The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-07-05 00:00:00, page 2

Colonie! BARREN SPEECHon Lord North's motionfor
leave to bring in a bill, empowering a Governor in
North-America to fend an Officer who feall commit
mt tier in the Province, to another Colony, or to Eng
land to be tried.
Mr. Speaker,
I RISE with great unwillingness, to oppose this
measure in its very infancy, before its features
are well formed, or to claim that attention which
this House seems to bellow with fomuch reludance
on any arguments in behalf of America. But I
must call you to witness, that I have been hitherto
silent, or acquiescing to an unexpected degree of
moderation. While your proceedings, severe as
they were, had the least colour of foundatiorrin jus
tice, I desisted from opposing them ; nay more—
though your bill for flopping up the port of Bolton
contained in it many things most cruel, unwarran
table, and unjust, yet as they were couched under
those general principles of juitice, retribution for
injury, and compensation for loss sustained, I not
only desisted from opposing, but assented to its pas
sing. The bill was a bad way of doing what was
right; but till it was doing what," was right. I
would not therefore by opposing it seem to counte
nance those violences which had been committed
abroad ; and of which no man disapproves more
than I do.
Upon the present question I am totally unprepar
ed. The motion itfelf bears no fort of resemblance
to what was formerly^nounced. The noble Lord
and his friends have had every advantage of prepa
ration. They have reconnoitred the field and cho
sen their ground. To attack them in these circum
stances may, perhaps, favour more of the gallantry
of a soldier, than of the wisdom of the Senator.
But, Sir, the proposition is so glaring ; so unpre
cedented in any former proceedings of parliament ;
so unwarranted by any delay, denial, or perversion
of justice in America ; so big with misery and op
pression to that country, and with danger to this—
that the firft blush of it is fufficient to alarm and
rouze me to opposition.
It is proposed to stigmatize a whole people as per
secutors of innocence, and men incapable of doing
justice ; yet you have not a single fact on which to
ground that imputation. I expected themoble Lord
would have supported this motion by producing in
stances of the officers of government in America
having been prosecuted with unremitted vengeance,
and brought to cruel and dishonorable deaths by
the violence and injustice of American juries. But
he has not produced one such ihftance ; and I will
tell you more, Sir,---he cannot produce one. The
instances which have happened are directly in the
the teeth of his proposition. Captain Preston and
the soldiers, who shed the blood of the people, were
fairly tried, and fully acquitted. It was an Ame
rican jury, a New-England jury, a Boston jury,
which tried and acquitted them. Captain Preston,
has under his hand publicly declared, that the inha
bitants of the very town, in which their fellow ci
tizens had been f&crificed, were his advocates and
defenders. Is this the return you make them ? Is
this the encouragement you gave them to persevere
in so laudable a spirit of justice and moderation ?
When a commissioner of the customs, aided by a
number of ruffians, assaulted the celebrated Mr.
Otis in the midst of the town of Boston, and with
the most barbarous violence almost murdered him,
did the mob, which is said to rule that town, take
vengeance on the perpetrators of this inhuman out
rage against a person who is supposed to be their
demagogue ? No, Sir, the law tried them ; the law
gave heavy damages against them ; which the irre
parably injured Mr. Otis most generously forgave
upon an acknowledgment of the offence. Can you
expert any more such instances of magnanimity, un
der the principle of the bill now proposed ?
But the noble Lord fays, “ We must now shew
the Americans that we will no longer fit quiet under
their inful.es." Sir, lam sorry to fay that this is
declamation, unbecoming the character and place
of him who utters it. In what moment have you
been quiet ? Has not your government for many
years pad been a series of irritating and offenfive
meafures,without policy, principle, or moderation ?
Have not your troops and your ihips made a vain
and insulting parade in their streets and their har
bours ? It has seemed to be your study to irritate apd
inflame them. You have Simulated discontent in
to difaffedion, and you are now goading that dif
affeftien into rebellion. Can you exped to be well
inform'd when you listen only to partizans ? Can
you expea to do justice when you will not hear the
accused ?
Let us confider, Sir, the precedents which are of
fered to warrant this proceeding.---The suspension
of the Habeas Corpus Act in 1745-- -the making
Smugglers triable in Middlesex, and the Scotch re
bels in England. Sir, the firft was done upon the
most prefiing necessity, fagmyc Bello., with a danger
ous rebellion in the very heart of the kingdom.
