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divers others Disaffected & evil Desposed persons within ye sd Towne as yett unknown on ye 23d day of August last past being mett & assembled together att Ipswich aforesd Did in a most factious & Seditious & Contemptuous manner then & there vote & agree that they were not willing nor would not Choose a Commissioner as by a Warrant From Jn'o Usher Esq. his Majesties Treasurer & Receiver General in pusuance of ye laws of this his Maj'ties Dominion to ye Constable & Selectmen of ye sd Town directed was required to be Done w't the vote or agreement of them the sd Thomas French Jno Andrews & Jn'o Appleton & others as aforesaid was then & their by their Consent and direction by him the sd Jn'o Appleton as Clerk of ye sd Town putt into writing & published Contrary to & in high Contempt of his maj'ties Laws & Government here established. these are therefore in his Maj'ties Name to Charge & Command you that immediately you take into your Custody the bodyes of ye Thomas French Jn'o Andrews & Jn'o Appleton & them safely keep & bring to this place soe that you may have them before me in Council to Answer ye premises & what else shall be Objected against them or either of them on his Maj'ties Behalfe.

And all Justices of ye Peace Sheriffs Constables & other officers both Military & Civill & all other persons whatsoever are hereby strictly

Charged & required to be Ayding & Assisting to you therein as Occasion & for soe doeing this will be unto you & them a Sufficient Warr't.

Given under my hand & seale att Boston the 15th day of September in ye 3d year of his Maj'ties Reign annoque Dom. 1687.

Thomas Franklin Waters, Ipswich in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (Ipswich, 1905), 239, 242 passim.

25. A Bloodless Revolution (1689) By DEPUTY GOVERNOR THOMAS DANFORTH

Deputy Governor of Massachusetts and leader of the popular party in that colony.

YOUR loveing lines were with much joy received and read by me, for which I humbly bless God, and return yourselfe many thanks. By reason of the great expectation of your sudden arrivall (with other of your friends) I did willingly omitt writeing unto you by the last opportunity, but now, considering the times are among those things reserved by God to his own dispose, I shall adventure the riske of a few lines, committing yourselfe and my endeavours herein to the good providence of God.

Its now 14 weeks since the revolution of the

government here, the manner whereof, before these can reach you, will spread farr and neare; future consequences wee are ignorant of, yet wee know that, at present, wee are eased of those great oppressions that wee groaned under, by the exercise of an arbitrary and illegall commission, some briefe account whereof is contained in the declaration published the same day, a coppie whereof I herewith send you. The busines was acted by the soldiers that came armed into Boston from all parts, to the great amazement of all beholders, being greatly animated by the Prince's declarations, which about that time came into the country, and heightened by the oppressions of the governor, judges, and the most wicked extortion of their debauched oppressions they lay under, were so far prevalent in the minds of all, that although some could not advise to the enterprise, yet are hopefull that we shall not be greatly blamed, but shall have a pardon granted for any error the law will charge us with in this matter. The exercise of Sir Edmund's commission, so contrarie to the magna charta, is surely enough to call him to account by his superiors, and also Mr. Dudley that led the van in that tragedy; and for others of them, may we be quit of them, as we hope for no good from them, so we are farr from desiring to revenge our selves upon them, let what they have met with be a warning to others how they essay to oppress their Majesties

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good subjects any more in that kind. I crave an answer hereunto by the first opportunity.

I must also yet a little further acquaint you that sundry of those gentlemen and merchants that were very active in this matter on the day of the revolution yet, since, missing of what they expected the people universally crying up their charter priviledges and urging the old governor and magistrates to reassume the former government all which they were designed to oppose but had hopes to advance their private interests of which finding themselves now disappointed, are greatly discontented and speake highly against the representatives of the people and present government and, as we are informed, sundry of them, mostly factors and strangers, have drawn a petition to the lords of the committee for foreign plantations, pretending loyalty and advance of revenue to the crown, and highly inveighing against the government and people, whereas, in truth, they are the transgressors of those acts for trade and navigation, and those whom they complain against are generally unconcerned in either, and so uncapable to do the thing they accuse them of. If any thing of this nature be presented, let me intreat you sedulously to divert the mischief intended and send me a coppie thereof by the first opportunity.

Capt. George, commander of the Rose frigott, was also the same day with the rest of that knott

seized, reports being spread by sundry of his men, that he intended for France, there to waite on the late King James, and before his departure to shew his spleen against Boston, so that the people were afraid of being murdered and burnt up in their beds, the lieutenant also a known papist. The sails of the frigott are brought on shore and secured till the government here receive their Majesty's order, for which deed its hoped we shall not receive blame. We do crave that the circumstances of our case and condition in all respects may be considered. Nature hath taught us selfe preservation: God commands it as being the rule of charity towards our neighbour: Our great remotenes from England denys us the opportunity of direction and order from thence for the regulating ourselves in all imergencies, nor have we meanes to know the laws and customes of our nation: These things are our great disadvantage: We have alwayes endeavoured to approve ourselves loyall to the crown of England, and are well assured that none of our worst enemyes dare to tax us in that matter, and we have also laboured to attend the directions of our charter, under the security whereof were laid by our fathers the foundation of this his Majesties colony, and we are not without hopes but that before you do receive these lines we shall receive from their royall Majesties the confirmation of our charter, with such addition of privileges as

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