New York Committee of Correspondence to the Committee of Correspondence, Boston, 23 May 1774
New York Committee of Correspondence to the Committee of Correspondence, Boston
New York May 23d: 1774
Gentlemen.
The alarming Measures of the British Parliament relative to your ancient and respectable Town which has so long been the Seat of Freedom fill the inhabitants of this City with inexpressible Concern. As a Sister Colony suffering in Defence of the Rights of America we consider your Injuries as a common Cause to the Redress of which it is equally our Duty and our Interest to contribute. But what ought to be done in a Situation so truly critical while it employs the anxious Thoughts of every generous Mind is very hard to be determined. Our Citizens have thought it necessary to appoint a large Committee consisting of fifty one Persons to correspond with our sister Colonies on this and every other Matter of public Moment and at ten oClock this forenoon, we were first assembled. Your letter inclosing the Vote of the Town of Boston and the Letter of your Committee of Correspondence were immediately taken into consideration, While we think you justly intitled to the thanks of your Sister Colonies for asking their Advice on a Case of such extensive Consequences we lament our Inability to relieve your Anxiety by a decisive Opinion. The Cause is general and concerns a whole Continent who are equally interested with you and us and we foresee that no Remedy can be of avail unless it proceeds from the joint Act and Approbation of all. From a virtuous and spirited Union much may be expected while the feeble Efforts of a few will only be attended with Mischief and Disappointment to themselves and Triumph to the Adversaries of our Liberty. Upon these Reasons we conclude that a Congress of Deputies from the Colonies in general is of the utmost Moment that it ought to be Assembled without Delay, and some unanimous Resolutions formed in this fatal Emergency not only respecting your deplorable Circumstances but for the Security of our common Rights. Such being our Sentiments it must be premature to pronounce any Judgment on the Expedient which you have suggested. We beg however that you will do us the Justice to believe that we shall continue to act with a firm and becoming Regard to American Freedom, and to cooperate with our Sister Colonies in ev’ry Measure w[hi]ch shall be thought salutary and conducive to the public Good.
We have Nothing to add but that we sincerely condole with you in your unexampled distress and to request your speedy opinion of the proposed Congress that if it should meet with your Approbation we may exert our utmost Endeavours to carry it into Execution. We are1
Copy, NHi: Records of the N.Y. Committee of Correspondence, 1774, NYC Misc. Mss., box 10, pp. 3–4 (EJ: 3613). Printed: , 1: 297–98; , 1: 13–15.
1. On 23 May 1774, New York’s Committee of Correspondence, or Committee of Fifty-one, appointed JJ, Alexander McDougall, James Duane, and Isaac Low (1735–91) to a subcommittee to report at 8 PM that day the draft of an answer to a communication from the Boston Committee of Correspondence. That letter requested a reply to a resolution approved by a meeting of the citizens of Boston on 13 May 1774 in response to the Boston Port Bill: “That it is the opinion of this town that if the other Colonies come into a join resolution to stop all importations from Great Britain, and exportations to Great Britain, and every part of the West Indies, till the Act for blocking up this harbour be repealed, the same will prove the salvation of North America and her liberties” (, 1: 13). Although some historians have attributed this draft to JJ, notes kept by his fellow committee member Alexander McDougall indicate that JJ acted as “Scribe” when the committee discussed the contents of their report and that JJ’s notes were taken home by James Duane, who was to “furbish” them. Duane’s polished version of the committee’s joint efforts was presented to the Committee of Fifty-one on the evening of 23 May. The full committee, with 38 members in attendance, approved it that night and ordered it signed by Isaac Low, the chairman, and transmitted to the committee at Boston. The committee also ordered a copy sent to the Philadelphia Committee of Correspondence, with a cover letter acknowledging receipt of a copy of their response to the Boston committee and approving the sentiments in it (, 1: 298). This was followed on 30 May by the publication of A Serious Address to the Inhabitants of the Colony of New-York, Containing a full and Minute Survey of the Boston-Port Act, by “A Citizen of New-York” (New York: John Holt, 1774; , no. 13605), which reported the actions of the New York Committee of Correspondence in response to the Boston Port Bill, sought approval for the plan for calling a general congress, and proposed resolutions for responses to the port bill to be adopted by the various colonies. On 30 May the Bostonians replied to the 23 May letter, agreeing that a general congress was indispensable (, 53). The New York Committee of Correspondence sent another letter to Boston on 7 June 1774, again asserting they would leave the issue of the suspension of trade for the proposed general congress, but pledging to abide by measures adopted by that congress. See To the Respectable Inhabitants of the City of New York, by “A Freeholder,” 5 May 1775 (New York: John Holt, 1775; , no. 14515). Along with similar measures by other colonies, the New York actions led to the calling of the First Continental Congress in September 1774. See , chap. 5; , 1: 295–98, 331; Alexander McDougall, “Political Memoranda relative to the Conduct of the Citizens on the Boston Port Bill,” NHi: McDougall.