History of the Town of Fitchburg Rufus Torey 1836
 

In November 1773 another letter was received from the town
of Boston, requesting the inhabitants of Fitchburg to pass
such resolves concerning their rights and privileges as free
members of societgy, as they were willing to die in
maintaining -- and to send them, in the form of a report, to
the Committee of Correspondence in Boston.  The town was not
unmindful of this invitation.  A meeting was held on the
first day of December following.  A copy of the records of
this meeting will convey a good idea of the views and
feelings of the inhabitants on these important sugjects.
The record is as follows:--

"At a legal town meeting in Fitchburg on the first day of
DEcember, 1773 in order to take into consideration the
letters of correspondency from the town of Boston -- the
Town made choice of Mr. Isaac Gibson as moderator for the
government of said meeting.  These said letters were read
before the town -- and after the town had deliberated
thereon with zeal and candor, unanimously agreed to choose a
committee of seven men, and chose Mr. Isaac Gibson, Capt.
Reuben Gibson, Messrs. Phinehas Hartwell, Ebenezer Wood,
Ebenezer Bridge, Kendall Boutelle, and Solomon Steward, as a
committee to consider of our consitiutional rights and
privileges in common with other towns in this Province,
together with the many flagrant infringements that have been
made thereon, and to report at the adjournment; -- and then
this meeting was adjourned to the 15th on the same month.
At the adjourned meeting the committee reported as follows:
--

"Having with great satisfaction perused the circular letters
from the committee of correspondency for the Town of Boston,
wherein are so clearly held forth our rights and privileges
as Englishmen and Christians, and also a list of the many
infringements that have been made thereon, which letters of
correspondence we highly approve of and unanimously consent
unto, and resolve to stand fast in the liberty and rights
wherewith our Gracious Sovereign Kings have made us free by
an undeniable Charter and Decreee from them, their heirs and
successors forever; -- And we are fully presuaded that
liberty is a most precious gift of God our Creator to all
mankind, and is of such a nature that no person or community
can justly part with it, and consequently that no men, or
number of men can have a right to exercise despotism or
tyranny over their fellow creatures; -- and to save us from
such extreme wretchedness, we believe the vigilance and
combined endeavors of this people are necessary -- and we
hope through the favor of Devine Providence, will be
effectual.  And we think it our indispensable duty as men,
as Englishmen and Christians, to make the most public
declaration in our power of the side of liberty.  We have
indeed an ambition to be known to the world and to posterity
as friends of liberty -- and we desire to use all proper
means in our contracted sphere to promote it, and we are
necessitated to view the enimies of liberty as enemies of
our lawful sovereign, King George, and his illustrious
family;--because tyranny and slavery are fundamentally
repugnant to the BRitish Constitution.

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