New York 5th June 1775 Sir,

While you are anxiously engaged to preserve the rights of your Country, I1 cannot entertain the least doubt, but you will readily excuse this address, when I assure you, I am induced to it, from a sinceer desire to promote the common cause of America in this City. The Delegates of this Colony who are in trade can inform you, I have no private interest in the Subject on which I now solicite you. Since the commencement of the Non importation in 1768, to the dissolution of the last continental Congress, the Tea Traders to Holland, were not only countenanced but greatly stimulated by the Friends of Liberty, to import that article, to enable us to defeat the ministerial project of subjecting us to the payment of the Duty on Tea imported from Great Britton. Before the Congress was convened, or any act or advice from them was announced to the publick, large 54orders were sent for this Commodity & a very considerable quantity was imported. When their proceedings came out those Traders immediatly countermanded their orders, altho they were not directed to do it. Previous to this, there was a great quantity arrived, and then on its passage, as it was some time before those orders had effect, so that when the non consumption of it took place, there remaind unsold near the value of £100,000 Currency. Many of the proprietors of this article, have the greatest part of their fortunes lock’d up in it; and more than one of them to the amount of £7,000: and many of the Sufferers are Zealous Friends to their Country. They complain, that no order or advice was given to them before the dissolution of the Congress, to restrain or Countermand their orders, and yet they are deprived of disposing, & Consuming an Article, which they imported upon the Faith of Public encouragement; and they conceive their case singularly hard, as the Merchants Trading to Great Britton are allowed, (altho they were directed to countermand their orders,) to dispose of the Goods imported within the time limited by the Congress. As the consumption of the Tea on hand will not Affect the manufactorers of Great Britton or Ireland; so as to engage them in our favour, or induce the Ministry to redress our Greivances; the proprietors think they might be at liberty, without any injury to the common Cause, to Vend what is unsold; Especially when the British and Irish traders are allowed this priveledge, even with such Goods as Materially concern the Trade of those Countries, Notwithstanding those hardships, and this Claim, from a regard to the union of the Colonies, and the respect they bore to the last Congress, they chearfully submitted to close their sales on the first of March, as the Association directs; relying on the Justice & Wisdom of the next Congress to give them releif. If I might be permitted as a Citizen of New York, fully acquainted with the State of this Matter, and as a friend to the present interesting struggle, to give my opinion it would be; that the Congress give them Liberty to dispose of what they have on hand. I am confident such a resolution would tend to establish, rather than to diminish the Power of the Congress in this City. I could adduce many reasons in support of this opinion, but shall not tresspass any longer on your patience, than while I mention the Following. These Gentlemen are great adventurers, who would have risqued a considerable part of this prop­55erty in importing arms & Amunition, but were prevented by their having so great a part of their Capitals unexpectedly Locked up; and they did not think it prudent, to risque any other part of their property, when they were so much embarrassed in their affairs, by the status of 2 their tea which they were in danger of Loosing; Nor will they be enabled to engage in the importation of those Articles for some time, even if they should be indemnified by the Publick for the loss of it, as it will be some time before this can take place. Upon the whole of this matter Sir, permitt me to say I think it is not a time for us to sink £100,000, when we shall in all Probability have occasion to make the most prudent use of our common Stock, nor to discourage, or impede the importation of Amunition, which is already attended with very great risque; and especially when so much depends upon our being posses’d of a sufficient quantity of that necessary Article. I hope you will excuse the Liberty of this communication as my sole motive in doing it, is a regard to that Cause which I am persuaded you have above all Earthly Considerations most at heart. I am Sir respectfully Your Very Humble Servant

Alexr. McDougall

RC ; addressed: “To Robert Treat Paine Esqr. at Philadelphia”; endorsed.

1.

Alexander McDougall (1732–1786), a native of the Inner Hebrides, came to America as a child and eventually went into business as a merchant in New York City. An early supporter of the radical cause, McDougall was an effective publicist, called the “Wilkes of America” by his supporters. Later in 1775 he was appointed colonel of the first New York regiment. Eventually a major general in the Continental Army, McDougall represented New York in Congress, 1781–1782 and 1784–1785 ( DAB ). A similar letter from McDougall on the question of New York merchants disposing of tea supplies was sent to Richard Henry Lee. Lee’s response appears in Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1:665.

2.

Hole in page.

Wednesday, June 7, 1775

On motion, Resolved, That Thursday the 20th of July next, be observed throughout the twelve United Colonies, as a day of humiliation, fasting and prayer: and that Mr. Hooper,1 Mr. J Adams, and Mr. Paine, be a committee to bring in a resolve for that purpose.2

Printed in the Journals of the Continental Congress, 2:81.

56 1.

William Hooper (1742–1790), a Boston native and 1760 graduate of Harvard, moved to North Carolina in 1764. He practiced law there but was disbarred for one year after publishing a series of articles against the Crown. Hooper was a member of the Colonial Assembly of North Carolina (1773–1776) and one of the province’s delegates to the Continental Congress (1774–1777), where he signed the Declaration of Independence ( DAB ).

2.

The resolve for a fast that was reported back to Congress on June 12 included a supplication “to the all-wise, omnipotent, and merciful Disposer of all events ... to bless our rightful sovereign, King George the third, and to inspire him with wisdom to discern and pursue the true interest of all his subjects, that a speedy end may be put to the civil discord between Great Britain and the American colonies, without farther effusion of blood.” The full text appears in the Journals of the Continental Congress , 2:87–88.