The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1777-02-17 00:00:00, page 1

MONDAT, Pebr^r, 17, ^77.
CONNECTICUT
AND
Mr. Watson,
That the impartial public ma, know who are their friende,
and who their fees in Pittfold, in this time of general
trouble, pre, puhlifh the following remarks, which are
made with a particular preference to the dedaration of fad
town, as publifad is the Cenne&tcut Courant, fa^uar,
30, 1777.
THIS declaration, though laid to bathe decla
ration of the town of Pittsfield, will be receiv
ed,juftly if take# to bathe declar.tio< of their com
mittee, adopted by such of the town only, at are un
der their undue influence.
As there it no uniformity in this declaration, ex
cept uniform coufufion, I mill observe no order in
my remarks. Mr. Valentine Rathburn is ^d for a
10*g time h^s beeh, chairman of thia committee
Said Valentine brought said declaration into, and urg
ed that it should ba adopted by the town meeting.
Said Valentine, as the reprefentarive of the town of
Pittsfield, and chairman of the committee who had
advertised me, was cited by, and did attend before
the committed of thd General Court, appointed to en
quire into fall advertifiag: Therefore said Valentine
urged the meeting to adopt that which he knew to be
falft, viz. “ The committee were neither cited nor called
upon b, the council nor an, body efe to answer for tteir
condua."
Ii is fhameful that the committee of Pittsfield
should, witb,u< & kag feuadetian, complain of an
exparti trial held on thrift, when many instances can
bz adduced, (when called so) if their holding such
trials on others.
At this said meeting, in coafiquence of the recom
mendation es one of said committee, I was denied a
hearing, when requeued, before they should paC the
declaration and resolves . foirfaid. Have not this
committee, by their lawlefi and wanton abuse of u
fnrped power, offended many of the inhabitants of
Pittsfield, fa far, that they had rather be on Any fide,
of any party, ih,n that where licenrioufnefs is ram
pant? I verily believe that their unrighteous coadudt
has made more enemies to the glorious cause of the
freedom of the independent dates of America in this
town, than the intriguing Hutchinfan and all his
emiffiries.
The second paragraph of this declaration, to the
firft period (as their pointed) is a piece of reasoning of
such profundity, that! dare lay it paffeth all hum^n
uaderftaading, except the metaphifical fugacity of
the compiler.
The left part of this paragraph is more remarkable,
but not for th. Training contained in it - I will re
peat it -" If any sh mid be so bold as to fay we have
a conftiturinn, we elk what is it? we never had but
one coaftiiu tion, which was that of our charter, which
we have feme time ago rafted, and now we are to
feel for another." I? not this in direst opp/fition to
all the declarations of all the cungreffs end affsmbiies
of this state, asd the continental coagrefs ? who have
asserted, Ant one good reason why w* contend with
Geest Britain is, b^caufs they have taksu away our
charters.
This declaration verifies, as to Pittsfield, the ma
levolent afferticns of Huichiafan, and other of oar e
nemics, viz. “ That the colonies are not contending
for charter rights ; but agsiaft gove ament in gene
ral." If we hve no conftitutioval authority in tris
date, why do the committee aad town aforefiid tZk
of the council and raprefentarives of the state of the
Maffacherfets Bay ? The council, &c. is a part of the
constitutional authority ofthis ftaie, or their authority
is usurped: But the town of Pitt fi:ld have voted,
that we have ne such authority : If so, tn# authority
ef.ha council and all authority, both civil and mili
tary, exercifrt! in this state, is usurped. All perlons
opposing confituticaal authority generally, sre guilty
by the laws of God and man of iresfin again# the
flats : it therefore follows, that either the council and
all others exercising authority in this flare, or the town
of Pittsfidd, are guilty of trcafon. If this is not
common finfe, plain reasoning, let the public confute
it - ifjaft, I appeal to the public to determine, why
we Ihould not immediately difeover who are the trsi
tors and bring them to condign punishment.
I assert, that in the state of the Miffachufetts By,
we have confthational authority, th. ugh not the h "
possible ; yet it ought to ba fappmed till a^ .<
Containing & Freiheit ADV ICES,
P„MTE» AMD PUBLISHED BY EBENEZER WATSON, near the GREAT BRIDGE.
by a full and frte raprefanteicn of ths peapla. The
committee assert, that # : a left no canffitutioaal ^u
tharity. 'For these ray femtimenu opposing theirs,
they have prsfented me, with th? malevolence of a
court of inquisition, near twelvemonths pad.
A$ this stfair greatly concerns this ftaie in parties
hr, and the public in general, I hope to be excufid
in making the above publication.
