es in
England, both in and out of Parliament. The general expectation in
England was that they would not be resisted in America; that Boston and
Massachusetts would submit; that if they should not submit, they would
be isolated from the other provinces, who would not identify themselves
with or countenance the extreme proceedings of Boston and of
Massachusetts. These measures had been adopted by the Government and
Parliament of Great Britain in the months of March and April, and were
to take effect the 1st of June. In the two following months of May and
June, America spoke, and twelve colonies out of thirteen (Georgia alone
excepted) protested against the measures of the British Parliament, and
expressed their sympathy with Boston and Massachusetts. Boston itself
spoke first, and instead of submitting, as had been predicted by Lords
Mansfield and others, held a town meeting as soon as they received
intelligence of the passing of the Boston Port Bill, at which
resolutions were passed expressing their opinion of the impolicy,
injustice, inhumanity and cruelty of this Act, from which they appealed
to God and to the world; also inviting other colonies to join with them
in an agreement to stop all imports and exports to and from Great
Britain and Ireland and the West Indies until the Act should be
repealed.[334]

Mr. Bancroft, remarks:

"The merchants of Newburyport were the first who agreed to suspend all
commerce with Britain and Ireland. Salem, also, the place marked out as
the new seat of government, in a very full town meeting, and after
unimpassioned debates, decided almost unanimously to stop trade, not
with Britain only, but even with the West Indies. If in Boston a few
cravens proposed to purchase a relaxation of the blockade by quailing
before power, the majority were beset by no temptation so strong as that
of routing at once the insignificant number of troops who had come to
overawe them. But Samuel Adams, while he compared their spirit to that
of Sparta or Rome, was ever inculcating patience as the characteristic
of a true patriot; and the people having sent forth their cry to the
continent, waited self-possessed for voices of consolation."[335]

In the meantime, according to the provisions of the Charter, the
Legislature of Massachusetts, the last Wednesday in May, proceeded to
nominate the twenty-eight councillors. Of these, General Gage negatived
the unprecedented number of thirteen, including all the popu