The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-11-14 00:00:00, page 1

From ^London Magazine, July 1774.'
s, ' To the PRINTER.
C The following speech contains Inch noble fenti
gMerits of liberty, as wd.:id do honour to the firft
of Ehgliflimen. I will not fay how applicable some
^.patt of it mly bo in the prefont pollute of affairs at
/jiome, and in America.
Fisc. Speech 0/Moses Bon Saam, a free Negro, to the
revolted Slaves in a considerable Colony of the WJt-
Indies.
11 Dear fellows in arms, and. brothers in adversity,
HAD your falterings been less painful, I might
have enjoyed my own case in an exemption
from danger f but in vain did my courage, once ex
erted in defence of a miller, redeem me from the
name of Have : I fouiid no blefiing in freedom because
no longer a partaker of your mifory.
While I was formerly one of your number, and
bat a wretch among wretches, I wanted sentiments
to reflect with justness on our wrongs ; but I have
f ncc been taught your wretchedness by sixteen years
of liberty—years not spent in ease and luxury,
like the 1 ix^cs of our oppreflors but laborious diligence
in pursuit of their capacity & arts, to know & make
known, that education and accident, not difference
of genius, have been the. cause of this superiority,
that bids a white man despise and trample on a
black one. 4 -
In what confifls the advantage of those proud fpoil
cra, but fuperfor happiness ? They arc notwifex by
nature, but more exercised in art than we are. Not
braver, but more crafty, and assist their anger by dif
ciplinc ; have rules and modes in war,which actuate
the moftnumerous bodies of white people : while we
ailing, tho’ refolutely,yet not dependently,divide &
lose onr nrmnefs, like a river, strong arid terrible.
While moving within its banks—but breaking them
down, and fp reading its flreams, is tame, weak, and
muddy. As soon as I could read, I difeovered,
in the holiest of all books, the foundation of
white men's religion, with amazement and pro
phetic joy, that the very man, from whom they had
the name given to me of Moses, had been the happy
deliverer of a nation from jufl such a llavery as you
have groaned under : innumerable thousands of his
captive countrymen all unknowing their own rights,
and forced,like you, to labour for ungrateful mailers,.
Will our talk mailers object againit the lawfulnefs
of our revolt--that our forefathers wereflaves ? Will
they urge that they have paid a price, and therefore
claim us as their property ? Grant them the life of a
firft unhappy captive to repay this claim; but did
they alTo buy his race ? Mull his children’s children
be transmitted to slavery ? Periih so ihameful a pre
tension 1 Let them recollect, how soon the profits of
our forefathers toils repaid them. Let them tell us,
if they dare foe truth, whether all the pomp, pride,
and wan ton n 6fs of their prosperity, is not the pur
chase of our sweat, our tears and our distresses.
Indulge, me, dear friends, your permission to flop
here and weep. I know it is a weakness, and it (hail
possess me but a moment : I will recover my voice,
and go on to enumerate your miseries. Alas lit is
not possible. It is too terrible a tglk ! I have neither
patience nor bre’th enough to find names for your
borrows. Would to heaven I could as easily banilh
them from my memory, as I can forbear to disgrace
you Sy their difeription ! But fancy will not fuffer
me to forget them. Imagination, officious to torment
me, invades even my fleepwith them. But I have
done with the horrors of the fubjefl. Let us think
then no more upon what we have fuffered ; let us re
solve to fuffer no longer.
In the present case we have nothing to fear, we
continue on the defensive. Let us repress malice
and cruelty, and rather strive to support onr new li -
berty, than' revenge bur pall flavery* While we train
and confirm our forces to difeipliue and exercifc,
MONDAY, November U. »774- THE [NUMBER 516. J
CONNECTICUT COURANT,
AND HARTFORD
WEEK L Y . jifgL/WM INTELLIGENCER.
Containing the Frelheft ADVICES. both FOREIGN and DOMESTIC.
L : \ ~ ..
Open to all PARTIES——not under the influence of ANY.
we (hall grow stronger by "ir &ill : perhaps more
is possible, but it ought to Ue unattetnpted.
We understand and accept God’s bounty : let us
cultivate law as well as land, and by submitting to
government become too generous for slavery. As
lb ig as the enemy /hall arr-:ihpt to diflod'ge us, let
them find us too ftroffig for their anger; but if they
leave us in possession of on*, lot, let them acknow
ledge us too kind for their erheky. They must al
ways want the cattle which we can never be depriv
ed of but in traffic, and we may receive in exchange
a thousand things for our ease, which will be for their
benefit to fell its.
Be of comfort therefore, my friends, and hope all
things from patience. Be not too hafly, content
yourselves to be thought weak for a while, till you
have recured and deepened your foundation : the
building will rife stronger and more beautiful. You
have beard talk of the Dutch, those rivals in riches
and power to the greatest princes. What were these
an hundred years palt but white slaves to a monarch,
who now calls them his brothers I Keep this exam
ple in your eye, and assure yourselves your enemy
will embrace you in spite oi yoiir colour, when they
fee deftruftion in your anger, but ease And fectlrity
in your friendffiip.”
