The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1777-03-17 00:00:00, page 1

Mr. Watson,
Please to insert the following in yeur Paper, and o
blige your humble fervent.
A true Reprefatation of the Reasons wh, I took tbc Small-
Pox.
RETURNING from the winter campaign in the
State ofNew York, (in which I had bean re.
peatedly exposed to that infeaious drfeaU)lwas par
ticularly so, as I puffed sundry houses in which it was,
near the road ; from one the wind blue the fmeak
arid infectious vapour direaly into my face. The
cold and fatigue I had undergone, and manner of di
-3t for two monthss before, rendered my having the
final! pox the natural way peculiarly dangerous ; ino
culation in ray fitutaion appeared to me to be my
dury, as the necessary means cf preferring ray life;
and to have omited it, a breach of the sixth com
mandment.
DireCtly ^fier I c:me home, General Parfas told
ra; I might depend on it I mould be called upon to go
in the army, had that I might inoculate , belonging
to it. I was made further to believe this from feme
of ^honorable Superior Court, who were iikewile
of the Governor's Council, and who on the fame
ground advised me to tike the final! pox. Thus, to
avoid the terrible effeai of that dreadful dirtemper
to which £ had been exposed in the ferries of my coun
try, and to prepare myfelf, most ftpeditioufly, to
engage therein again, to which I had re&fon to expeft
I ihould Gon be called, are the true reafoas why I
took the infiaion ; And though I have not solicited
any public appointment, nor went to court danger :
yet; Itruft In God, I Should pay a ready obedience
to the calls of my diftreffad country ; and consider my
life cf little value, uncooe&ed with its freedom and
fafety. Of ray intentions famecf the fele& men were
informed, and made no abjeaiona. I then proposed
to stay at my own house until the infection had taken ;
fame of my neighbours advised ^ it---others f^id
they should not be afraid of it; I have ni^e in family
that never had it, and not one is inoculated. I never
had the most difat thought cf being sick with it at
home; or any knowledge that Col. S%c&/r family
had it, until it was publicly talked cf. This I thought
proper to publish, to prevent falfe furmifesand ill
placed censures, and to prevent what I have done be
ing made a precedent of, except under the fame
gircurnftances J. ROOT.
Hertford, March 17, 1777.
Mr. Watson,
Pleas to give the following a place in,our papet.
THE complaint of opprefim and extortion has been
A made, not only from your press but almpfi every
press on the continent ; and fcarcriy a tongue has
been filenton the fubjed. We have now, I appre
hend, a fair opportunity to determine, whether inch
complaints hays proceeded from a real abhorrence cf
fach mighty evils, and from a real desire to crufo
fem, cr because the most of us have begrudged a
few, who have had it intheir power thereby to increase
their interests and enlarge theirpurfes. Thacoppref
fion had extortion have grown to an amazing height,
there it no room to doubt ; yet, the legislature 01 this
and the other New-Ragland States have now made
such regulations of the pricer of all the neceffinies of
life, as will be eff^aual to crush thefs gowing and
d^ftehle evils, if there is virtue and reflation e
nr,ugh in rhe people to fappart them. The efia
will lufficiently determine whether the general cetin
plaint which has been made was in earne#, or from
foffi^ private and iu&eft<d motives.
Thare is nothing wanting but virtue and refokffon
to check the growth cf these ruinous end unnatural
evils. And i< mud eminently concern every indivi
dual, 0 he regards himfalf, his country, or the honor
of God, to be in good earned to maintain and iupport
thof# regulation!. The bast laws are of no service if
the people want fapport them; and it becomes us
^w if^r to be b/earrieft. Whilst we are facrific
ing our fortunes a^d lives in oppofi^gfag* oppreffirs
and exorbitant claimants, will we endure those ir. our
ewe hf& a^d fuffer them to plunder ell before them,
&nd that when we have law and the/worZ of the civil
magiftrat* on our fide! that wjuld be to aft a cow
ardly and inconfid^t part indeed ! But, however iu
confiffent and d^tedl,, weh^r great reaf^ to fear
tk^t cur t^tci^l ''/?''"'"' cf ratv/r those vermin
CONNECTICUT
C&oraiaing d^ Frcffid ADVIC.E S,
^0^111; WA 1% xo
PLOTTED amd published by EBENEZER WATSON, NEAR the GREAT BRIDGE.
WEEKLY
AND
who are preying on the blool of thafr distressed coun
try, are fuff^ed without any molefiation to evade the
plain meaning cf those regulations; and yet in such
a manner, as that many blindly and stupidly imagine
they are not liable to fuffer the penalty of the law.
