The Writings of Samuel Adams, vol 2, page 69 by Samuel Adams
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217;d in his Honor’s reply as emphatical, are omitted by Mr. Hall: But if THEY are a part of the FORM OF WORDS, the house seem to have fully taken them up by affirming that his Honor has no authority either BY THE CHARTER or his commission to delegate the power of garrisoning the Castle to any other person: And “that the SHEW of the authority of the Governor thus held up serv’d only to make the surrender the more solemn and formal.” If then he had no such authority to do it either by Charter or Commission, how could he do it by virtue of the authority deriv’d from his Majesty to govern the province? unless that authority is deriv’d to him to govern, SOLELY by the “EXPRESS ORDERS from the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Hillsborough”--If so, where indeed “is the freedom of the Governor of this province”: I desire to know, how his Honor in delivering the keys of the Castle and the power of garrisoning it to Col. Dalrymple, can be suppos’d to have exercis’d HIS OWN judgment and election, when he declares he did it in consequence of EXPRESS ORDERS from another? And that other does not appear to be his Majesty, but the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Hillsborough --The whole matter that could exercise his judgment, as it appears to me, must have been whether he should deliver the fort to Col. Dalrymple to be garrison’d by such detachment of the regular forces as he should think proper, in obedience to the EXPRESS ORDERS of Lord Hillsborough, or retain the Right of committing the custody and government thereof to such person or persons as to him should seem meet, by virtue of the authority deriv’d from his Majesty to govern the province according to the EXPRESS TERMS of the Charter.
I may venture to say, there has not been an instance of this kind since the date of our Charter; and in the opinion of judicious and unprejudiced persons, it is a matter of very great moment. Our enemies may now have the pleasure of seeing the principal fort & key of t