The New-England chronicle — Boston [Mass.], 1776-06-06 00:00:00, page 2

To the PEOPLE of the Massachusetts-Bay.
Friends and Countrymen,
THE King of kings hath been pleased to bring
us into the most critical situation that this
st any other nation ever knew. We have to op
pose a powerful and enraged enemy on the one
land ; and on the other, to fettle the foundations
®f our constitution. The bufmefs is of the ut
most importance, not only to ourselves, but pof
ferity. Future millions will bhfs or curse the
hieafures we pursue. It requires the greatest dex
terity so to conduct present affairs, as that while
we attend to the defence of the colony, we fuffer
not evils to creep into or remain in the constitu
tion, which, though they may not afFe& this or
the next generation any thing considerably, being
no more than specks for a while, may in length
of time occasion a rot among all the pleasant fruits
of that glorious struggle wherein we are engaged;
•—And on the contrary, that while we are clear
ing or defending the constitution, of and against
filch evils, we do not negleft the defence of the
colony, and thereby" fuffer the immediate loss of
the constitution. 'Twould be the height of folly,
or the effect of treachery, to waste time in difput.
fog which part of this great business is to be firft
regarded. Common sense tells us, that the fafety
of the colony against any attempts of the enemy,
is not, at this season of the year, to be postponed
or languidly prosecuted upon any account, I fhaU
therefore make that the fubje& of this letter.
The British ministry, supported by a venal and
lavilh parliament, aided in the American depart
ment by a noted coWard (the Minden hero, whose
fears push him on to the basest and most vigorous
exertions) and headed by an obstinate and callous
Sovereign, propose the ipeedy reduction of Ame
rica to a servile dependance. German mercena
ries, besides Englim, Scotch and Irifb, are to be
employed, making in the whole a most formidable
power, exclusive of naval armaments. It is pretty
generally known, that the plan of operations for
the campaign of 76 was, to attack the Southern
colonies, to divide these from the Northern, by
penetrating the continent at New-York and Que
bec,; to recover the pofleffion of all the territories
between these two cities, and thereby to gain the
assistance of the Indians and Canadians, and to
strengthen the garrison of Boston by a large rein
forcement, so as to enable it to ad offenfively
against the country. Through the blefling of
heaven upon ear endeavours, a capital part of this
plan has been set aside. General Howe with his
troops has been drove off. An opportunity has
been gained for fortifying New-York ; and it is
highly probable that the armament destined to
that quarter will be repulsed. But something
great must be attempted by the British and Ger
man commanders. An impreflion must be made
somewhere, and another place for rendezvous and
,x,rat; tofid^ ^^>) tepr%ur^ ; or the chief
The above or a Similar plan, well executed,
I apprehend will have a most happy effe&, in al
laying that * bitterness, and wrath, and anger,
and clamour, and evil-speaking, and malice,"
which the times have occasioned. Thus, " be
ing knit together in love," we (hall proceed on,
not only harmoniously in our civil government ;
but " in the unity of th# faith, and of the know
ledge of the Son of God, unto a pel fe& man, unto
the measure of the feature of the fulnefs of Christ."
If the above, or a similar plan should approve
kfclf to mankind, and be adopted, would it not
be worthy the patronage of the honourable Con
tinental Congress, so far as to exempt, from post
age, all correfpondeaces naceffary to carry it on ?
MASSACHUSETTENSIS.
*, The above is desired to be published in all the
news-papers throughout the United Colonies ix
America,
•r ©f opinions, us &lvinitf, •Arminian, &c.
should be mentioned.
If mankind would search after truth in this
manner, with seriousness and prayer to " the
Father of lights," I am persuaded ' light would
soon shine out of darkness ;' and the God oftruth
would second their honest endeavours, by pouring
out the Spirit of his Son, which would both pu
rify and enlarge their minds, and " guide them
into all truth/ ' When persons have got the spi
rit and temper of Christ, they will readily under
stand the Gospel. The spirit that now so vigo
rously actuates the United Colonies in their vir
tuous struggles, to obtain and secure " peace,
liberty and fafety" for themselves and posterity,
I look upon as much from God, as the defeent
of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost ; and
as introductory to something great and good to
mankind.
