Who conducted the enterprise | of the colonies invaded during this against Quebec ? On what island near Quebec, did he land with his troops? Which way is Orleans from Q.? Issue of several attempts to reduce the place? How high a precipice did he then determine to ascend, to attack the city? To what plains? Who led the French against Wolfe, on the plains of Abraham? Which army was victorious? Which of the leaders was slain on the field of battle? What did Wolfe say, when he was told, that the French were flying? What became of Montcalm? What did he say, when informed that his wound was mortal? How did ne employ his last moments? What capture soon followed? Why did not this capture immediately terminate the war? When did the French attempt to retake Quebec ? Issue of a bloody battle, that was soon fought three miles above Q. ? Why did not the French then take the city? What important fortress still remained in possession of the French? On what island, is Montreal? Montreal island. In what river? Which way from Quebec ? Which way from N. Y.? How far? About 350 miles. To what commander, was Montreal surrendered? In what year ? What capture closed the war? How long after its actual commencement? after its declara tion ? How were the colonies affected by the return of peace? How did they express their joy and gratitude? By what Indians, were some war? What colonies ? by whom, were the Cherokees reduced? Why do the Cherokees now appear to be the most interesting tribe in the U. S.? Because there are probably among them, more civilization and Christianity than in any other. Number of the tribe ? About 17,000. When was the treaty signed that closed this war? Where? What did the increase of wealth and the intercourse with Europe, introduce among the colonists in the fourth period? Why did not this enervate their character? Till the commencement of what war, did the religious character of the Americans remain essentially the same? How was infidelity introduced during that war? What is said of trade and commerce during the fourth period?. of agriculture? Why did arts and manufactures make very little advance? Number of inhabitants at the close of the fourth period? What college was established in N. H.?-In what year? What college in R. I. ? In what year, incorporated? Where first established? By whose efforts principally, was the French power crushed in this country? What great calamity did the colonists soon experience? How did the British first attempt to exercise this oppression after the conquest of Canada? By what were called Writs of Assistance. Who frustrated the Writs of Assistance? Mr. James Otis. How? By a speech, perhaps the most eloquent and powerfui, ever delivered by man uninspired. The following letter of Mr. Adams is worthy of perpetual preservation on three accounts. The subject is peculiarly important and interesting. It gives us a striking view of one of the greatest orators that ever lived- the man who was "first and foremost, before all and above all," in zeal and influence, to vindicate our rights and establish our liberties. It is also a most remarkable example of ardor and energy in a venerable old man of 83. "Ev'n in our ashes, glow their wonted fires." Whenever you shall find a paintmale or female, I pray you to suggest a scene and subject. er, The scene is the Council Chamber of the old Town-House, in Boston. The date is the month of February, 1761. That Council Chamber was as respectable an apartment, and more so too, in proportion, than the House of Lords or House of Commons in Great Britain, or that in Philadelphia, in which the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776. In this chamber, near the fire, were seated five Judges, with Lt. Gov. Hutchinson at their head, as Chief Justice; all in their new fresh robes of scarlet English cloth, in their broad bands, and immense judicial wigs. In this chamber, was seated at a long table, all the Bar When was the French power nearly annihilated in America? Who sent an official account of this to the British ministry? risters of Boston, and its neighboring county of Middlesex, in their gowns, bands and tye-wigs. They were not seated on ivory chairs; but their dress was more solemn and more pompous, than that of the Roman Senate, when the Gauls broke in upon them. In a corner of the room, must be placed Wit, Sense, Imagination, Genius, Pathos, Reason, Prudence, Eloquence, Learning, Science and immense Reading, hung by the shoulders, on two crutches, covered with a cloth great coat, in the person of Mr. Pratt, who had been solicited or both sides, but would engage on neither, being about to leave Boston forever, as Chief Justice of New York. Two portraits, at more than full length, of King Charles II. and King James II. in splendid golden frames, were hung up in the most conspicuous side of the apartment. If my young eyes or old memory have not deceived me, these were the finest pictures I have seen. The colors of their long flowing robes, and