[Newport] Decr 14.
Town Meeting ー sent a Committee & settled with Wallace & agreed to supply him. Just at Night Orders came from the Committee of Safety, refusing to permit Wallace to be supplied & forbiddg all Communication with him. Instantly another To Meetg assembled & sat till IX o'Clock in Eveng. In the present Destress the[y] voted a Committee of 25 to set off to Morrow Morng for Providence to petition the Committee of Safety to revoke their Order; & nominated me for one of the Committee ー but I declined it. The Committee a Mixture of Tories &c. I have Reason to believe that the Tories are inveigling the lower sort of pple with Ministerial Monies, to take up Arms on pretence of defendg their property, & makg them believe that it is the aim of Providence to destroy Newport. I think it necessary to undeceive them by a Reference to the Continental Congress.
1. Diary of Ezra Stiles, YUL.