The second you well know, was warranted by the
most eviJe.it* fads : Armed bodies of smugglers
marched pobiickly without presentment or molella
tion from the people of the county of Sussex ; who,
even to their Magistrates, were notoriously connect
ed with them. They murdered the officers of Re
venuty engaged your troops, and openly violated
the law. Experience convinced you, that the Ju
ries of that, and of the counties similarly circum
ffanced, would never find such criminals guilty ;
and upon a conviction of this necessity you passed the
aft. The fame necessity juftified the trying of Scotch
rebels in England. Rebellion hack reared its dan
gerous standard in Scotland, and the principles of
it had so universally tainted that people, that it was
manifeftly in vain to exped justice from them a
gainst their countrymen.---But in America not a
single act of rebellion has been committed. Let the
Crown Law Officers, who fit by the noble Lord, de
ciare, if they can, that there is upon your table a
single evidence of treason or rebellion in America?
They know, Sir, there is not one, and yet we are
proceeding as if there were a thousand.
Having thus proved, Sir, that the proposed bill is
without precedent to fuppor&, and without fads to
warrant it ; let us now view the consequences it is
likely to produce. A soldier feels himfelf so much
above the rest of mankind, that the ftrid hand of
the civil power is necessary to controul the haugh
tiness of difyofition which such superiority inspires.
You know, Sir, what constant care is taken in this
country to remind the military that they are under
the reitraint of the Civil Power. In America their
superiority is felt kill greater. Remove the check
of the law, as this bill intends, and what insolence
and outrage may you not exped ? Every passion that
is pernicious to Ibciety will be let loose upon a peo
ple unaccustomed to licentiousness and intemper
ance. On the one hand will be a people who have
been long complaining of oppression, and fee in the
soldiery, those who are to enforce it upon them ; on
the other hand an army ftudiouily prepossessed with
theidea of that people being rebellious,unawed by the
apprehension of civil controul, and a&uated by that
spirit which prevails ever among the best of troops.
In this Situation, the prudent officer will find it im
possible to retrain his soldiers, or prevent that pro
vocation which will rouse the tamest people to re
fillance.The inevitable consequence will be, that you
will produce the rebellion you pretend to obviate.
I have been bred a soldier, have served long. I
Tefped the profeffion, and live in the ftricleft habits
of friendship with a great many officers ; but there
is not a country gentleman of you all, who looks
upon the army with a more jealous eye, or would
more strenuously refill the setting them above the
controul ofthe Civil Power. No man is to be traded
in such a situation. It is no fault of the soldier,
but the vice ofhuman nature, which, unbridled by
law, becomes insolent and licentious, wantonly vio
lates the peace of society, and tramples upon the
rights of human kind.-
With refped to those gentlemen whe are destined
to this service, they are much to be pitied. It is a
service which an officer of feeling and of worth must
enter upon with infinite reluctance ; a service, in
which his only merit must be, to bear much, and do
little. With the melancholy profped before him of
commencing a civil war, and embruing his hands in
the blood of his fellow fubjeds ; his feelings, his
honour, his life are hazarded, without a poflibility
of any equivalent or compensation. You may per
haps think a law, founded upon this motion, will be
his protection. I am mistaken if it will. Who is
to execute it ? He must be a bold man indeed who
makes the attempt. If the people are so exasperat
ed, that it is unfafe to bring the man who has in
jured them to trial, let the Governor who with
draws him from justice look Jo himfelf The peo
ple will not endure it ; they would no longer de
serve the reputation of being defeended from the
loins of Englilhmen, if they did endure it.
When I land up as an advocate for America, I
feel myfelf the firmed friend of this country. We
Hand upon the commerce of America. Alienate
your Colonies, and you will subvert the foundation
of your riches and your strength. Let the banners
of rebellion be once spread in America, and you are
an undone people. .You are urging this desperate,
this deftru&ve issue. You are urging it with such
violence, and. by measures tending so manifeftly to
that fatal point, that, but that a date of madness on
ly could inspire such an intention, it would appear
to be your deliberate purpose. In assenting to your
late bill, I refilled the violence of America, at the
hazard of my popularity there. .I now refill your
phrenzy at the fame rifque here. You have chang
ed your ground. You are become the aggressors, and
offering the lad of humad outrages to the people of
America, by f^bjeding them, in effect to military
execution. I know the vast superiority of your dis
ciplined troops over theprovincials ; but beware how
you supply the want of discipline by desperation.
