The New-England chronicle — Boston [Mass.], 1776-08-15 00:00:00, page 1

"THAVE read with attention,Lord Howe's
I circular letter and declaration, which you
was f^good as to fend foe, and in return, please
co accept of the following remarks upon them.
" It is worthy of notice, that, both the letter
and declaration bear the fame date, and were
delivered at sea, off the coast of Maffachufett's-
Bay. **
" The letter is addressed to the late Govern
ors, (named in the resolve of Congress) " in
forming them of his arrival on the American
coast, where (could he mean the American
coast ?) hisfirft object will be an early meeting
with Gen. Howe," who is joint commissioner
with him "for reforing pence, granting par
dons,"Bcc. —But before he saw, or could fee
Gen. Howe, and consult with him, "he judg
ed it expedient to iflue a declaration," wliich,
" he desires they would forthwith cause to be
promulgated, so as to render the fame of the
most publick notoriety."
" The ardor of his Lordship's zeal seems, in
fais instance, to have transported him beyond
the bounds of prudence : for, if the declaration
was boneftly calculated, to answer the pro
feffed purposes of it, viz. " the speedy and ef
fectual restoration of the publick tranquility,"
the rapidity of it's promulgation would have
been in proportion to the number and import
ance of the benefits to be derivedfrom it. But
on the contrary, if the original and real defigh
of it was, to low difeord and create divisions :
o bribe arad corrupt, in hopes of a more easy
:onqueft : we shall be at no loss to account for
\is Lordship's giving such speed to his dis
patches : —the Continental declaration of inde
pendency he had good realon to fear would, as
it did get the start of him, and might, as it
doubtless will, render his scheme abortive : nor
r nall we have any reason to wonder at his de
iring information and assistance from the late
Governors to whom his letter is addressed :
who, from their firft coming to their refpeftive
governments, 'till they either abandoned, or
vere expelled from them ; have been steadily
and constantly endeavouring to diftrub the
niblick tranquility ; and therefore, very ill
qualified, and worse disposed, to restore it :—.
Sut, what confirms our suspicion, that mif
hieflyes concealed under such fair pretences
.s, that, although his Lordship seems to be fo
ficitous, to have the controversy between the
ontending powers, speedily and amicably fet
led, yet it is evident, that the terms of Settle
ment must be founded upon bis declaration ;
which, when it comes to be examined, will be
found, in every part of it, so glaringly infdious,
as to leave no room to doubt the real design of'
it. But, this ifyou please, shall be the next
object of our Attention.
" The declaration begins, with reciting a
clause of an act of parliament, wherein it is en
abled :—"that it £hall and may be lawful to
and for any person or persons, appointed and
authorifed by his Majesty, to grant a pardon or
pardons to any number or description of per
sons, by proclamation in his Majesty's name,
to declare any colony or province, colonies or
provinces to be at the peace of his Majesty ;"
and that " from and after the issuing of any
Inch proclamation in any of the aforefaid colo
nies or provinces, ®r if his Majesty ihall be
graciously pleased to fignify the fame by his
royal proclamation, the said act, with refpe&
to such colony or province, colonies or pro
vinces, county, town, port, district, or place,
ihall cease, determine, and be utterly void."
, T H°E
NEW-ENGLAND CHRONICLE;
BOSTO N : Printed by POWARS and WILLIS, at their Office opposite the new Covrt^House, Queen-Street
Extract of a Letter from & Gentleman in the
Country, to bis Friend in this Town.
" Here are individuals and whole communities
to be pardoned, who have neverconfeffed them-
Selves guilty : have never been convicted of any
crime or crimes, nor even so much as charged
with any ;—they are to be proclaimed at fc
(Vol. IX.)
TH URSDA Y, August 15, 1776.
peace of his Majesty, but are not told when; nor
where, norhow they have broke it : this clause
therefore, considered by itfelf, and unconnected
with the act from which it is extrafted, is quite
unintelligible, and no better than politicaljargon.
But look into the a&, and you will there find,
not only individuals, but the whole of these
United States declared to be in a state of rebel
lion, for daring to relent the wrongs they had
endured even to lon f buffering ; and for refill
ing tlie power that, instead of redrefllrig them,
was perpetually adding to their number, with
innumerable circumstances of aggravation: a
power, in short, that would if it could subju
gate and enslave them! You will there find,
British vengeance extended to a degree of fero
city unknown and unpra&iced by the most Ra
vage and barbarous nations : —licenceis, there
in not only granted, but great encouragement
given to Britons, to rob and murtber their near
est relations and connections in America ; but,
what is hill worse, if possible, the crew of an
American veflel, who shall be so unhappy as
to be taken by a British ship of war, inftcad of
being treated as captives, agreeable ro the prac
tice of all civilized nations,are to be considered,.
without exception, as so many seamen, voluh
tarily entered into the service ; and after being
plundered themselves, may be the very next
day compelled to assist in plundering, perhaps,
killing afather, a brother, or some other near re
lation ! and upon refufing or neglecting to Obey
orders, are fubje& to death, or other punish
ment by law martial ; even slaves and lavages
are courted to come in aid of them. But why
do I defeend to particulars ? Read the aft,
attend to the spirit ofit; arid then tell me whe~
ther ^eace can be the object of any part of it ?
