Declaration of John Nutting and others, of their reasons for signing the Address to Governour Hutchinson

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Salem, May 30, 1775.

Whereas, we the subscribers, did some time since sign an Address to Governour Hutchinson, which though prompted to by the best intentions, has, nevertheless, given great offence to our Country; we do now declare that we were so far from designing by that action to show our acquiescence in those acts of Parliament so universally and justly odious to all America, that, on the contrary, we hoped we might in that way contribute to their repeal, though now, to our sorrow, we find ourselves mistaken. And we do now further declare, that we never intended the offence which this Address has occasioned; that if we had foreseen such an event we should never have signed it: as it always has been, and now is, our wish to live in harmony with our neighbours, and our serious determination to promote, to the utmost of our power, the liberty, the welfare, and happiness of our Country, which is inseparably connected with our own.

JOHN NUTTING,
FRANCIS CABOT,
N˙ GOODALE,
N˙ SPARHAWK,
ANDREW DALGLEISH,
NATHANIEL DABNEY,
THOMAS BARNARD,
WILLIAM PICKMAN,
E˙ A˙ HOLYOKE,
C˙ GAYTON PICKMAN,
WILLIAM PYNCHON,
JOHN TURNER,
EBENEZER PUTNAM