A sense of unprovoked injuiies will taouze the
refemtment of the most peaceful. Sush injuries
these colonies have received from Britain. Un
juftifiable claims have been made by the King
and his minions to tax us without our consent §
these claims hav6 been prosecuted in a manner
cruel and unjust to the highest degree. The
frantic policy of administration hath induced them
to fend fleets and armies to America ; that by
depriving us of ear trad, and cutting the throat
of the army and' navy dust return to Europe at
the approach of winter, The continent ffiould
therefore be defended at every point, that so the
enemy.may be baffled which way soever they may
fleer. We have villains among us ready enough
to inform them where they may attack with the
greatest likelihood of fucoeeding. Places the least
defended, if they have a back country of cenfe
quence, will be in the most danger. The enemy
will be looking out for them. Let no commo
dious harbour, nor any landing place upon the
coast be negleaed ; but a line of defence be drawir
from one end of the colony to the other. While
this is doing upon the sea shore, let inquiry be
made through what passes the country may be
penetrated by the way of Canada, should the
enemy succeed in that quarter, and let all those
places be secured by forts and bl©ck-houfe&
Many will be startled at the expences that will
neccllarily attend such operations. The expences,
we may conclude, will be greatly lessened by the
cheerful assistance of individuals in the neighbour
hood of the places where th, works are carried
on, as they will be the firft to reap the benefit of
them ; and will be amply repaid for all their trou
ble in the fafety and composure with which they
may pursue their farming or other bufinefs,without
being frequently called off by alarms. But tho'
we should exercise frugality, this is not a season
to be afraid of expending. Oar all is at flake,
with life and liberty in th: bargain. What will
our paper riches be worth should our enemies suc
ceed ? Nothing at all. We may be even punish
ed for having it, as they may infer from it our
having encouraged the operations against them.
Will our hard money be of any use to us ? That
they will take from us to pay themselves for the
ex peaces they may have been at in subduing us ;
besides our efat, wherewith to reward their de
pendants and agents. \ If we Ihould be subjugat
ed, we flhall be of all people the most miserable,
the ministry looking upon us as the main faring
in all thole movements that hare opposed and dll
concerted their arbitrary measures. Wemuft not
therefore be afraid of cxpences ; and had better
spend all in Securing our lives and liberties, than
by a parsimonious condud lose all together with
our lives and liberties. We have a well culti
vated country ; and if we can save that with our
selves, it will yield us after a while more property
than the present emergency will take off. Besides,
what we spend in putting the country into a tiate
of defence is spent among ourselves ; and when
once well spent, need not be repeated. This most
probably is the determining year. Let us then
humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God,
look up to him for his blessing, and set ourselves
one and all, with hand and purse, to that great
and necessary work of felf defence, to which his
providence it now tailing us, and persist in it
without growing weary or fainting, t ; ll the fame
is finiQ A WATCHMAN,
SIR,
ARefolution of the late Hon. House of Re
presentatives, calling upon the several towns
in this colony to express their minds, with re-
Ipeft to the important question of American in
dependence, is the occasion of our now inftru&ing
you. The time was, Sir, when we loved the
king and the people of Great-Britain with an
affection truly filial : we felt ourselves interested
in their glory :we flured in their joys and fof
rows : we chearfully poured the fruit of all our
labours into the lap of our mother country, and
without relu&ance expended our blood and om
treasure in their cause,
These were our sentiments towards Great-
Britain while (he continued to aft the part of a
parent state ; we felt ourselves happy in our can.
nedtion with her, nor wiffied it to be diffblved ;
but our sentiments are altered, it is now the ar
dent wish of our fouls that America may become
a free and independent state.
At a legal meeting of the inhabitants of the town of
Malden, May a], 1776, it was voted unanimoufly\
that the following injlruftions be given to their
Representative, viz.
To Mr. EZRA SARGEANT.
June 5, 1776.
f HIS gives notice to the Public, that
A hi. Bwceiitac, General WASHINGTON het directed
me to moke a good road frem this place to St. JOHN^ is
CANADA ; bet as the late retreat from before Quebec „ re—
quire a freed, itoctmut, I flull firft make enforce fit fee
men and tofee, which we thill begin next Moeda,, so that at,
men, o f number of men, my begin their march as foen irthty
bleift, The read will ire read, fee them, end thill be reed, to
f",!*y * n y treopt on the firft notice. A bed, of troopa ma,
march with gift i, fix dm from thie place to St. John'i. We
mill the Lku thir wry entirely. JACOB BAYLEY.
