History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

466 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1782.
viously be on the spot7 Pray endeavor that the committee consist of
sensible, honest, cool and Patient men. Let them be able to explain to
the people the state of the Nation, to inform them to what use the three
hundred 1000£ and the two hundred 1000£ taxes have been put and are
putting on us. Many of the Insurgents say that our soldiers get none
of it. That it cost them much to maintain the Great men under Geo.
3'^ but vastly more under the Commonwealth and Congress. We have
had it Hurra'd for Geo. 3'' within 8 rods of the Court House. * * *
Doct. Hunt surmises that there may [be] British emissaries with Brit-
ish money among the People. Such a supposition does not appear to
me groundless.
* * * " None but God can say how far the spirit may spread. They
are perpetually taught that they were horribly deceived and deluded by
those who first contended with Bernard & Hutchinson, and disputed
against the Duties. Many, many in these western regions believe it.
They have no sense or value for Liberty. They are principally affected
with present and immediate feelings. I was told three weeks ago by a
calm and sedate man as any I have seen of their number That twothirds
of these western people fully believed that they were miserably
deceived by Hutchinson's opposers, that they were the men who
brought all their burdens upon them, which they are told that they
should have been forever free from, if they had submitted to the Brit-
ish Government. That they would take care how they were catch'd
again. If you had seen the late insurrections you would have believed
that he was not much from the truth in the fact which he related respecting
ye proportion. The people in the highlands of this county and
Berkshire are fervidum Genus hominum. and many too many on the
east side of the river are of the same temper. * * * An attempt to
subdue these People by force will at least be very expensive if not a
very dangerous course. Their numbers, by some means or other (be
those what they may) increase daily. The case will never be understood
without a committee to go in to the towns and learn the facts on
the spot, by seeing and hearing,
'" ^
ruin the government.
and neglect of this maj' deceive and
The Committee Calls Tliis Committee arrived at Northampton,
a Convention. j^jy 2?"', and immediately proceeded to
Conway, tlie home of Ely, and the princi-
pal seat of the disaffection. The people of Conway de-
clined to act independently of the other towns, and on the
29"^ delegates from thirteen towns in the northern part of
the county met the committee in that town. The result of
this gathering was the mutual calling of a county convention
to be held at Hatfield in the following month. This
convention assembled on the 7*^'' of August, and dissolved
1 Copied by permission from the Hawley papers, Bancroft collection, Lenox Li-
brary, N. Y.