The American gazette, or, the Constitutional journal — Salem, Mass., 1776-07-02 00:00:00, page 1

The following was received too late to be in
ferred last Week.
To the Printer of the American Gazette.
Mr. Rogers,
If you would give the following a Place in
your Paper, it may be of service to the Public.
A short, cheap, and ea/y Plan to
defeat Great-BritAin.
THE Honorable Congress. have generously
provided for the comfortable support of
_fuch British troops as have, or Shall hereafter
fall into our hands by Sea or land ; by which
they have eminently rewarded good for evil, and
discovered a temper full of chriftian benevolence,
beyond what is ordinary in States. However, it
is evident this benevolence mull be attended wim
great expence, either to the fablers themselves
or the public. Now, if as great kindness can be
Shewed them without charge, and they be thereby
incorporated with us, and rendered good and
faithful fubjeds of the American States, it cer
tainly would be preferable to the prefect mode
of support. And with defferente to better judges,
such a method appears to me easy and at hand, viz.
There are large tra&s of unappropriated lands
belonging to the free and independent States of
America.
Now, fupppfe the Honorable Copgrefs Should
allot certain town Ships in such a Situation as Shall
be judged molt for the benefit of the Common
wealth and the feeders; and then Should make
proclamation, That every soldier, of whatever na
tion, employed in the British service, as Shall be
taken in battle, either by sea or land, or as Shall
any other way fall into our hands (except so many
as Shall be necessary to make an exchange of pri
soners when a carteel (hall be fettled) Shall, on his
entering his name to some proper perlon appoint
ed for that purpufe, be entitled to fifty or eighty
acres of said lands as the Congress Shall judge
best, in any one of the said towns he Shall chufe,
unless it be full, to be drawn by lot, which
Shall be a freehold to him and his heirs forever,
he and they taking the oath of allegiance (if re
quired) and continuing faithful to the American
- States, and that his wife &nd children (if he have
any in America ; or if he Shall bring or fend for
them from Europe, or elfew here) Shall each of them
be likewise entitled to fifty acres each of said lands:
—And that such as are disposed may enter on said
lands as soon as they please, or they may,enter
the American service and receive the fame wages
as our troops, and either dispose of their land to
others, or fettle on it when discharged from the
fervice,' just as they please, and the officers to
have a larger share, according to their rank.
This plan n^eds no oratory to recommend it :
The Simple propc&l muff Strike every difeerning
mind. The importance of it is too great to admit
of trifling; the happy fruits it promises, too many
to be particularly mentioned ,and fully described ;
and the objections against it of nj considerable
weight. What great numbers of soldiers in the
British service hath God delivered into our hards
'ce the prefect dispute began ? And now within a
days some hundreds of Highland troops in
^no doubt, by a falfe and lying admini
stration, and th-ir cringing ,Sycophants, witli pro
mises of the lauu's and houses we possess, and
which, they fay, they expected to find deserted,
have arrived among us, and are convinced of the
error they were led into.
Now, could every one of these hav, such an al
lotment of lands, would not the confderation,
that those they came to destroy have taken them
into their bofems, and made every one of them
CONSTITUTIONAL
AMERICAN
V O L. I.
THE
O R,
T U E S D A Y, July 2, 1776.
Jibiki lifel^^' '
J^Oii^^^t^^^^
WT L L LA MSBURG, (Virginia) May 17.
In CONVENTION, Prefect 12 Members,
Wednesday, M^y 3, 1776.
FORASMUCH as all the endeavors of the
United Colonies, by the most decent represen
tations and petitions to the King and Parliament
of Great-Britaio, to restore peace and Security to
America under the British government, and a re
union with that people upon jult and liberal terms,
instead of redress of grievances, have produced,
from an imperious and vindi&ive administration,
inereafed insult, oppression, and a vigorous attempt
to effect our total deftruaion. By a late aft, all
these Colonies are declared ^ be in rebellion, and
outof the protection of fc British Crown, our pro
perties fubjeCted to cor cation, our people, when
captivated, compelled to join in the murder and
plunder of their relations and countrymen, and
all former rapine and oppr^ffun of Americans,
declared legal and just. Fleets and armies, are
raised, apd the aid of foreign troops engaged to
assist these de^ruaive ; ur^fes. The King's
repfefentative in this colony hath not only with
held all the powers of government fiom operating
A '(" y> but having retired on board alarm
ed Ship, is carrying on a piratical and savage
war against us, tempting our Slaves by every ar
tuce to resort to him, and training and employing
them against their matters. In this date of ex
treme danger, we have no alternative left but an
Lards, and therein done more for them than G/bat-
Britain can ^o ; I fay, must not this greatly
affe& them ? Surely if they have the ordinary
feelings of men, it must excite in them desires to
be one with us; and while they fee the door open
for others, will they not find means to inform
their friends in the army of the generous offer ?