Charles Goodrich.
Pitt-field, February 8, 1777.
, Mr. WATSON,
A Very extraordinary piece from the town es Pire
-4 field, in the county of Beikih^, whi^h appeared
in your paper, h zo.h of Jaramr, abounding with
fophiffical revering, a^d bold affirtion, concerning
the government &nd conftitation < fthe M^ffachufetts-
B^y, is ^he cause of my trouble g feu with this.
I thrall not trouble you with the difpate between the
committee ol fafety of Pittsfield end Capt. Charles
Goodrich, though it is pd#ble that his receiving a
comaiffion from th^ council of du State before-men
timed, has difguft/d them as much or more than any
part of his condud; this I shall wave, and proceed to
make f m^ remarks upon the declaration of said com
micoc, which the town have adopted. They fay
'' We nroer bad but one constitution, ^bicb Qvattiw of our
charter, which we have Jerne time ago rfyaed. and now
weare to fakfor another." Have th<, forgot that we have,
hac .iwo eharnt#? And co? '*, y^v, according to
their notion, two conflitudons. Ihsve not so contrac
ted an idea of a conftitutien. I take it thst the fun
damental laws of a State, together with the charter,
go towards making up the constitution.---That the
bill of rights, the habeas corpus, and toleration eqs,^
are as fuademtnlkl and ni&ff^y ptrts of the British
catfiitution *s magna charts. That s&s appointing
fedd men and other town affirm, the incorporation
es towns, tribi by jury, &c. are as necefliry parts es
our conftiterion as the charter. When therefore the
reprefenratives < f this ht#.u in Stprymbsr last, lent out
hand bids to vh towns, tty fee whether they would
inftrud them to form the a©el ofa new conftitutice,
it cannot be supposed, even if the'tuwn^ had compiled
with their requisition, that the conftitutitn of this
State was, ipfofaa#, fubifened. Sxce the controver
sy between G^eaeßri^in andtheG colonies begin, we
have heard much of the wifdem, and policy of cur
aMCtftors. Do we mem to subvert all they h*v&doae
in wifely laying & enlarging die foundation. &crewing
(hi lately fabric if civil goverrmeat ? Yet what is
mo:e common, among the wife acres of H^mplhire,
as well as B^ kflid#, than to haarFCjpb talker though
there was no law. Aad that at ptef.nt we h^ve no
conftitarion. Isl rightly recoiled history, our ancaf
tors lived federal yeartia this ftzte before they had a
Charter -Several years pissed between the dtffu&ionef
the firft, &nd glaring of the Gcond charter; yet laws
were madt, or at kaft emied, in both thufe fpacts of
time. But when did we rejeß cur charter ? Tne histo
rians es PiMsfield h a ve merited a very important histori
cal matter, if itue, which I never heard es before, sho'
I live nearer the capital. My left information was,
th^t the l%„£lative authority was ftiil extant, aid the
executive not wanting, but adive, in «yty county in
this State but two. Ail this notwirh#anding, fy the
commits, if an, one fould befo bold at to fa, we kc^e a
confiintion ; we aft what it is? f« mtn of Biikihire,
k.jow ye mot on whet grounds ye have the tenure of
your lards ? Is it not by virtue ts powers vefcd in the
General Assembly by the chm^ ? A charter, comped
or conilitutiom, in part, th* effictiah es which no
power on earth hasa tight to demolish. Would you
kaon what our cerofliivtion is, and how we exercise the
powers of it? I will t^l you, it may be f und in th:
charter ard fundaments! laws cf this S ae, wiGy
framed, and by experience found to be fa utirr. And
agreeable to a ref^v* of the bon. Continental Con
gref the pewsra of it are veiled in the Genera Affera
b', of thia S ate, zrd*et in cut formity to the fpi.it
and fubHarce es the charter. Whoever denies the le
gal exiftauce arc rurhorir, es such a budy, thuft deny
die authority of C^ngreft, our members of which are
an uady chafenby v'ro, he fruit likewise deny the
authoHty of^romi ; . .'a& of this State as copftituted
''tb* Ass n>bly, sub :heir right to order men or mo
c, - Tr'? Import es die war. lam &s much for 3
f^ll 1
OMMk^
CONRAN
^^RZPCRS
INTELLIGENCE re.
