1775 C. R., X, 352, 362 December Importations Progress of events onciliation Because of the necessity to continue importations and protect vessels engaged in such commerce, the council took steps to fit out three armed ships, one at Wilmington, one at New Bern, and one at Edenton, and gentlemen at each of those towns were appointed to charter one or more vessels, which they were to load with commodities and send abroad to procure arms and ammunition for the province. And renewed efforts were made to obtain at home an additional supply of arms and equipments. It was ordered that two battalions of minute men should be embodied in the district of Salisbury, one of them to be under Griffith Rutherford, as colonel, and the other to be commanded by Colonel Thomas Polk. It was also directed that the test adopted by the Provincial Congress should be signed by all the minute men and militiamen, and it was recommended that no person should be allowed any relief against a debtor unless ten days previous to his application he should have subscribed the continental association and the test. Early in September the address of the Continental Congress urging the king to point out some way for an accommodation was presented to the ministry by Governor Penn. Three days later Dartmouth replied that to it no answer would be given; while in a speech from the throne it was declared that the protestations of loyalty were meant only to deceive, the rebellious war being carried on for the purHope of rec pose of establishing an independent empire. When information came of this closing of the door to all hope of accommodation the colonists were profoundly moved. So far there had been no purpose to separate. All that fall the chaplains in Washington's army were still leading their troops in prayer "for the king." In December, James Hogg, who was attending the Continental Congress seeking recognition for Transylvania, wrote that "the famous John and Sam Adams” presented this difficulty: "There seems to be an impropriety in embarrassing our reconciliation with anything new; and the taking under our protection a body of people who have acted in defiance of the king's proclamations will be looked on as a confirmation of that independent spirit with which we are daily reproached." As yet, even those aggressive delegates from Massachusetts were unwilling to give C. R., X, 373 THE GROWTH OF INDEPENDENCE 493 ministry 1775 color to the charge that they favored independence.* To make a reasonable explanation of the resort to arms while The Tory professing allegiance, the Whig leaders denounced the blamed efforts to deprive the colonists of their constitutional rights as emanating from a profligate ministry, and stigmatized those who opposed the American cause as "tools of the ministers," and the British troops were known as "ministerial troops." It was sought to emphasize a distinction between the king and his ministry; but, indeed, the king was more determined than Lord North, an amiable man, who still hoped for some accommodation. George III was of an arbitrary disposition. Being intent to free himself from the great Whig leaders, who had governed ever since the house of Hanover came to the throne, he had placed at the head of affairs Lord North, who was a Tory, and the administration at this period was conducted by Tories. The Parliament was subservient, but the people were greatly divided. There were those who opposed the administration for political reasons and others who favored America for industrial and commercial purposes. Men like Horace Walpole con- The Whigs sidered that the constitution was in danger from the despotism of the king, and that the preservation of British liberty was involved in the struggle of the Americans for their rights as British subjects; the merchants and manufacturers realized that the prosperity of Great Britain required a cessation of the disturbance. About November 1, 1775, Walpole wrote: "The ministers have only provoked and united, not Walpole's intimidated, wounded or divided, America. At this instant. they are not sure that the king has a foot of dominion left on that continent." "It is certain that the campaign has answered none of the expectations of the administration. It seems to be the opinion now that they will think of pacific measures. They have even talked in Parliament of treating. The Parliament grants whatever is asked; and yet a great alteration has happened in the administration. The Duke *After the event John Adams claimed that he favored independence as early as the summer of 1775. The question in such cases is, when did he really begin by acts and measures to promote the cause? When did he seek to disseminate views favorable to the success of the cause? The above letter indicates that neither of the Adamses was promoting independence early in December, 1775. in England Letters, I, 391, 392 1775 of Grafton has changed sides, and was turned out last Friday. Lord Dartmouth has quitted the American province and taken the privy seal. Lord George Germaine is made secretary of state for America, and Lord Weymouth has taken the southern province. The town is impatient to see whether this change of men implies any change of measures. I do not see why it should, for none of the new ministers have ever inclined to the Americans; and I doubt whether the success of the latter will make them have a better disposition toward the present administration. They have felt their strength, and experienced how much less hurt we can do them than we imagined. If they have such ideas of independence as have been imputed to them, and as probably some ambitious men among them may have, we have done nothing to convince them that their plan is impracticable. . . We must exhaust our men, money, navies and trade. These are the four trifling articles we pay to the old scheme of arbitrary power. When will the kings of England learn how great they may be by the constitution; how sure of ruin if they try to be despotic? Cannot the fate of the Stuarts teach even the house of Hanover to have common sense?" Tories and Whigs On December 24th the council resolved that, "Whereas, Governor Martin hath distributed great numbers of Tory pamphlets in the western parts of this province, where the people are not well informed," the delegates in congress be desired to secure the best pamphlets to counteract and frustrate the wicked and diabolical tools of a corrupt ministry. Anterior to this era there had been no political differences among the colonists. The king and the ministers had since 1688 been Whigs and the colonists were in full sympathy with the administration. But when George III broke with the Whigs and formed the first Tory ministry under Lord North, and the measures oppressive to America were devised, those who adhered to the ministry and allied themselves with the Tory party became Tories. The other inhabitants, being in the opposition, naturally called themselves Whigs, for the Whigs in England violently WHIGS AND TORIES opposed the administration. Thus these English party names were, in 1775, applicable in America. Once introduced they became fixed; and even after independence and separation became the object of the struggle, the revolutionists still called themselves Whigs. Likewise the adherents of the Crown continued to be known as Tories, and the name Tory became a term of odium and reproach, synonymous with detested enmity to the country: the Tories. being considered traitors and hated as men aiding to deprive the people of their rights and liberties. 495 1775 1775 C. R., X, 407, 652, 653 C. R., X, CHAPTER XXVIII THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL, 1775-76—Continued Martin prepares to act.-He sends commissions.—The rising.—The Western patriots.-Caswell marches.-At Wilmington.-At Cross Creek. The Tories embody.-Moore at Rockfish.-McDonald marches.-Moore's Creek.-The battle.-Death of Grady.-The Spoils.-Trouble in Currituck.-The effects of the victory.-In Virginia. In North Carolina.-Mary Slocumb's ride.-Reports of Caswell and Moore. Martin prepares to act Early in December Governor Martin sailed for Charleston, where he was detained a month, returning to the Cape Fear only in January. Doubtless his conferences there strengthened his purpose to embody the Loyalists in the interior. His original design had been to send a British battalion to Cumberland as a nucleus around which the Highlanders and Regulators should centre; but no British force had reached him, although he had been advised that a large expedition was now on the way to the Cape Fear. On his return from South Carolina some of the Loyalists of Brunswick County solicited him not to delay longer, rep397, 487-489 resenting "that the rebel troops were weak; that one-third of them had not been provided with arms; that they were equally deficient of ammunition, and that the people were sore under their new-fangled government and had a disposition to revolt; and that they would engage in a month's time to raise two or three thousand men." Major McLean had gone into the interior with instructions to ascertain the number of men that might be relied on; and now the anxious governor confided a commission to a confidential messenger, recommended by the Brunswick Loyalists, to establish the concert he proposed and to carry necessary instructions to the people of the more distant counties. At length Major McLean brought gratifying assurances that two or three thousand men, one-half of them well armed, would quickly respond to his call. This organization extended Plans to embody the Loyalists |