THE SPIRIT OF THE YEAR 1774.

THE great object in the year 1774, by those who supposed war with the mother country was inevitable, was to form public opinion in favor of war with Great Britain; to do which, it became necessary to inform the people of their just rights, by

The following scraps of Historical Facts are inserted for preservation.

In December, 1774, Gen. Timothy Ruggles, of Hardwick, in Massachusetts, who was one of the leaders of the royalists, boldly espoused the cause of the King, by forming an association of tories in that and other colonies, under a constitution or compact, of six articles, to which, the signatures of such as united in said association were subscribed, which was openly published in the newspapers in Boston, Hartford, and other places.

1st. That they would on all occasions with their lives and fortunes, stand by and assist each other, in defence of life, liberty and property, when attacked or endangered by any body of men, riotously assembled under any pretence or authority not warranted by the laws of the land.

2d. To mutually support each other in the free exercise of their undoubted rights to liberty, in eating, drinking, buying, selling, (Tea) communing and acting, what, with, whom and as they pleased, consistent with the laws of God and the King.

3d. That they would not acknowledge or submit to the pretended authority of any Congresses, committees of correspondence, or other unconstitutional assemblies of men, but to oppose the forcible exercise of all such authority at the risk of their lives.

4th. That they would to the utmost of their power, promote and encourage, when called, and enforce obedience to the rightful authority of King George the 3d, and of his laws.

5th. That when the person or property of any so associated should be invaded by any committees, mobs or unlawful assemblies, that notice being given, would forthwith repair properly

holding town meetings, for the discussion of their greivances and their rights. A large majority of the yeoman of Connecticut became greatly excited, exasperated and patriotic, by holding

armed, to the person on whom such invasion or threatening should be, and to the utmost of their power defend such person and his property, and if need be, to oppose and repel force with force.

6th. That if any of such associates should be unjustly or unlawfully injured in his person or property by such assemblies, the others should unitedly demand, and if in their power, compel such offenders to make full reparation for such injury, and if all other means of security should fail, to have recourse to the natural laws of retaliation.

Several letters from England were received, stating that the King had issued his proclamation, and prohibited the exportation of either arms or ammunition from Great Britain to the colonies, and had ordered two men-of-war to the Texel, in Holland, to prevent the transportation of those articles in English bottoms to America.

In December, 1774, a letter from Connecticut to a gentleman in New York, gave the information that the towns of Newtown and Ridgefield had protested against the proceedings of the Grand Continental Congress, and that other towns were expected to follow the example.

In the latter part of January, 1775, a gentleman of Hartford went to New York, to procure a town stock of powder, where he purchased it, and on his return with it, through the town of Stamford, a customhouse officer seized it. When the news reached Hartford, thirty respectable men immediately went to Stamford to recover the powder, which they effected.

Feb. 1775. At a meeting of the committees of observation of the towns in Litchfield county, at Litchfield, Feb. 22d, to consider and advise upon the most effectual method of carrying into execution the continental association, according to the true spirit thereof; to cultivate that union and harmony which so happily

town meetings. I therefore insert in this work, a few of the doings of several towns in this State, shewing the manner of forming public opinion on the subject.

At a legal meeting, held at New Haven, on the 23d day of May, 1774, Daniel Lyman, Esq., Moderator.

Voted, That we will to the utmost of our abilities, assert and

subsisted among them, and which the dark and insidious foes of their peace and liberty, by every base and treacherous device, were endeavoring to weaken and confound. They passed several resolutions, expressing their views upon the subject of their meeting; among which they strongly recommended to the people of the county that they should treat all persons who should endeavor by any means or ways to sow the seeds of discord, with that utter contempt that such criminals justly deserved; and that all who should transgress the rules of the association; that the people of the county should be governed by the great line of conduct marked by the Continental Congress, by withdrawing all communion from such persons, as being inimical to the rights of human nature; and resolved to adopt the mode of proceeding agreed upon by the counties of Hartford and New Haven, in regard to persons accused of violating the articles of said association.

By request of the students of Yale College, the exhibitions of the seminary were to be discontinued during the unfavorable aspect of the affairs of the colonies; and the senior class appointed a committee to wait upon the authority of college with a petition for a private commencement.

