The Writings of Samuel Adams - Volume 3Adams, Samuel
History
The Writings of Samuel Adams - Volume 3
Adams, Samuel
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1809
From an Extract of a Letter from a Southern Colony, and the
Publications in last Thursday's Gazette, it is very evident a
Scheme has been concerted by some Persons to frustrate any
Attempts that might be made to suspend our Trade with Great-
Britain, till our most intolerable Grievances are redressed. The
Scheme appears to be, to SEEM to agree to the Suspension in Case
all agreed, and then by construing some Passage in a Letter from
the Committee of another Province, that they had NOT AGREED, to
declare that the conditional Signers were NOT HOLDEN. A GAME or
two of such Mercantile Policy would soon have convinced the World
that Lord North had a just Idea of the Colonies; and that
notwithstanding their real Power to prove a Rope of Hemp to him,
they were a Rope of Sand in Reality, among themselves. I would
beg Leave to ask the voluminous Querists referr'd to. whether
they conceive a Non-consumption Agreement would ever have been
tho't of in the Country, could our Brethren there have persuaded
themselves that the Merchants were in earnest to suspend Trade
the little Time there was between our receiving the Port Bill,
and the Appointment of a Congress, or any other general Measure
come into, from which a radical Relief might be expected? 2.
Whether the Trade in their last Meeting declaring, That their
CONDITIONAL Agreement was DISSOLVED, on Pretence that Advices
from New York and Philadelphia were totally discouraging, was not
highly unbecoming a People whose peculiar Circumstances rendered
it their duty to stop their Trade to Great Britain the Moment the
Port-Bill reached the Shore of America? 3. Whether they conceive
the Committee of Boston planned the Non-consumption Agreement,
and sent it first into the Country for their Adoption? or rather,
whether the Country, enraged at their preposterous Management,
did not originate the Plan and press the Committee to have it
digested, printed and recommended throughout the Colony? 4. I
would enquire whether a Backwardness in the Province, actually
suffering, to come into the only peaceful Measure that remains
for our Extrication from Slavery, would not naturally excuse
every other Province from taking one Step for the common
Salvation? 5. Whether in that Case all the Trade of the Province,
whether consisting of Spring, Summer or Fall Importations, would
in the End be worth an Oyster-Shell? 6. Whether all the Bugbears
started against the Worcester Covenant, as holding up the taking
a solemn Oath to "withdraw all Commercial Connexions," which our
honest Commentators tell the People means even to deny buying or
selling Greens or Potatoes to them, does not betray a great want
of that Candor and manly Generosity, which is expected from well-
bred and reasonble Citizens? 7. Whether the suggestion that the
Boston Merchants ceasing to Import, will throw the Trade into the
Hands of Importers in other Provinces, is not utterly unbecoming
an Inhabitant of that Town, into which the Beneficence of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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