George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 6, 10th edition.

[471] that the agents, some cheerfully, others

Chap. L.} 1773. Oct.

reluctantly, gave up their appointment.¹ Within a few days not one remained.

South Carolina, by her spirit and perseverance, gave now, as she had ever done, evidence that her patriotism would be the support of Union. The Province was at that time in a state of just excitement at the arbitrary act of its Council in imprisoning Thomas Powell, the Publisher of the South Carolina Gazette, for an alleged contempt. The Council was a body m which the distinguished men of that Province scorned to accept a seat; its members were chiefly the Crown officers; and they held their places at the King's pleasure. Their power to imprison on their mere warrant was denied; the prisoner was taken before Rawlins Lowndes and another magistrate on a writ of habeas corpus, and was released.² The questions involved in the case were discussed with heat; but they did not divert attention from watching the expected tea ships.

The ‘ideas of Liberty’ on which resistance was

Nov.

to be founded, had taken deep root in a soil which the Circular of Massachusetts did not reach. At this moment the people of Illinois were most opportunely sending their last message respecting their choice of a Government directly to Dartmouth himself. We have seen how vainly they had reasoned with Gage and Hillsborough for some of the privileges of self-direction. Here, as on other occasions,