The farmer, or the monopolizer of grain, perfuedes
himfelf and others, that he may take 6s. per bushel
for wheat at his door, and 2 s. or 2 $. 6 d. per tulhel
for transporting it a mile; and so what he cant extort
in his demandfor the grain, he gets fer transporting
it. And arts like this are made use ofin ether cases
to evade the law : But, are we to be hood-wink'd by
such shallow and low-liv'd arts as these ? Are we such
moles and asses, as to be blinded and duped in this
manner ? The law is too explicit and guarded to be
thuae.ifily evaded. Labor is particularly stated by
the day, and all labour is to be in l?ke proportion
He ttilt exacts more than that proportion for tranf
porring provisions or any other services, is as amenable
and as liable to fuffer the penalty of the law, as he
that demands and receives 7 1. per buffiel at his own
store. The meaning and intent of the late regulations
is so plain, as that tucy cant be evaded unless we vo
luntarily fiffer it. And as zb&ve observed, it is high
time to be awakes and in ear^eft- the time past ought
abundantly to fuffice wherein we' have f^ftered the lit
tle petty tyrants asd eppreflors a cur beftrns, to fatten
on the wealth, and unrigli,eo&fly to amass the riches
cf their country.
But it will perhaps be Lid, " necaffity obliges ^s
to ^ive more than the law a. .ms of, we can't gat
grain and other neceffaties unlete w^ do." This,
however fpeciara, is not founded on truth. If we were
only unvcffally resolved to support the law, grain and
other neceflarics would be more plenty at the price at
which they are new stated, than they have been here
tofore. The truth is, a great partef those who have
grain and other necessaries, being sensible cf the easy
and irresolute disposition cf a great part of the people,
keep it clofe,not merely because their consciences will
admit of taking as much as they can get, but because
they hope to find customers that s will gr^nt their un
righteous demands, and gratify their bounding and
exorbitant difires. Now if there was a universal drf
position in the people to frown open, and to bring
such offenders cf God and their country to puniffi-
Inent, there would be no encouragement to hoard up
and withhold theneceffaries of life. 'Tis th^ indul
gence these pests of society have found,tint encourages
them to withhold thrir grain-.- they hope to find fofae
one that will give their extravag^ nt demands. A upi
verfal reftlution to abide by the late regulating ads,
and to put them in execution, is the most ready me
thod to opei all the hores z&d grainaries in the State.
Others, perhaps, would be glad to fee matters ,d
---justed according to the late regulating ^f.s, but s.,=e
afraid to put them inex^cution, bast Hej fhauld cf
fend a good neighbour 0? fomegraat man. ^ - -This,
howevery prevalent, ic a pretty excuse indeed ! A fire
neighbour he, who is r xing the r^tffiti^ cf his fel
low creatures, and while foreigners arc invading our
sea coalb, he is laying feige to every purse, plunder
ing whenever plunder is to b* found, and fobbing,
wi h the most fatal weapon, th, ritrls of his country.
Is thi# the gooJ neighbour! This tie great man ! For
whatareour fathers, brethren and children in arms ?
Is it not to crulh oppressors, these who would plunder
us of cur wealth and property ? And wh^re i^ the
taighty difference betwixt those whom we opp< ft in
the field of battle, and th&fe befeigers offurfa and taxers
of oar neckties, excepting the farmer are auihorifed
by king a^d parliament; and the latter have fit up
in their own names F Are we free and willing to spend
car fortunes and hazard cur li#es to oppole the for
mer, and are afraid to encounter the latter ? Are we
capable of such i confiftnag, and cf a&ißg such a
cowardly asd dastardly part as this ? If we afe we
muftfall before our eppreffers, a^d our fell will be
just, we fhril halve no one to bl@ma except cm selves ;
we mry now dpourfelves just €# if we plcafe, nothing
but virtue and resolution is wanting , therefore as
we regard God, ourselves or the good cf our country,
Ist us embrace the prefect oppotwnity, arid drag forth
every oppteffor and extortioner to public view, that
we may know whrt ,inonftars have been nursed up a
morgft us, and they be treated as their crimes dtfsrve.
If we fuffer th^fe mighty evils to fuperc&d^ th^
beunds new Gt, I am unable to fee any flop to 'em
11^1
ysßkAterite
INTELLIGENCES
'till they have flarvad the poor and dilbfaded cur ar^
mies. If these necessary consequences are not de
plorable enough to awaken up zeal and refolntion to
secure the things which belong to our peace, wg
must be left to lament cur folly, when our tears and
complaints will be of no avail. > P. P.