To this speech, Sir, permit me to add one reflec
tion- ; genius and nobleness of Toiil are not confined
to sex, colour, or country. We frequently difoover
them in the deep recedes of Africa, and Hill oftener
in the wilds of America, I' the Javage inhabitants
(as they are called) oT £c,\als, mountains, and mo
rasses, fometirnes make barbarous inroads on their
neighbours, it is seldom without some aggravation;
but, let us turn our eyes for a moment only to those
proud lords of the universe, who boast of the refine
ment of the polite arts, humanity, and civilization,
who pride themselves in the knowledge of divine
revelation, and we fliall find common among them
crimes of the blackest hue, which the most rigorous
laws cannot restrain, and which owe their source to
pride, avarice, and ambition-—crimes unknown in
fa^age nations, and flrange to think on I pradifed
only among the enlightened and polite.
Advice is received from America of the death of
Sir William Johnson, Bart, on the 11 th of July, at
his feat atjohnfon Hall, in the province of New York.
Orders are given for a general master and return
to be made of the militia forces in every county
throughout the kingdom, and for all vacancies there
in to be filled up.
Sept. 6. A compad is lately signed between our
Court and that of the three Northern Powers; by
which, in case of a continental war, they have stipu
lated to furnifli Great-Britain between them with
60,q00 men; so that there will be no neceflity to
fend a man out of England.
Extract of a letter from Edinburgh, September 2.
“ Accounts are received in towu of a revolution
in Ruffia^ the Empress is said to be dethroned and
imprisoned, and the Grand Duke placed on the
Throne. This news is come from Sir Joseph York
at the Hauge, to the Secretaries of State, and is
wrote as a piece of news by a gentleman of credit in
London, to his friend here, so that it is likely that the
fii ft foreign mail will bring the particulars of this
affair.”
ORDERS are issued from the War office for raid
ing recruits in several parts of Great-Britaia
and Ireland.
Advices is said to have been received, that three
Spanifli men of war, had funk a Portuguese frigate
oft' the Canary Iflarids, and all on board perilhed.
On Saturday orders were fent^to Portimouth and
Plymouth, for the guardfliips to be manned to their
full complement, both sailors and marines.
It is not yet fettled when the Parliament is to
meet, but a Council will beheld the latter end of
this week, when a Proclamation is expc&ed to
L O N D O N, September 1.
be issued for calling them together early in No
vember.
On Monday evening a messenger was sent with
dispatches to the commiffioners'of Portsmouth and
Plymouth yards, said to be with orders for fittiniz
out fix Ihips of the line.
Yesterday a messenger was sent off with some dif\
patches for Lord Mansfield at Paris; and another '
with some to Lord Grantham, at Madrid.
Sept. 1 o A correspondent at the Hague has
lent us the following Advices :
“ Never have the powers of Europe sent so large
turns of money to Pafis, to endeavour to corrupt the
cabinet of France, as they do at this tjnte : The re
putation of the Prime Minister is. so well eftablithed
and his diplomatic abilities, that his talents are ad
mired at the fame time he is feared : his operations
are extensive, but so combined that success follows
the eclat: He ads entirely himfelf, and relies on n©
perlon for his operations. He is fec.ure of Holland
and Prussia in his favour; The Empire is at variance
with him ; and there is every reason to believe, that
in a very little time he will oblige it to submit; He
amuses England ; and before the expiration of one
year, he will either ruin France, or place her on the
highest pinnacle of power and glory.”
Extraft of a letter from Madrid, August la
It is really amazing to behold the assiduity and di
ligence with which the Spaniards are making their
great preparations both by land and sea, and which
fully prove their intentions of carrying on the war
they are going to engage in with the utmost spirit.
Fhe tr&ops are embodying, and recruits are raifin*
m every province, and Gen. O’Reily, governor ot
this city, has just marched at the head- of a large bo
dy of horse and foot, to draw a line of troops along,
and form a camp near the frontiers df Portugal, and
many other warlike preparations are carrying on to
wards that kingdom; a few days, and the manifeft©
of war will be assuredly pilbliffied.”
We hear that orders have been sent to some of the
American Governors, to seize some of the Leaders
who promote the meetings of the people in large
bodies, and if opposed to use force.
3 V Y esterday upwards of 700 letters from
Philadelphia and different parts of America, were
delivered at the poft-office.
Sept. 1. Yesterday morning early an express was
received at St. James s fromParis,which was thought
to be of such importance that it vva^ ferit off immedi
ately to Kew.
The political balance of Europe seems at present
to be in a very critical situation. France, Spain,
Austria, Sardinia, Sweden, as politicians tell us, are
to join against Great-Britaip, Russia, and Prussia.
n T - w - h " Aven. —
The Gentlemen nominated by the Votes of the
Freemen, to stand for election, are as follow viz
Hon. JONATHAN TRUMBULL, Esq • ’
Hon. MATTHEW GRISWOLD, Efq-’
Jabez Hamlin, Esq; *
Shubael ConanT, Esq;
Elisha Sheldon, Esq;
EliJhalet Dyer, Esq;
Jabez Hu NTINGTON, Esq ;
William Pitkin, Esq;
Roger Sherman, Esq;
Abraham Davenport, Esq;
William Samuel Johnson, Esq;
Joseph Spencer, Esq;
Oliver Wolcott, Esq;
James Abraham Hillhouse, Esq;
Mr. Samyel Huntington, (of Norwich.)
Major Erastus Wolcott,
Major Samuel Holden Parsons,
Mr. Richard Law, >.
Mr. Daniel Sherman,
Col.. William Williams.
CASH given for clean Linnen and Ccnran RAgs
by the Printer hereof.