Extract of Letter from London, dated September 2, 1774.
"I hope the Americans, every Where, will be firm, unanimous, and steady, in Support of their injured and violated Rights and Liberties. The Sword is drawn here, therefore you should throw away the Scabbard. Depend on your internal Strength and Resources, and not on Petitions or Remonstrances; for they are only used to make Kites for the great and little Babies at Kew and Buckingham House. Read attentively the History of James the second's Reign, and then you will have a very perfect idea of the present political System here."
Virginia Gazette (Purdie & Dixon), November 10, 1774
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About this entry:
This extract appeared in the edition that reported the resolution passed by the Continental Congress in support of the people of Massachusetts. The letter is an indication of support in Great Britain for the American cause. The reference to James II, a once-popular king who was forced to abdicate in favor of his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange, suggests that the author is in favor of a similar fate for George III.
Language notes:
Remonstrance: a formal statement of grievances. OED, Vol. 8, 432.
Sources: Ency. Britannica, Vol. 6,482