"*' 24% r„6.
of our brethren,they might awe us into submission,
and ereft a system of despotism in America which'
should so far enlarge the influence of the crown
as to enable it to rivet their shackles, upon thte
people of Great-Britain. , : "
This plan was brought to a crilis, upoh the
ever memorable nineteenth of April. We re
member the fatal day ! the expiring groins of our
murdered countrymen ytt vibrate on oUr ears !
and we now behold the flames of their feaceful
dwellings afeending to heaven ! we hear their
blood crying to w from the ground forvengeance 1
charging us, as we value the peace of theit manes;~
to have no further connection with, a King who
can unfeelingly hear of the Daughter of his lub
je&, and composedly sleep with their blood upon
his foul. The manner in which the war has
been prosecuted hath confirmed us in these senti
ments : Piracy and murder, robbery and breach 4
of faith have been cenfpicuous in the conduct of
the King's troops ; defencelefs towns have been
attacked and destroyed : The ruins of Charlef
town which are daily in our view, daily reminds
us of this : the cries of the widow and the orphan
demand our attention ; they demand that the
hand @f pity should wipe the tear from their eye,
and that the sword of the ; r country ffiould avenge
their wrongs. We long entertained hopes that
the spirit of the British nation would once more
induce them to assert their own and our rights,
and bring to condign punishment the elevated
villains who have trampled upon the sacred rights
of men, and affronted the majesty of the people.
We hoped in vain ; they have loft their love to
freedom ; they have loft their spirit of just relent
ment ; we therefore renounce with disdain our
connection with a kingdom of slaves ; we bid &
final adieu to Britain. ~
Could an accommodation be new effected, we
have reafen to think that it would bs fatal to the
liberties of America ; we Ihould soon catch the
contagion of venality and dissipation which hath
fubjeaed Britons to lawless demination. Were we
placed in the situation we were in in 1763 : were
the powers of appointing to offices, and com
manding the militia, in the hands of Governors,
our arts,trade and manufactures, would bo cramps
ed ; nay, more than this, the life of every man
who has been a&ive in the cause of his country
would be endangered.
For these rcafons, as well as many others which
might be produced, we are confirmed in the
opinion, that the present age will be deficient in
their duty to God, their posterity and themselves,
if they do not establish an American Republic.—
This is the only form of government which we
> whh to fee established ; for we can never be wil
lingly fubjedt to any other King than he, who,
being pofieffed of infinite wisdom, goodness and
rectitude, is atone fit to pefiefs unlimittcd power.
We have freely @oken our sentiments upon
this important fobjeh ; but we mean net to dic
tate ; we have unbounded confidence in the wis
dom and uprightness oftheContinental Congress :
with pleasure we recollect that this affair is under;
their direction : and we now inftru^ you, Sir, (a
give them the strongest ^ffurances, th^t, if they
Should declare America to be a free and indepen
dant republic, your constituents wQI fopport and
defend the measure, to the last drop of their blood,
and the last farthing of their treasure.
Attest. Sam. Merritt, Town Clerk.
All the Soldiers belonging to Lol. John
Nimi regimen', now ih New-Vock, are ordered forthwith to
join their refpt&re campaniae.
MOSES McFARLAND, Cepttin.
THE public are hereby informed, that last
Saturday a free Negro, named John Patany, ftplq a Cow led
Calf, out of apr flora belonging to Mi. Thomae Biookr,of Lir*,
coin, anil fold feid Ccw and Calf for 41. £l. and then run off
W hoever will take up faij thjrf, and bring him co Joseph M<ada
of Bedford, mill have Three Dollars reward, and ill traffi,
eharget paid. The Bffo'a horae h#a been a: stonebro. *
LEFT at a store in this town during the
6<|c, a few artidoa of Hard Ware. Tho owner may hear of
ibn b, acquiring ofthe printer. Botoo, ,gaa 6, 1776,
A few cafet of true Holland GENEVA to
be Gid I—And to be let, a genteel, well finished House, fitu
'^'2£^"^tomoffymmtofatthquire of the Printer.
To be fold at public vendue, on the 20th
•f Jeer,wfr, < the houfa of Mn jemn Prentice,in Gtociftu,
she prim brig Dolphin, with all her appurtenance#, and a number
of top. The fare to begin it la o'efck.