A Lull in the Storm

    802. To Unknown, 31 January 1771

    803. To Sir Francis Bernard, 3 February 1771

    804. To Richard Jackson, 3 February 1771

    805. To Alexander Mackay, 3 February 1771

    Many might have expected the acquittal of the soldiers to be greeted by widespread protests. Instead, based on evidence of civil disorder that emerged at the trial, public sentiment in the rest of the province turned against the town of Boston and its patriot vanguard. Even the efforts of Samuel Adams, writing as Vindex in the Boston Gazette, to retry the judicial proceedings in the newspapers failed to stir much controversy. Hutchinson also attributed the change in mood to the transfer earlier in the fall of Castle William to royal control, which he believed the people of Massachusetts interpreted as a just rebuke for the perceived excesses of the General Court and the Boston town meeting in challenging imperial authority. Whether the change was permanent or temporary remained to be seen.

    802. To Unknown1

    Boston 31 Jany 1771

    Dear sir, Your Letter of the 15 did not come to hand till yesterday time enough however to forward your Letters with some of my own by Cap. Ackworth who saild this morning.

    The people about the Country have certainly alterd their Conduct & in the Town if it was not for 2 or 3 A——ss we should do well eno.2

    I dont know how to account for the obstinacy of one who seemd to me when he began life to promise well the other never appead different from what he does at present & I fear never will. The name of Vindex which he has assumd is characteristick but as it is the custom now for people to give their children two or three names I could wish he would add Malignus & Invidus to make his names a little more significant.3

    I have prorogd the Court to the 13 March. I am afraid we shall have something from Engd which will cause me to wish I had not done it & therefore staid as long as I could. The general Voice was against meeting sooner unless I could carry it to Boston which I see no prospect of being able to do at present. A Vessel arrivd yesterday from Falm which brought Lond. Papers to the 18 Dec. A Vessel saild from London sevral days before but is not yet arrivd. Its probable she has the Parchments.4 The Clouds were growing thicker & war was every day expected.

    You certainly will be at Court that I may have no more contention. There is no credit in gaining the Victory when a cause in it self so bad is so poorly managed. I am Dear Sir Your most Obedient Servant,

    AC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 27:102).

    803. To Sir Francis Bernard

    Boston 3d. Febr 1771

    (56)

    by Taignmouth

    Collings

    Dear Sir, Green & Russell have been with me to acquaint me that a Gentleman from London has given them reason to believe that Mr. Mein has been endeavouring to obtain an Order from the Lords of the Treasury to the Commissioners of the Customs here to appoint him their Printer & Stationer;1 I wish Mr Mein may have the favour of Government in some way or other, but it will certainly hurt the Board & the cause of Government if Green & Russell are laid aside. They have been sufferers and lost almost all their other custom by refusing to comply with the demands of the late seditious leaders and it will discourage others from adhering to Government if they should be rewarded in this manner for the services they have done. I think nothing more is necessary for their security than to have the true state of the case made known. I am with sincere regard & Esteem Dear Sir Your faithful & most Obedient Servant,

    AC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 27:110–11); at end of letter, “Sir F. Bernard”; in WSH’s hand.

    804. To Richard Jackson

    Boston 3d. Febr. 1771

    Collings

    Dear Sir, Its proper I should acquaint you that by Capt. Jarvis, I inclosed to you your deed from Mr. Waldo recorded.1 I sent at the same time under a cover directed to you a printed Trial of the Soldiers, to be left at the New England Coffee House, to prevent the charge of postage. I had not time to give you any account of our Affairs. We have been surprizingly quiet and peaceable for several months and we should not know that there was any remains of the Faction, if it was not for the malicious strokes in the News papers, which will not cease until the publisher finds that they lessen his custom, and I do not despair of his becoming sensible of it.

    Some of the heads or rather the encouragers of the Opposition to Government but not of the Violences committed, have owned to me that as soon as they saw the Castle garrisoned by the King’s Troops and the Harbour in possession of the Kings Ships they gave up the cause; they supposed the Kingdom was in earnest; they always imagined till then that they should carry their point. The Ministry cannot be too much applauded for this wise measure. I knew it must give a great shock at first. Some mad people threatned revenge upon me for carrying into execution the order which related to the Castle and the body of the people were struck with amazement but, after a few weeks, they generally allowed I had done no more than my duty and that they had no cause of exception. It has had a happy effect. It aided my endeaveours to obtain a fair Trial of Captain Preston and the Soldiers. The Issue of these Trials has had a great influence, and given a new turn of thought to the People of this Province, has convinced them that the Law is to be the Rule of Government notwithstanding the Libertine notions spread among them from British & American seditious Books & Papers, and Gen. Gage has signified his opinion to me that these Trials will have an influence more extensive than the limits of New England.

    The utmost prudence is necessary to maintain and encourage the present spirit, but all will be insufficient if Parliament should give us any room to suppose they will ever give up their authority. How to avoid it is not for me to suggest. We shall be apt to take encouragement if the extravagant doctrine advanced by the Council & House of Representatives pass without notice, but what this notice shall be I am sure you can Judge better than I can. I am with sincere regard & esteem Sir Your Most humble & Most obedient Servant,

    AC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 27:111–12); at end of letter, “Mr Jackson”; in WSH’s hand.

    805. To Alexander Mackay

    Boston 3d. Feby. 1771

    Collings

    Dear Sir, I wrote a few lines to you just as Capt. Jarvis sailed to acquaint you that I had desired him to leave at the New England Coffee House one of the printed Trials of the Soldiers under a cover with your direction. I had not time to say any thing to you upon our present state. You will be pleased to hear that our Affairs have a better face than they have had these five years. The people in all parts of the Province are stunned at the Issues of the Trials. What—Is all this cry of Murder by the People of Boston come to nothing? Are the Soldiers to shoot down People in the streets and not be hanged for it? Certainly we have been abused and the Inhabitants of Boston must have attacked the Soldiers and what they did was to save their own lives or no Jury would have acquitted them.

    To save the credit of the Town and to support the Narrative which was published & sent to England some of the persons concerned in the composition are trying the Soldiers over again in the News papers but it is too late for much mischief to come of it.1

    I had in finite difficulty in keeping of the Trials until it was the proper time. I must give the Ministry the credit of the wisest measure it was possible for them to have taken. The withdraw of the Garrison at Castle William & placing the Kings Troops there, of which there was no suspicion until it was executed, struck the whole Province with amazement. From that time I date the revival of Government. It was immediately said something further must be intended. This is in order to support and carry to Effect further measures when Parliament takes us in hand. We have gone too far. There is no way to avoid the resentment of Parliament but a change of conduct. Whilst the People were in this temper the Trials were brought on. I doubt whether at any time before a Jury would have acquitted them. I must at all Events have respited execution though some of our Clergy had intimated in their Pulpits that I would not dare to do it, but their acquittals are infinitely better.

    The great thing now is to keep up the sense of our constitutional dependance and an opinion that Parliament will maintain its supreme authority. We have heard nothing more of Parliamentary proceedings than what are contained in the Kings Speech and the Addresses but are in daily expectation of the December Mail and advice what is done or intended to be done.

    Our Demagogues will try to revive the spirit in the Assembly which I am obliged to meet next month. I shall not bring them to Boston. They are such bad managers of so bad a cause that they give me no sort of concern. I am with sincere regard & Esteem Sir,

    AC (Massachusetts Archives, SC1/series 45X, 27:112–13); at foot of letter, “Gen. Mackay”; in WSH’s hand.