“Hopes for the deluded Inhabitants of New-England”?

Looking at the Rev. Charles Inglis’s political writing in 1774 led me to another pamphlet from that year: A Letter from a Veteran, to the Officers of the Army Encamped at Boston.

This political essay started off by reiterating a lot of British Whig understandings. But about halfway through it veered into an argument that the political leaders of New England had gone far beyond those principles, driven by the same fanaticism as their Puritan ancestors.

The author concluded that Massachusetts deserved to be restrained by force—though he also cautioned his fellow army officers from going too far themselves, or behaving impolitely.

Here’s a sampling:

THE Principles of Mr. [John] Locke, are noble, benevolent, and in general true, or ought to be so; but the Application of them to particular Cases, is wild and Utopian; even in Idea and in Practice, dangerous to the extremest Degree. Adopted in private Life, they would introduce perpetual Discord; in the State perpetual Anarchy. The least Failure in the reciprocal Duties of Worship and Obedience in the matrimonial Contract, would justify a Divorce. In the political Compact, the smallest Defect in the Prince, a Revolution.

Now I cannot think so ill of this Country [America] as to believe there are many People in it, like the Men [Jonathan] Swift speaks of, who used to swear “the more Revolutions the better.” The Web is too finely spun, for common Use; subject every Moment to be torn in Pieces, even by the gentlest Hand; and fit only for the Cabinets of the Curious. . . .

We have many of us lived in the Pleasures of their Society, shared in the Hospitality of their Tables, and in the Offices of their Friendship. We have been long good Friends, may we ever remain so. Let us hope that they will remember, there is a golden Mean in every Thing, in Liberty, even in Virtue itself; that the Fit of Peevishness and Passion will subside, before it is too late, and give Place to sober and cool Reflection; and that the delightful Current of Peace and Tranquillity, may return once more into its old Channel.

WOULD to God we could form the same Hopes for the deluded Inhabitants of New-England; but they have already advanced too far to retreat; the Sword is suspended over their Heads by a single Hair, and nothing but the immediate Hand of Heaven, can avert the Misery that awaits them. . . .

CAN we wonder at these infatuated unhappy People? Descended as they are, from Men who carried their Notions in Religion, to the wildest Fanaticism; their Principles in Government, to the utmost possible extreme of Liberty; dropt in a Corner of the World, uncontroled for Generations, by the Authority of the parent Country, inheriting such dangerous Opinions; by the Blood of their Ancestors, imbibing them from the Breasts of their Mothers, until, by the Contagion of general Manners, and by the pious Aid of the very Men who were consecrated to instruct their Consciences, in Morality and the Meekness of the Gospel, it ripened into Sedition, as the immediate Word of God, as if they had heard it with their own Ears, from the burning Bush, and ended in Rebellion.

To Men born and educated under such Circumstances, excluded in a great Measure by their Situation, from the beneficial Intercourse and Examination of the Effects of different Opinions and Principles; it is not easy to emerge from Darkness to Light, and to see the World in its true Colours.

The Popularity of their old Government, and the interior Policy of their Townships, have contributed much to their Blindness; from these they have collected all the technical Terms in Politicks, and a huge Stock of sonorous Words, which serve them for Logick; have the same Effect upon their Understandings, and a much greater upon their Passions. . . .

LET us, Gentlemen, who are the Instruments of this Punishment, act our Parts in this sad Scene like brave Soldiers, like true Gentlemen, not like Rioters; Gibes, Reproaches, hard Names, make no Part of the Punishment alloted them; the dispassionate Judges of our merciful Courts, are Counsel for the very Criminals whom the Laws enjoin them to condemn; these are not Times for Merriment and Buffoonery, let us reserve our Wit and our Humour, if we happen to have it, for the Tables of our Friends.

TOMORROW: The responses.