In CONVENTION of the Reprefentati^es from the
several counties and towns of the New-Hampffiire
Grants, holder at Weftminfler, January 15, 1777,
by adjournment.
f^HEREAS the honorable the CoKtihental Cengrefs did,
ox the 41b day of fal, las, declare the United Colonies
in America to be free and independent of the crown of Greats
Britain ; which declaration we most cordiall, ac^uiefa in,
And whereas b, the said declaration the arbitrar, afts of
the crown are nul end void, in America. Cenfquently,
thejuri/dißion b, said crown granted to New-Fork g,qm^~
went over the people ox the New Hastybire grasses is total
l, dffolvcd.
We therefore, the inhabitants on said traß es land, arc
at pre, ent without law er gevtr^msnt, and ma, trul, bo
said to be in a fate cf nature ; confquentl, a right rmai%e
to the people on said Grants, to fores a government iffait
el to feenrt their proper,, well being end tappiuefo ' We
the delegates from the federal counties .and t^r.s rn fid
tra& of land, bonded as follows : fe^b on the north line, es
the M^facbufeUs B^,; cast, on Councaicut river ; north,
on Canada line ; wsfl, as par as the New H^mpjbire
grants extends. pjter fevered adjournments for the purp&f
cf forming ouflves into a diffinft separate fate, bei^g af
ferabicd^ W'tfminder, do male a^d pubdib the flbwi^ re
DECL/JRAiIGfL ^
'• That we will at all times hereafter, confdtr on-fifoe
as a free and independent Sten, capable cf regulating our
internal police, in all and ever, rfyd whatfeover. And
that tbs people on said grants hive tbs Jole, exclufve, and
inherent right of ruling and governing tbemflves, in fab
manner and firm as in their wifdomfall tbini proper, nob
ihcouffant or repugnant to an, refelve of the b&norabk the
Continents Congress.
Furthermore, vve deciare by all the tie) which are held
sacred among men, that we will firmly fland by, endfub
post one another in this cur declaration cf a State ; a,;d en
deavoring as much as in us lies to f*,p r o unlawful routs
and diflurbances whatever. Aifo§ we will endeavor tofe
cure to ever, individual his life, peace and prefers,, agairA
all unlawful invaders of the fame.
Lafj, we hereby declare, that wears at all time, -saf,
lit conjunaion with ear bretbre, is the United States cf Ame
rica, to do our full proportion in maintaining and Jupporting
thejufi war, against th: tyrannical iavafwfthe minify
rial fleets and armies, is well as an, oshrforeign enraie),
sent with exprefspurpofe to murder ohr fellow brethren, and
with fire ana tword to ravage cur defacelef country.
The said Stdte hereafter to be called b, tbs num, of NET.
CONNECTICUT.".'
Extraßf em the minutis,
iRd ALLEN, Clerk.
fuji Pubrifad, add to b^fold by toe Pn^r imf""™
P k rc E ONE SHILLING, "
RULES and ARTICLES
Fur the bette Gever. meat of the
TRO O F S
Raised, or to ba be railed and kept in Pay br ind at
the Expense cf the
UNITED STATES, of A M ERIE A.
___ • _
A, LL persons &< hav& my ^i^nd'a ju & ^CT .f
" J f^ph Waterous, late of Sa!;fbury decea/d, ^
defied to exhibit the : r accounts for f^de^cM--. And
those indebted tn said eftatj to make p^mr^, :o
Jam^s Waterous, Executor.
sda&br,.F^brn,-y ig. U/Z'
WHEREAS RACHEL the wiL of ihs fabfaib&r
ha^h eloped, a&d 1 am apprshe^five will c^-
deaver to run me in debt. This is therefore to forbid
al! persons from trailing her on my account, as I will
pay no debt cohtrs&ed by her after this date.
Asner Hancock.
Li thGeld. February 27, 1777.
T ObT, the zih of January last, b^weeTT^TLEZ:
dam and North-Belton, about 120 dollars, in p*_
per bills, w^p'dup in a news paper. Whoever will
return said smokey to Edward Chapmen of E*ft-
Haddam, ihsH havr Ten Dollars reward, and char
ges paid. M^ch 5, 1777.
co ORAN Tg
Both FOREIGN and DOMESTIC;
,Z^fr>bßa
^^Ma2. R ^p