Page:The American Catholic Historical Researches, vol. 18.djvu/50



VOL. XVIII. QUARTERLY.

, September 5, 1774. obliged for the seasonable hint you have given respecting masts. I should gladly give you an account of our proceedings but am under obligations of secrecy, except with respect to the general non-importation and non-ex- portation, the former to take place on the first of December next, the lat- ter in September following. We have selected those Acts which we de- termine to have a repeal of or forever restrain our trade from Great Brit- ain, Ireland and the West Indies, among which acts is Canada Bill, in my opinion, the most dangerous to American liberties among the whole train, for when we reflect on the dangerous situation the colonies were in at the commencement of the late war with a number of those Canadians on their backs, who were assisted by powerful Indian nations, determined to extirpate the race of Protestants from America to make way for their own cursed religion, so dangerous to the State and favorable to despot- ism and contemplate that by the late Act their territory is so far extended as to include by far the greater part of North America : That this will be a city of refuge for Roman Catholicks who will ever appear in favor of prerogati ve of the Crown, backed by an abandoned minister, aided by the whole force of Great Britian and assisted by the same Indian na-
 * — Your favor came safe to hand by Mr. Wharton, am much