New Hampshire,
New York and Philadelphia, explaining their course, acting, as they
said, "in the faith that harmony and concurrence in action uniformly and
firmly maintained, must finally conduct them to the end of their wishes,
namely, a full enjoyment of constitutional liberty." They received
cheering replies and encouraging assurances from all quarters.

At the meeting next morning, a letter to John Scollay from the
consignees, containing their long-delayed proposals, was read. They
expressed sorrow that they could not return satisfactory answers to the
two messages of the town, as it was utterly out of their power to send
the teas back, but said they were willing to store them until they could
communicate with their constituents, and receive their further orders
respecting them. This letter irritated the meeting, and it declined to
take action upon it.

Before taking final leave of these obstinate gentlemen, I make a few
citations from the recently published volume of "The Diary and Letters
of Thomas Hutchinson." Writing to his son at the castle on November 30,
Hutchinson says: "The gentlemen (consignees), except your uncle Clarke,
all went to the castle yesterday. I hope they will not comply with such
a monstrous demand." Hancock and Adams, he says, were two of the guard
of the tea ship.

Thomas Hutchinson, Jr., to his brother Elisha:

"CASTLE WILLIAM, December 14, 1773.

... I imagine you are anxious to know what the poor banished
commissioners are doing at the castle. Our retreat here was
sudden, but our enemies do not say we came too soon. How
long we shall be imprisoned 'tis impossible to say.... I
hear there is a meeting of the _mobility_ to day, but don't
know the result. I hardly think they will attempt sending
the tea back, but am more sure it will not go many leagues.
The commissioners are all with us, and we are as comfortable
as we can be in a very cold place, driven from our families
and business, with the months of January and February just
at hand.

P.S.--Our situation is rendered more agreeable by the polite
reception we met with from Col. Leslie, and the other
gentlemen of the army."

And on January 9, 1774, he writes:

"The Bostonians say we shall not return to town without
making concessions. I suppose we shall quit the castle
sometime this week, as we are all provided with retreats in
the country. I have had