Instead offending them the olive branch you have
Sent the naked sword. By the olive branch I mean
a repeal of all the late laws, fryitlefs to you, and op
pressive to them.
Ask their aid in a constitutional manner, and they
will give it to the utmost of their ability. They ne
Mr. Adams, the Moderator, then moved, that a$
the conduct of the committee of correspondence for
this town, of which he had the honour of being a
member, is now to be considered, another Modera
tor might be chosen pro temp.
1 he Hon, Thomas Culhing, Esq; was according
ly chosen Moderator during that debate.
The moton for censuring and annihilating the
committee of correspondence was considered, and
tne gentlemen in favour of the motion patiently
heard, but it being dark, and tlicfc gcnxlenicn de
claring that they had further to offer, it was voted
that the further consideration thereof be referred to
,she next meeting; and the meeting was according
.ly adjourned.
veryet refufed it, when properly required. y% r
journals bear the recorded acknowledgments of the
zeal with which they have contributed to the gene
ral necessities of the date. What madness is it that
prompts you to attempt obtaining that by force
which you may more Certainly procure by requifiti.
on ? They may be flattered into any thing, but they
are too much like yourselves to be driven. Have
some indulgence for your own likeness ; relped
their sturdy Englilh virtue ; retrad your odious ex
ertions of authority, and remember—that the firft
step to make them contribute to your wants, is to re
concile them to your government.
B OS T O N, June 29.
y^T a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabi
tants of the town of Boston, by adjournment,
at Funeuil-Hall, June 27, 1774.
Mr. Samuel Adams, Moderator.
Upon a motion made, Voted, That the Commit
tee of Correspondence be directed to lay before the
town the Letters which they have wrote to the other
colonies, as well as those sent to the other towns in
this province, since the receipt of the Boston Port-
Bill.
The hall not being fufficient to contain all the in
habitants assembled, the meeting was adjourned to
the old foutli meeting-house.
The town being again met according to adjourn
ment, a motion was made and passed, that all letters
received, as well as the answers returned, be laid
before the town, and read.
After the Town-Clerk had accordingly read a
number cf said letters, a motion was mane that the
laid vote be so far reconsidered as that the reading
of all other letters previous to the covenant sent into
the country by the committee of correspondence,
.and the letters accompanying the £ame,be suspend
ed for the present, and that the town proceed to the
reading of the said letter and covenant, and any o
ther letters that may be particularly called for.
The said covenant and a number of letters having
been read, a motion was made, that some censure
be now passed by the town, on the conduft of the
committee of correspondence, and that said commit
tee be annihilated.
Tuesday, June 28. loo'clock. Met according
to adjournment.
The motion for censuring and annihilating the
committee of correspondence again considered, and
after long debates, the question was accordingly put,
which palled in the negative by a vast majority.
It was then moved, that the following vote, be
palled, viz. “ That this town bear open testimony
that they are abun maty fatisfied of the upright in
tentions, and mum aj proved the honest zeal of the
committee of cor fpe ndence, and desire that they
would persevere with their usual activity and firm
nefs, continuing fiedfaft in the ways of well doing."
-—And the que iion being put, passed in the affirma
tive by a vail majority.
The committee on waysand means for employing
the poor, acquainted the town, that they had met,
and had received very encouraging accounts of the
readiness of their lifter colonies to assist us, and also
various proposals from sundry persons for employing
the poor, upon which they were deliberating, but
were not yet prepared to report, requelled further
time which was allowed them.
Mr. Adams again in the Chair.
A motion made that this meeting be adjourned to
Tuesday the 19th July, at 10 o'clock A.M. to meet
at Faneuil-hall ; and the meeting was adjourned
accordingly.
Attest. William Cooper, Town-Clerk.
Provice of the Massachusetts-Bay,
By the Governor.
ApROCLAMATION.
For difeouraging certain illegal Combinations.
HEREAS certain Persons, calling themselves
▼ ▼ a Committee of Correspondence for theTown
of Boston, have lately presumed to make or cause
to be made, a certain unlawful Instrument, pur
porting to be a solemn League and Covenant, intended
to be signed by the Inhabitaints of this Province ;
whereby they are most solemnly to covenant and
engage, to suspend all commercial Intercourse with
the Island of Great-Britain, until certain Ads of the
Britilh Parliament shall be repealed ; And whereas
printed Copies of the fail unlawful Instrument hav^