Legislatures. They were preparing the greatest work of their generation,
to be matured at a later day. Their confidence of immediate success
assisted to make them alike disinclined to independence and firm in
their expectation of bringing England to reason by suspending their
mutual trade.

"The people of Boston, stimulated by the unanimity and scrupulous
fidelity of New York, were impatient that a son of Barnard, two sons of
Hutchinson, and about five others, would not accede to the agreement. At
a great meeting of merchants in Faneuil Hall, Hancock proposed to send
for Hutchinson's two sons, hinting, what was true, that the
Lieutenant-Governor was himself a partner with them in their late
extraordinary importations of tea. As the best means of coercion, it was
voted not to purchase anything of the recusants. Subscription papers to
that effect were carried around from house to house, and everybody
complied."

"A letter from New York next invited Boston to extend the agreement
against importing indefinitely, until every Act imposing duties should
be repealed; and on the 17th (of October), by the great influence of
Molineux, Otis, Samuel Adams, and William Cooper, this new form was
adopted."[311] The opposition in Boston to the reception of goods from
England became so general and determined, that even Governor Hutchinson
quailed before it, and the soldiers stood silent and inactive witnesses
of it. Mr. Bancroft says:

"Early in October (1769), a vessel laden with goods, shipped by English
houses themselves, arrived in Boston. The military officers had been
speculating on what would be done, and Colonel Dalrymple stood ready to
protect the factors. But his assistance was not demanded. Hutchinson
permitted the merchants to reduce the consignees to submission, and even
to compel an English adventurer to re-embark his goods. One and another
of the Boston recusants yielded; even the two sons of Hutchinson
himself, by their father's direction, gave up 18 chests of tea, and
entered fully into the (non-importation) agreement. Four still held out,
and their names, with those of the two sons of Hutchinson, whose
sincerity was questioned, stood recorded as infamous on the journals of
the town of Boston. On the 15th another ship arrived; again the troops
looked on as bystanders, and witnessed the complete victory of the
people."[312]

But in the following month, November, a new turn was given to public
thought, and new feeli