It will be seen that the Committee regarded the dispute with the Home Government as something more than a merely local matter, in which the Town of Bo-ton was the only sufferer ; and that it was not inclined, therefore, to confine its action, as the Vote of that Town had sought to confine it, to the particular subject of the Boston Port-Bill, nor to direct all its efforts, as that Vote had solicited, entirely to the redress of the grievances of that particular Town. On the contrary, it recognized the equal importance of "every other matter of public moment!;" it asserted that " the Cause was general and concerned a " whole Continent, who was equally interested" with themselves ; and it insisted that " no remedy can be " of avail, unless it proceeded from the joint Act and " Approbation of all." It was not inclined, without

■ We are not insensiHe of tlie fact that mauy suppose that the authorship of tliis notable letter belongs to .John Jay ; but, because the entire spirit of it is so unlike wliat he would have presented in huch a letter, written under such circumstances ; and because he is known to have been more inclined to resort toa Non-Importation Agreement than Jamea Duane was, we prefer to favor the belief that the latter gentleman wrote it.

- Because it was so entirely antagonistic to the known principles of the Boston-men with whom the minority of the Committee, in their individual relations, had been previously so entirely in acconl, this answer to the letters from Boston, approved by the unanimous vote of the Committee, affords additional evidence of the entire good faith of the great boily of the unfranchised inhabitants of the City, in its concurrence in the a|>- pointment of the Committee of Fifty-one, and of the acquiescence in that appointment of, at least, those of the previously assumed leaders of those inhabitjints who had lieen admitted to seats in that Committee.