their royal ermines were the most glowing, the figures the most noble and graceful, the features the most distinct and characteristic ; far superior to those of the King and Queen of France, in the Senate chamber of Congress. I believe they were Vandyke's. Sure 1 am, there was no painter in England capable of them at that time. They had been sent over without frames, in Governor Pownal's time. But as he was no admirer of Charleses or Jameses, they were stowed away in a garret among rubbish, till Governor Bernard came, had them cleaned, superbly framed, and placed in Council, for the admiration and imitation of all What design did the ministry then conceive? Who was then collector of customs in Boston ? For what, did the ministry direct Paxton to apply to civil authority? What did these writs authorize officers to break open? For what purpose? To search for contraband goods. men, no doubt with the concurrence of Hutchinson and all the Junto; for there has always been a Junto. One circumstance more. Samuel Quincy and John Adams had been admitted Barristers at that term. John was the youngest. He should be painted, looking like a short, thick, fat Archbishop of Canterbury, seated at the table, with a pen in his hand, lost in admiration, now and then minuting those despicable notes, which you know, that stole from my desk, and printed in the Massachusetts Spy, with two or three bombastic expressions, interloped by himself; and which your pupil, Judge Minot, has printed in his history. You have now the stage and the scenery; next follows a narration of the subject. I rather think, that we lawyers ought to call it a brief of the cause. Meaning of contraband? Where was Mr. C. collector? When did the court order the question to be argued? Where? officers, tide-waiters, land-waiters, and all, to command all sheriffs and constables, to attend and aid them in breaking open houses, stores, shops, cellars, ships, bales, trunks, chests, casks, packages of all sorts, to search for goods, wares and merchandises, which had been imported against the prohibitions, or without paying the taxes imposed by certain acts of Parliament, called "THE ACTS OF TRADE," i. e. by certain parliamentary statutes, which had been procured to be passed from time to time, for a century before, by a combination of selfish intrigues between West India planters, and North American royal governors. These acts never had been executed, and there never had been a time, when they would have been, or could have been obeyed. Mr. Paxton, no doubt consulting with Gov. Bernard, Lieut. Gov. Hutchinson, and all the principal crown officers, and all the rest of the Junto, thought it not prudent to commence his operations in Boston. For obvious reasons, he instructed his deputy collector in Salem, Mr. Cockle, to apply, by petition, to the Superior Court in November, 1760, then sitting in that town, for Writs of Assistance. Stephen Sewall was then chief justice of that court, an able man, an uncorrupted American, and a sound whig; a sincere friend of When the British ministry received from General Amherst his despatches, announcing his conquest of Montreal, and the consequent annihilation of the French government and power in America, in 1760, they immediately conceived the design, and took the resolution of conquering the English colonies, and subjecting them to the unlimited authority of Parliament. With this view and intention, they sent orders and instructions to the Collector of the Customs in Boston, Mr. Charles Paxton, to apply to the civil authority for Writs of Assist-liberty, civil and religious. He exance, to enable the custom-house pressed great doubts of the legality Who succeeded Sewall in the mean time? For what purpose, was this appointment made? Whom did the merchants engage, to plead against the Writs? What did Otis say, when offered a fee? Before how many judges, was the question argued ? In what apartment? of such a writ, and of the authority of the Court to grant it. Not one of his brother judges uttered a word in favor of it; but as it was an application on the part of the Crown, it must be heard and determined. After consultation, the court ordered the question to be argued at the next February term, in Boston, i. e. in 1761. In the mean time Chief Justice Sewall died, and Lt. Gov. Hutchinson was appointed chief justice of that court in his stead. Every observing and thinking man knew, that this appointment was made for the direct purpose of deciding this question in favor of the Crown, and all others, in which it should be interested. An alarm was spread far and wide. Merchants of Salem and Boston applied to Mr. Pratt, who refused, and to Mr. Otis and Mr. Thatcher, who accepted, to defend them against this terrible, menacing monster, the Writ of Assistance. Great fees were offered; but Otis, and I believe, Thatcher, would accept of none. "In such a cause," said Otis, "I despise all fees." I have given you a sketch of the stage, and scenery, and