These will inform others, and the good news
cheer the hearts of the moll. Could they be
fully assured of such an offer, and the Sincerity
of it, how few of them would be willing to fight
against us for so final! a reward as.fix pence per
day, and either death or Slavery far life, rather
than accept so valuable a freehold for them
feives and families, with a full enjoyment of li
berty ? And for all this they are to do nothing
but only to avoid the hazard of life in battle, and
come over and take pofftffion of the inheritance.
May we not reafonaWy suppose, that infte.d of
pushing every advantage against us, they would
rather watch for an opportunity to throw them
selves into our hands.
The moil plausible objection I have heard
to this plan is, That administration have made
them greater and better offers already, even the
houses and lands we have built and Cultivated.
But it Should be considered that if administration'
Should ever be able to fulfil their promises to
them, the soldiers must know that they themselves
mull purchase the country for administration with
their blood and toil before they can make good
their proxies : That they must fight their way
to the inheritance, in which attempt they may
fail : Whereas their coming over to us, and en
tering their names puts them immediately in
possession of a freehold without danger. But I do
not mean to sufwer objections ; every one mutt
fee that the plan if adopted will tend to defeat
Great- Britain more than millions of money, as
well, as prevent the elusion of blood : The thing
(peaks for itfelf. 1 only add my earned prayers
that it ;y be ftedily effected.
AMICUS LibERTATIS.
County us ElLx, June, 1776.
(Since the above came to Hand, Something very
Similar we find inserted in one of the Continen
tal Papers, which Mil be in our next.)
abjeC t fubmifficn to the will of those over-bearing
tyrants, or a total Separation from the crown and
government of Great-Britain uniting and exerting
the Strength of all America for defence, and form
ing alliances with foreign powers for commerce
rod aid in war ; Wherefore, appealing to the
SEARCHER OF HEARTS for the fin
- cerity of former declarations, expressing our de
sire to preserve the connexion with that nation,
and that we are driven from that inclination by
their wicked councils, and the eternal, laws of
felf-prefervation.,- :
RESOLVED uxanimotf,. That the Dele
gates appointed to reprefenc this Colony in Gene
ral Congress be inftru&ed to prooofe to Th^ re
foeaable body, TO DEC LARETHE UNI
TED COLONIES FREE AND INDE
PENDENT STATE S, absolved from alle
giance to, or dependence upon, the Crown or Par
liament of G eat-Britain ; and that they give the
assent of this Colony to such declaration, and to
whatever measures may be thought proper and
necessary by the Congress for forming foreign al
liances and A CONFEDERATION OF THE
COLONIES, at such time, and in the man
ner, as to them Shall seem belE Provided, that
the power of forming government for, and the re
gulations of the internal concerns.of each Colony,
be left to the refpedive Colonia! LegSlarares.
RESOLVED unanimous). That a Commit
tee be appointed to prepare A DECLARA
TION OF RIGHTS, and such a plan of
government, as will be most likely to maintain
peace and order in this colony, and Secure fub
fontial and equal liberty to the people.
EDMUND PENDLETON, President.
(A Copy.)
John Tazbwell, Clerk of the Convention.
In consequence of the above refolucion, univer
sally regarded as the only door which will lead
to falety and prosperity, some gentlemen made a
handsome collection for the purpose of trearing
the Soldiery, who next day were paraded in Wal--
let's grove, before Brigadier General Lewis, at
tended by the gentlemen of theCommittee of Safe
ty, the members of the General Convention, th#
inhabitants of this city, &c. &c. The refolutiom
being read aloud to the army, the following toasts
were given, each of them accompanied by a dis
charge of the artillery and small arms, and thd.
acclamations of all prefect.
I. Th^ American Independent States.
2. The Grand Congress of the United States,
and their refpedive Legislatures.-
3. General Washington, and victory to thq
American Arms.
The UNIO N FLAG of the American States
waved upon the Capitol during the whole ofthis
ceremony, which being ended, the soldiers partook!
of the refreshment prepared for them by the affec
tion of their countrymen; 2nd the evening conclu
ded with illuminations, and other demonstrations
of joy ; every one fecmingly pleafad that the do
minion^of Great-Britain was now at an end, so
tyrannically exercised these twelve or thirteen,
years pall, notwithstanding our repeated prayers
and remonftiances for redress.
PHILADELPHI A, June ! 5 .
Last Saturday th N^ House of @nlfy gave the
following IN STR UC TI ONS to their
Delegates in Congress.
Gentlemen,
WH E N, by our inffruaioni of last Novem
ber, we strictly enjoined you, id behalf
of this Colony^ to distent from and utterly reject
any proportion, Should such be made, that migh^
cauSe or lead to a Separation from Great-Britaia,
or a change of the form of this government, our
redriChoas did not arise from ^ny diffidence of
JOURNAL.
GAZETTE:
NUMB. 3.
THE