Papers of John Adams, volume 1

Boston Town Meeting Committee to Dennys De Berdt, 23 October 1769 JA Cushing, Thomas Adams, Samuel Otis, James Jr. Warren, Joseph Dana, Richard Henshaw, Joshua Jackson, Joseph Kent, Benjamin Boston Town Meeting De Berdt, Dennys

1769-10-23

Boston Town Meeting Committee to Dennys De Berdt, 23 October 1769 Adams, John Cushing, Thomas Adams, Samuel Otis, James Jr. Warren, Joseph Dana, Richard Henshaw, Joshua Jackson, Joseph Kent, Benjamin Boston Town Meeting De Berdt, Dennys
Boston Town Meeting Committee to Dennys De Berdt
Sir Boston October 23d. 1769 1

In pursuance of the directions of the Town of Boston we have the honor to transmit you a Pamphlet containing some observations upon diverse letters and memorials wrote by Governor Bernard and others wherein the Town has been injuriously aspersed and its Inhabitants grosly misrepresented.2

Your unwearied endeavors to serve the interest of this Province and the American Colonies in general has been observed with pleasure and will ever be had in grateful remembrance by this people, and we are perswaded from your well known attachment to the cause of liberty that you will exert your self in behalf of this much injured Town and improve 3 their vindication now sent you in such a manner as will best serve to set their Character in a true point of light—and that you will also employ your influence to obtain the speedy removal of all the American grieveances we at present labour under.

The inclosed Pamphlet will give you some idea what relief is expected by the People here, they will never think their grievances redressed till every Revenue Act is repealed, the Board of Commissioner dessolved and the Troops removed, and things restored to the state they were in before the late measures of Administration were taken. These things being accomplished we doubt not that the harmony which heretofore subsisted between Great Britain and the Colonies will be happily restored—an event ardently wished for by every friend to the British Empire.

232 We are in strict truth Sir Your most obedient humble Servants Thomas Cushing Saml. Adams John Adams James Otis Jos. Warren Rid. Dana Joshua Henshaw Joseph Jackson Benja. Kent Committee of the Town of Boston

RC (MHi:Mass. Papers, Elwyn Gift); at foot of text: “(Copy)”; endorsed: “Thos. Cushing, Esqr. Boston Octr. 23d. Recd. Decr. 2d. Answered Decr. 5th.” Duplicate RC, without JA's signature, (in same collection); endorsed: “Cushing. 23d. octo. Received 29 Nov. from the Commite. of Merchans.” On the enclosure in these letters, see note 2, below.

1.

Torn in MS; date supplied from duplicate RC.

2.

On 18 Oct., the town meeting adopted this committee's draft report and ordered its publication as the pamphlet which became known as An Appeal to the World (see preceding document). The same committee was then directed to transmit copies of the pamphlet to De Berdt, the London agent for the House of Representatives, and to Isaac Barré, Thomas Pownall, Benjamin Franklin, William Bollan, and Barlow Trecothick (Boston Record Commissioners, 16th Report , p. 299). For the committee's letter to Franklin, see the following document.

3.

Torn in MS; missing material supplied from duplicate RC.