Boston Oct. 16th 1774 Dr:Sr:,

When I write to you, I don’t mean to exclude any Gent. we have sent to the Grand Congress, or any other of that most honble. Body. Sometime Since I wrote you that while the Kings Troops are dayly making such advances upon us, & more Troops & men of Warr soon expected to arive whereby; If we must dispute with them in good Earnest, we shall be under an unspeakable disadvantage wch., at this time, we shall not Labour under. I thot the Grand Congress ought to take the most & speediest concern upon them for our Safety. The next news I had, whether true or false I cannot conclude, that our Best Friends the Southern Colonies, could not come into a non Exportation agreemt. before next September. If by that time they will be able greatly to strengthen themselves, and weaken our Common Enimy the Britons, I shall be easy & will endeavour to make others so too: but in the mean time The Grand Congress must give us their Approbation, at least, for a timely opposition to our Enimies, & while we see all their Actions giving the Lie, to the Generals most solemn declarations, we can nether believe him, nor rest quiet any longer. You will see our Provincial Address to the Genrl. & next Monday or Tuesday we expect his Ansr. but are as satisfied, as if he had told us, that it is out of his power to demollish his Fortifications, therefore after a day or two, it will be peremptorily demanded of him by our Provincial Congress.1 I suppose he will pay no regard to it. The Consequence will be, a speedy Provincial Encampmt. without any Intention of Coming to Blows, & we are well assured the Regulars will not begin Hostilities, but it’s probable they will continue to fortify; & if they should; I believe it will be impossible to keep our hand off from ’em. Many members of our Provl. Congress think we cannot carry on an Encampmt. before we have some Established form of civil Government: & that can’t be done but by the Grand Congress. I tell ’em an Encampmt. may & I think must be made, by all the Towns and Districts, Enlisting their Quota of men & voting ’em pay. If that should be our Case: Their Desertors, will know where to run, then the Genrl. will immediately send Home & a Cessation of Arms will take place. The Grand Congress must not rise or adjourn before they have settl’d a form of Governmt. for all the Colonies, & know what will be finally done by Britain. And it is impossible, that 14the Grand Congress should not approve secretly & in their own minds at least of our provincial Conduct in defending Our selves, when under such absolute Necessity as aforesd. Never was a Maxim of more importance than Obsta Principiis.2 I believe many Thousand lives, will be sav’d by it.

no signature

RC ; addressed: “For Robert Treat Payne Esq; at Philadelphia by fav. Mr. Tudor”; endorsed: “Benja. Kent Esq. Octr. 1774.”

1.

Gage’s response, dated Oct. 17, appears in The Journals of Each Provincial Congress , 20–21. Concerning the new fortifications, the governor stated that it was “an act of duty” for him to construct the fortress in reaction to the “unusual warlike preparations throughout the country,” but he also commented that “unless annoyed, it will annoy nobody.”

2.

Withstand beginnings; resist the first approaches or encroachments.