Could his Lordship read this part of his decla
ration, and suppress the confeious bluJb -which
must spread a crimson dye over the cheeks of
a man of honor, which implies an ingenuous
mind ?
" But his Lordship fays, " his sovereign is
desirous to deliver all his fubje&s from the ca
lamities of war, and other opprefions which they
now undergo, and to restore the said colonies to
his protection and peace asfern as the confituti
onal authority of government therein may be re
placed."'
" Here Jet us pause for a moment and fup
pofe,that, the inhabitants of these United States
vTere heartily inclined, to return again to their
allegiance and become, as they once were, his
most faithful fubje&s :—what security, or even
affurarfee have they, or has he given them of
bis protection and their future peace, unless
they will submit to the very authority of go
vernment, and all its consequences, that were
tlie-ground of the war ? Certainly, no part of
the declaration under our review affords, so
much as the shadow of either. How insidious,
therefore,is the tender of protection and peace,
upon such vague and indecisive terms !—furely,
his minivers were more solicitous for the fafety
oftheir own beads, than their maker's honor,when
they advised him to effect that by fraud, which
fatal experience had taught them could not be
effected by force : —but left fraud should fail,
as force has hitherto, by being employed fepe
rately, it seems, they are now to be united, in
hopes that, jointly, they will be able to bear
down all opposition ! and effectually carry into
execution their favorite plan of despotism. For
this purpose, two Brothers, (to secure a
good agreement) " are commissioned to a&,
jointly, or severally," as statesmen, or heroes,
as time, and favourable circumstances shall
present occasion, for displaying their refpe&ive
talents.
" As statesmen they are to coax, bribe, ahd
corrupt if they can ; else why is the enormous
sum of £.800,000 sterling, appropriated this
year for secret Services ? If this Succeeds to
their wifnes, and they can appear again in the
character of heroes, we fha!l then be cursed,
for rebels, as we often have been, and told, to
submit and be pardoned ; or die and be damned.
" Here methinks I hear you fay : "you
grow out of temper and exaggerate matters ;
are become illeberal and scurrilous." If you
have never read the aft, nor the Lords protest
at the second reading of the bill before it was
enacted, I don't wonder at your concern for
me ; but if you have read them, let me per
suade you to read them again with attention,
when I doubt not of being acquitted, even at
the bar of your politcnefs, of having trespassed
the bounds of decency.
" For, if peace was, really, the object of the
aft, or his Lordship's declaration ; why were
not theßritifh forces, by Tea and land recalled?
Why were they recruited, by such numbers of
foreign mercenaries ? And, why were the com^
manders in chief of those forces appointed the
sole commissioners to negociate the reftoratiora
of it ? The most improper persons that could
have been appointed for that purpose ; because
war is their profeffion,and plunder their obje&»
- as you and your fellow Citizens know by ua^
happy experience.
" The whole flrange purpose of their lives tofind?,
" Or make an enemy of all mankind."
" But, are these States, so firmly united, and
with such resources in their power, to be ca^
joled or bullied into submission? Will any re
gard be paid to terms of peace, tendered at the
mouths of cannon, and the points of bayonets ?
Do they speak the language of peace-makers 1
Could a greater affront be offered to Freemen
were they deprived of all power of refinance,
and agreeable to Lord North's wishes were pros
trate at bis feet ? — Are we drove to submit to
such an high insult upon our honor, and our un
derstandings, by the ill success of our arms ?—
Under the protection and bleffingof thatGoD,
in whom we trust, our arms have been victori
ous in every part of these United States : the
late Britilh army in Boston were forced, to
abandon the town with disgrace and ignomy:
their ships of war have been expelled, from
every harbour in New-England, where there
are any inhabitants: our forces at New-York,
are so numerous, and well disciplined ; the city
so strongly fortified, arithlie whole under the
direction of one of the greatest, and beftGene~
rals of the age, so that there, with the smiley
of Heaven we have eveiy thing to hope, and
nothing to fear : to the fouthward,our enemies
have been not only repulsed in every attempt
they have made, but have fuffered irreparable
loss ; especially, at South-Carolina. Many va
luable prizes have been taken, and a very large
supply of almost every fort of military stores,
either imported from abroad, or manufactured
at home : the increase of our forces, by sea
and land, is astonishingly rapid ; and are not
these accumulated proofs fufficient, to con
vince our enemies that we are not to be con
quered ? Permit me to add one more ; which
shall be taken from a letter I received, from a
great and good friend not only of ours, but of
all mankind : It was in answer to one of mine
wherein I asked: " When is the Continental
Congress, by general consent to be formed into
a supreme legislative, alliances defenfive and
offenfive formed, our ports opened, and a
formidable naval force eftabihhed at the pub
lic charge ?"
"I can only answer at- present," fays our
friend, " that nothing fegns wanting but, that
general c^fentt the novelty of the thing deters
some, the doubt of success others, the vain
hope of reconciliation ma^y. But our ene
' mies take continually every pre per measure to
remove these obstacles, .and their endeavours
are attended with success; since evQ day
fUrnifhes us with new cause of increafi%vumi-
(NuM&iiy.)