a brief of the cause; or, if you like the phrase better, of the tragedy, comedy, or farce. Now for the actors and performers. Mr. Gridley argued, with his characteristic learning, ingenuity and dignity, and said every thing, How were they drest? Who argued in favor of Cockle's petition? On what supposition, did Grid ley ground all his arguments? What was Otis on that occasion? With what, did he hurry away all before him? What was then and there born? At what age, did Independence declare himself free? that could be said, in favor of Cockle's petition, all depending, however, on the "If the Parliament of Great Britain is the sovereign legislature of all the British Empire." Mr. Thatcher followed him on the other side, and argued with the softness of manners, the ingenuity, the cool reasoning, which were peculiar to his amiable character. But Otis was a flame of fire! With a promptitude of classical allusions, a depth of research, a rapid summary of historical events and dates, a profusion of legal authorities, a prophetic glare of his eyes into futurity, and a rapid torrent of impetuous eloquence, he hurried away all before him. American Independence was then and there born. The seeds of Patriots and Heroes -to defend the vigorous youth, were then and there sown. Every man of an immense, crowded audience, appeared to me to go away, as I did, ready to take arms against Writs of Assistance. Then, and there, was the first scene of the first act of opposition to the arbitrary claims of Great Britainthen and there, the child Independence was born. In fifteen years, i. e. in 1776, he grew up to manhood, and declared himself free. The court adjourned, for consideration, and, after some days, at the close of the term, Hutchinson, Chief Justice, arose and said, "The court has considered the subject of Writs of Assistance, and In what year ? With what feelings, did the hearers of Otis's speech appear to go away? For what, did Hutchinson say, there was no foundation, some days afterwards? In what manner, was it said, that the court granted the Writs after several months? Meaning of clandestinely? Why did not the officers execute them? What is said of Mr. Otis's pop ularity? How long did he continue at the head of his country's cause? In what manner, did he gover Boston and the House of Repre sentatives of Ms. ? In what, did the revolution be gin at this time? ton, and the people of the province, with a prudence and fortitude, at every sacrifice of personal interest, and amidst unceasing persecution, which would have done honor to the most virtuous patriot or mar. tyr of antiquity. I fear I shall make you repent of bringing out the old gentleman. JOHN ADAMS. can see no foundation for such a Writ; but as the practice in England is not known, it has been thought best to continue the question to next term, that, in the mean time, opportunity may be given to write to England for information concerning the subject." In six months, the next term arrived; but no judgment was pronounced; nothing was said about Writs of Assistance; no letters from England; and nothing more was said in court concerning them. But it was generally reported and understood, "When the cause came on, how that the court clandestinely granted ever, Mr. Otis displayed so comthem; and the custom-house offi- prehensive a knowledge of the subcers had them in their pockets,ject, showed not only the illegality though I never knew, that they dared to produce and execute them in any one instance. Mr. Otis's popularity was without bounds. In May, 1761, he was elected into the House of Representatives, by an almost unanimous vote. On that week I happened to be at Worcester, attending a Court of Common Pleas, of which Brigadier Ruggles was Chief Justice. When the news arrived from Boston, you can have no idea of the consternation among the government people. Chief Justice Ruggles, at dinner at Col. Chandler's on that day, said, "Out of this election, will arise a faction, which will shake this province to its foundation." For ten years afterwards, Mr. Otis, at the head of his country's cause, conducted the town of Bos In a letter to Dr. Morse, Mr. Adams has the following remarks upon the same subject. of the writ, its insidious and mischievous tendency, but he laid open the views and designs of Great Britain in taxing us; of destroying our charters and assuming the pow ers of our government, legislative, executive and judicial; external and internal, civil and ecclesiastical, temporal and spiritual; and all this was performed with such a profusion of learning, such convincing argument, and such a torrent of sublime and pathetic eloquence, that a great crowd of spectators and auditors went away absolutely electrified. The next May, Mr. Otis was elected by the town of Boston into the legislature, and for ten years afterwards; during the whole of which period, his tongue and his pen were incessantly em ployed in enlightening his fellow citizens and countrymen in the |