The House of Representatives of the colony of Connecticut voted an address of thanks to the House of Assembly of the important island of Jamaica, for their kind and seasonable mediation, by their petition and remonstrance to his Majesty in favor of the colonies. The Speaker was directed to write to the Assembly of said island and enclose a copy of their resolution, and of the one passed May, 1773, as to appointing a committee of correspondence, inviting them to come into that method of communicating such intelligence as should be of public importance, and immediately affecting the inhabitants of the British colonies and islands in America.

defend the liberties and immunities of British America, and that we will co-operate with our sister towns, in this and the other colonies, in any constitutional measures that may be thought most conducive to the preservation of our invaluable rights and privileges.

Voted, That Joshua Chandler, Esq., Samuel Bishop, Jr., Esq.,

The distress was such in Boston, in 1775, that large quantities of grain, rum, &c. &c., were sent from the other colonies for their relief, generally done by subscriptions, particularly for the use of the poor; and one John Prette John, of Barbadoes, in February, advertised to the people of Barbadoes, that he would receive on board of his vessel, rum, &c. for said purpose, together with what he then had for the poor of Boston.

The Black Act had its first reading before Parliament, Feb. 10, 1775'; in which it was resolved to bring in a bill to restrain the trade and commerce of the provinces of Massachusetts bay, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Providence plantations, in North America, to Great Britain, Ireland, and the British islands in the West Indies, and prohibit such colonies carrying on any fishery on the banks of Newfoundland, &c.

The New York General Assembly.

For the city of New York. John Cruger, the present speaker, a merchant, uncle to the counsellor who married brigadier De Lancey's daughter, and to one of the present members for Bristol, in Parliament; James De Lancey, nephew to brigadier De Lancey, and brother-in-law to governor Penn; James Jauncey, a merchant, father to the counsellor, who married sir Gilbert Elliott's neice; Jacob Walton, a merchant, brother-in-law to Mr. Cruger, the counsellor, and nephew to the speaker.

Richmond county. Benjamin Seaman, a shop keeper, colonel of the militia, and judge of the county during pleasure, and fatherin-law to the clerk of the county, who holds his office likewise during pleasure; Christopher Billop, a farmer, who married Col. Seaman's daughter, also a colonel of the militia.

King's county. Simon Boerum, clerk of the county, and one of the delegates to the general congress; John Rapalje, colonel of the militia, a farmer.

Daniel Lyman, Esq., Mr. Stephen Ball, Pierpont Edwards, Esq., John Whiting, Esq., Mr. Isaac Doolittle, Mr. David Austin, Capt. Joseph Munson, Mr. Peter Colt, Mr. Jeremiah Atwater, Mr. Timothy Jones, Jr., Mr. Isaac Beers, Capt. Timothy Bradley, Mr. Silas Kimberly, Simeon Bristol, Esq., Mr. Joseph Woodward, and Capt. Joel Hotchkiss, be a standing committee for the

Queen's county. Zebulon Williams or Seamans, a farmer, and captain in the militia; Daniel Kissam, a farmer, and justice of the peace during pleasure.

Suffolk county. Nathaniel Woodhull, a farmer, colonel of the militia, and judge of the inferior court; William Nicoll, clerk of the county, a lawyer.

West Chester county. Isaac Wilkins, a native of Jamaica, educated under doctor Cooper, at the New York college, now studying divinity, and intending soon to go home for Episcopal orders, likewise an intimate friend of Dr. Chandler, of Elizabethtown; John Thomas, judge of the county during pleasure; Frederick Philipse, colonel of the militia, and brother-in-law to Col. Morris the counsellor; Pierre Van Cortlandt, colonel of the militia.

Dutchess county. Dirck Brinckerhoff, a shop keeper, and colonel of the militia: Leonard Van Kleck, a shop keeper, and colonel of the militia.

Albany county. Peter R. Livingston, colonel of the militia, eldest son of the proprietor of the manor of Livingston, and brother-in-law to Mr. Duane, one of the delegates, and nephew to Philip Livingston, another of the delegates; Philip Schuyler, colonel of the militia, and first judge of Charlotte county; Jacob H. Ten Eyck, a justice of the peace, and father to the sheriff of Albany county, both holding their offices during the pleasure of the governor; Abraham Ten Broek, colonel of the militia, uncle to the lord of the manor of Renselaerwyck, and brother-in-law to Philip Livingston, Esq., one of the delegates at the Congress; Jacobus Mynderffe, a farmer of Schenectady.

Cumberland County. Samuel Wells, colonel of the militia, judge of the inferior court, and father-in-law to Mr. Gale, clerk of that county; Crean Brush, a native of Ireland, practising the law in Cumberland county, who sold the clerkship of the county to Judge Webb's son-in-law.