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

‘The free exercise of our undoubted privileges,’ replied the House,¹ ‘can never, with any color of reason, be adjudged an abuse of our liberty. We have strictly adhered to the directions of our Charter and the laws of the land. We made our election with special regard to the qualifications of the candidates. We cannot conceive how the assertion of our clear Charter right of free election can tend to impeach that right or Charter. We hope your Excellency does not mean openly and publicly to threaten us with a deprivation of our Charter privileges, merely for exercising them according to our best judgment.’

‘No branch of the Legislature,’ insisted the Council,² ‘has usurped or interfered with the right of another. Nothing has taken place but what has been constitutional and according to the Charter. An election duly made, though disagreeable to the Chair, does not deserve to be called a formal attack upon Government, or an oppugnation of the King's authority.’

Mayhew, of Boston, mused anxiously over the danger, which was now clearly revealed, till, in the morning watches of the next Lord's Day, light dawned upon his excited mind, and the voice of wisdom spoke from his warm heart, which was so soon to cease to beat. ‘You have heard of the communion of churches,’ he wrote to Otis; ‘while I was thinking of this in my bed, the great use and importance ’