham. Ibid. ,
vol. i, pp. 388-644 passim. The resolutions of Isle of Wight County
appeared in Rind's Va. Gas. , July 28, 1774.
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? 366 THE COLONIAL MERCHANTS: 1763-1776
All meetings agreed that Parliament lacked power to
impose taxes collectable in America, and denounced the
Boston Port Act. Twenty counties announced them-
selves in favor of the extreme measure of commercial
non-intercourse with Great Britain, in conjunction with
the other provinces, although eight of these preferred to
have non-exportation go into effect at a stated interval
after non-importation. Three other counties recommended
merely the adoption of an unqualified non-importation;1
and five others proposed a non-importation with certain
articles excepted, as in former associations. 2 The re-
maining three counties indicated their willingness to
accept any conclusions reached at the provincial conven-
tion. 3 A declaration in favor of the suspension of judicial
processes for the collection of debts during non-exporta-
tion was made by eight counties, on the ground that the
people, under such circumstances, had not the means of
paying. 4 Gloucester County resolved that, if Maryland
and North Carolina withheld the exportation of tobacco
to Great Britain, Virginia should adopt the same measure.
Ten counties scrupulously said that they would follow
the advice of the former burgesses and boycott goods
handled by the East India Company, with certain ex-
ceptions. Six counties denounced the importation of
slaves as an economic fallacy, saying, in the words of
Nansemond, "the African trade is injurious to this
Colony, obstructs the population of it by freemen, pre-
vents manufacturers and other useful emigrants from
1 Buckingham. Caroline, Nansemond.
1 Chesterfield, Culpepper, Middlesex, Prince George's, York.
1 Accomack, Dinwiddie, Isle of Wight.
? Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Gloucester, Prince William, Stafford,
Richmond, Westmoreland.
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? CONTEST IN PLANTATION PROVINCES 367
Europe from settling among us, and occasions an annual
increase of the balance of trade against this Colony. "1
The resolutions of three counties contained a declaration
against the advancing of prices by merchants. Several
counties recommended the abandonment of extravagance
and display. Albemarle favored the repeal, not only of
the Boston Port Act, but also of all laws levying duties
in America, restricting American trade and restraining
colonial manufacturing. It was proposed by Fairfax
that, after an interprovincial association had been drawn
up, its enforcement should be left to committees in every
county on the continent, with instructions to publish all
violators as traitors. Norfolk County thought it neces-
sary to suggest, with a view perhaps of discrediting the
moral of the fable about the fox, that the Virginia com-
mittees be composed "of respectable men, fixed and
settled inhabitants of their respective counties. " Nine
counties announced the boycott as the proper penalty
for individuals who failed to adopt the agreed plan of
opposition; and seven counties urged a boycott of de-
linquent provinces.
The meeting of the provincial convention was pre-
ceded by several spirited appeals, the most important
being the series, published by the planter, Thomson
^lason. under the pseudonym, "British American," in
six issues of Rind's Virginia Gaaette, beginning June 16. 2
These articles were particularlv aimed to gtfpmlate to rad-
ical actipq those "countrymen whose own industry, or
the frugality of their ancestors, have blessed . . . [them]
1 Caroline, Culpepper, Nansemond, Prince George's, Princess Anne,
Surry. Slavery was condemned by Fairfax and Hanover as a moral
evil.
1 Reprinted in 4 Am. Arch. , vol. i, pp. 418-419, 493-498, 519-522,
541-544, 620-624, 648-654. Vide also ibid. , p. 647.
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? 368 THE COLONIAL MERCHANTS: 1763-1776
with immense wealth:" and to this end, great stress
was laid on the danger of submitting "to a double taxa-
tion and to two supreme Legislatures," in one of which
the legislative power was wielded by men who, "from
their situation, will reap the advantages but cannot share
in the inconveniences" of their oppressive laws. With
much ingenuity, the writer argued that Parliament lacked
power to legislate for the colonies, and then turned to
consider the possible methods of opposition. Rejecting
non-intercourse as a temporizing measure and imprac-
ticable, he urged that the delegates to the Continental
Congress be instructed to refuse flatly to obey all laws,
including the acts of navigation and trade, made by Par-
liament since the first settlements, and in defense of this
position, to resort to armed resistance and secession, if
necessary. After the convention had gotten under way,
another article appeared in favor of the policy of non-
intercouse, contending that "we need not on the present
occasion shed our blood to secure our rights . . . ""
This latter article and the series of county resolutions
preliminary to the convention struck the true keynote of
the convention's deliberations.
The Virginia convention began its work promptly on
August I and completed its deliberations on the sixth. 2
Of the debates that occurred we know nothing; but
delegates were chosen to the Continental Congress, and
the association adopted marked the crest of the radical
wave set in motion by the late acts of Parliament. In
view of the striking similarity between the Virginia As-
soqiation and the later Continental Association, there
can be no doubt that the former paper was the model
14 Am. Arch. , vol. i, pp. 685 686.
''Ibid. , vol. i, pp. 686-690; also Md. Gas. , Aug. 18, 1774.
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? CONTEST IN PLANTATION PROVINCES 369
for the latter. The action of the delegates faithfully re-
flected the sentiments of their constituents. The dele-
gates boldly set the dates at which the various parts of
the association were to go into effect, subject to such
changes as might be assented to by the Virginia dele-
gates in the Continental Congress; and the association
was to be rel1giously adhered to "before God and the
world" until the redress of all grievances which might
be named by Congress. 1 The immediate non-importa-
tion and disuse_of_. tea "of any kind whatever" was agreed
upon," with the understanding that jf Boston were_ com-
pelled to reimburse the East India Comply. <^p \\nymtt
should be extended to all articles handlfd_bv the com-
pany till the_ money was returned. On November 1,
1774, an absolute boycott of all j^oods (except medi-
cmesj, imported thereafter, directly or indirectly, from
Great Britain was to become effective;8 and the agree-
ment was to extend likewise to negroes. imported irom
Africa, the WejrtJhHjiejj. ox,eJse,where. 4 If colonial griev-
ances were not redressed by August 10. I77S. an abso-
lute non-exportation was to be declared, of all articles
intended to be sent, directly or indirectly, to Great
Britain. 5 This postponement was granted in order to
enable as quick and full payment of debts to Britain as
possible and in order to get the profits on the present
tobacco crop. As non-exportation would be a blow to
tobacco culture, planters were advised thereafter to de-
1 Or until the association should be amended or abrogated by a later
provincial convention.
HY. Continental Association, Arts, i and iii. Appendix, present
volume.
5Cf. ibid. . Art. i.
<C/. ibid.