The colonists had incurred
the penalties of rebellion, and had, therefore, rendered themselves
liable to military execution; but instead of proceeding to such
extremities, government only proposed to bring them back to a sense of
duty, by a restriction on their trade--that is, they were to be kept
without food instead of undergoing corporeal punishment. It was stated,
moreover, that they had too long imposed upon us with their threats of
depriving us of their trade, hoping thereby to bend the legislature to a
compliance with all their demands, until they had completed their plans
for asserting their independence. As for American courage and resources,
they were considered by the ministers and their supporters in both
houses to be unequal to the task of contending with those of England. It
was even wished by Lord Sandwich that the Americans could produce four
times the number of forces it was stated they could bring into the
field; he contending, that the greater the numbers the easier would be
the conquest. He even gravely predicted, that if they did not run
away, they would starve themselves into compliance with the measures
of government, Taking these views of the matter, which were manifestly
erroneous, the bill was sanctioned by large majorities. Another bill
also passed very soon after it, laying similar restraints on the
colonies of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and South
Carolina, for the hostilities they had exhibited in their sympathy with
the people of New England.
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