Both FOREIGN and DOMESTIC.
free and popular government as any man ; but T am
mot for rrj^tirg the maxims and riperistice cf ag^
Petfea freed m is iheenfifleilt with a state bf civil G--
eiety. When men enter into ciiil feciety they give up
the part of their liberty, to preserve the remainder,
Should we oeny iheautfiorit, of the General Cotirt td
raise mosey, what would become of ns ? Th± finewri
cf ^ar must perilh. And without an executive au
th&tity to raise money, the levying and aff%ffi*g of it,
is of no fertice. How dilatory are we in paying mo
ney iato the tresfury ? Though our filva,ion dtyenda
n,on it. -.Alk a man for hb rate#, he will tell you he
cannot recover his debts. This ferVes for an excufei
though perhaps he has moniy id his pockets The
Urn? man is not willing that courts Biould he ereaed &
bft he should be obliged to pay hi* debri. I full,
agree in fearimrat, with a late writer in your paper,
that fhou!d people be obliged to pay their drb?s, i(
would have a greater tendency to lower the prices ot
provifiea and other necessary articles of life, Jias all
other methods that cat be taken. Tris would have
a natural tendency to reduce every Aieam so its pro
per channel ; this would make th* wheels of govern. #
meat run exf,. Thefaurit, of property is the great end ^
goevonment. Jufiice and judgment, by a due exertion of
th, laws of th? land, would run down our flriet; like 3
ri^r. I will be so bold &# to tell th* gentlemen of Pitts
field we hav# ftiil a corfitutiou, though not a p4r"<&
one, I hope to fee it amended and impre^d. Thd
houf* of reprefehUtives, in their Laid bill, covlo ie
teßunißore ;'c::r. ibis..
We will suppose that the new eonffitutfon by tiieffi
prepofid, has principally a refp*a to the quriificati*
en of voters, and a Lew method of chafing the ceuu^
cil. As it would not he proper th*t the powr, and
right of chafing reprefentative* should b& tak^q ce^
cf the hands of their constituents and veiled in ethe,
persons, thaa such as they lave h&<u ia. from time?
immemoiiat, it was altogether proper to ^pply to tht&i
people for new powers. But, does such nn applica
tion imply th&t our coaflitution is demblifcd, a@&
we reduced to a date of nature ? Very alarming fixa
tion indeed if ^his be the case ! A potent andrcgul^
arms, to contend with, and we in a date of anarchy j
deftiinte of the aids of government, when mafiwast
ed. Were people Tnfible that this w*£ the. trfe,
could they raft a moment &/f, on the brirk of such A
precipice r but the general security is {efficient pm!:
that the public hlv& no such apprakeufions.
Let avety one thtrafcie fl, p forth in gd cfer ton
flhuticn, and hr may be assured that *ll griavancer
will in du* time be removed. The Ge^ral Court
are 2, felicitous for every faluthry ^rnm^Lnt ir out
laws and conftitation as their cenflituerCT H^vf
they apt food fcrerueft, borne the ^b; ant, end brake
she ice in this important higgle ? Could th* ceun
try be pnrferv«d from falling into so nano's of eu, c^
^m&s bus one half year, without tie rid of & G„^
ral Ass mbly, to propgrtic^ the foldios ca tho feve.
ral pzris ofih^ fia-.r, to raise money, and pledge th&
public faith and credit for their fy ? Will it do to
go on making paper s&Oßty and premii^ of payment
forever? Whin money, or rather pioniks, far inch
ii paper currency, becomes extreme, pleat), will if
net like emy,oth£; cv^ihodiiy, become cheap ? No
thing but paying it into tie trexfax) c^n prefrrva i^
value: and unlefa the laws are put in execuricn tha^
cannot be done.
A HAMPSHIRE MAN.
ft CONVENTION if fifty nine Represent ATival
feto shej^tt al Counties and Jowns of the New H&wfr
Jbire Grants, bslaeu at Dorftt, ful, 29, 1776, by &d~
*j urument.
I'rflS Convention beifc? f*Hy feeble ihn ft is &
vill ard ple&fure of the hep, Cenusotal Cc*-.
,'fi, that every h<n*ft friend to the liberties of Zac.
rica, fa the ftv<ra! United Stales thereof, should fab
f.ribe aneff citation, binding &nxf^lvea xs m^mber^
offense body ct community, to Band in & defence
cf theft liberties. Aad whereerit has beer the uferi
cuflom cf individuals to afTociate uhh ths Colony 0,
State which the, are reputed to b, nytril # of.
Yet ntvertb^lf, the 'oug u"d fpiriud ax A & ^hfeh
has for many yeais fubfifed bereaeg & Culquy 0,
State cf N^vr York, and the kbtSfr*ptj of tht ;difcift
of land, commonly called nsd kzewn by th* %A&;e of