The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1775-08-21 00:00:00, page 1

PHILADELPHIA.
% ^PEOPLE ^IRELA N Df
From the Delegates appointed by theUnited Colonies
of New Ham,/hire, Massachusetts. Bay, Rhode fond
and Providence Plantations, Cannelscut, New 1 ork,
NevuJerfey, Pennsylvania, the Lower Cunties on De
laware, Maryland,Virginia, North Carolina, & South-
Carolina, in General Congress, at Philadelphia, the
loth of May, 1775.
Friends and Fellow Subjects,
AS the important contest into which we have
been driven, is now become interesting to e
very European state, and particularly a^eds
the members of the British Empire, we think it our
duty to address you on the fubjed. We are desirous,
as is natural to injured innocence, of possessing the
good opinion of the virtuous and humane—We are
peculiarly defireus of furnishing you with a true state
of our motives and objeds; the better to enable you
tojudge of our conduct with accuracy, and determine
the merits of the controversy with impartiality and
precision.
However incredible it may appear, that, at this
enlightened period, the leaders of a nation, which in
every age has Sacrificed hecatombs ofher bravest pa
triots on the altar of liberty, fhbuld presume gravely
to assert, and by force of arms attempt to eftabhfh
an arbitrary sway over the lives, liberties, and pro
perty of their fellow fubjeds in America; it is ne
vertheless a most deplorable and indisputable truth.
These colonies have, from the time of their firft
Settlement, for near two centries, peaceably enjoyed
those very rights of which the Minifry have for ten
years past endeavoured by fraud and by violence to
deprive them. At the conclusion of the last war the
genius of England and the spirit of wisdom, as if
offended at the ungrateful treatment of their sons,
withdrew from the British counfels,* and left that
nation a prey to a face of Ministers, with whom an
cient English honesty and benevolence disdained to
dwell. From that period, jealousy, difeontent, pp
preffion and difeord have raged among all his Ma
jesty's fubjefts, and filled every part of his domini
ons with d;ltrefs and complaint.
Not content with our purchasing of Britain, at
her own price, clothing and a thousand other ar
ticles used by near three million of people on this
vast continent ; net fatisfied with the amazing profits
arising from the monopoly of our trade,without giv
ing us either time to breathe after a long though
glorious war, or the least credit for the blood and
treasure we have expended in it; notwithstand
ing the zeal we had nianifefted for the service of
our Sovereign, and the warmest attachment to he
constitution of Britain and the peo le of England, a
black: and h@rrid design was formed ^o convert us
from freemen into (laves,from fubjeftsint)vaffals,&
from friend, into enemies.
Taxes, for the Grit time since we lanced onthe
American shores, were, without our content, impos
ed upon us ; an unconstitutional edi& to compel us
to furnifh necessaries for a lending array, that we
wished to fee difbanded,was issued ; & the iegflatuie
®f New-York suspended for refufing to comply with
it; our ancient and inestimable right of trial by
Jury was, in many instances, abolifrd ; and the
common law of the land made to give place to ad
miralty jurifdiaions, Judges were rendered, by the
tenure of their commissions, entirely dependent on
rhe will of a Miniller. New crimes wetc arbitrari
ly created; and new courts, unknown to the confu
tation, instituted. Wicked and infidu^s Gover
nors have been set over us ; and dutiful petitions
for the removal of even the notorious infamous
Governor ^ehifo w ^ re branded with toe oppro
brious appellation cf scandalous and oemmatory ;
fardy attempts have been .made under colour of
parliamentary authority to fizc Americans and
carry them to Great Britain to be tried for ces
committed in the colonies ; ancient charters nave no
longer remained sacred, that of the Massachusetts-
Bay was violated, and their form of government c^
fentiallv mutilated and transformed ; on pretence o 4
punilhing a violation of fotre private property, com
mitted by a few disguised individuals,the populous
Containing the Freshest ADVICES,
MONDAY, August 21, 1775.
CONNECTICUT
AND
WEEKLY
Though prefled by such an accumulation of un
deserved injuries, America dill remembered her du
ty to her Sovereign. A Congress, confining of De
puties from Twelve United Colonies, aftcmbled.
They in the most refpedful terms laid their griev
ances at the foot of the throne; and implored his
Majesty's interpefition in their behalf. They allo
agreed to suspend all trade with Great-Britain, Ire
land and the Weft-Indies; hoping by this peace
able mode of opposition, to obtain thatjuflice from
the British Ministry which has been so long solicited
in vain. And here permit us to allure you, that it
was with the titmoft relu^ance we could prevail up
on ourselves, to cease our commercial cenne&ion
with pour island ; your Parliament had done us no
wrong ; you had ever been friendly to the rights of
mankind ; and we acknowledge with pleasure and
with gratitude, that your nation has produced pa
triots, who have nobly diflinguifhed themselves in
the carafe of humanity and America. On the other
hand, we were not ignorant that the labor & manu
factures of Ireland, like those of the silk worm,
wre of little moment to herfelf; but served only
to give luxury to those who neither toil nor spin. We
perceived, that if we continued our commerce with
you, our agreement not to import ' from Britain
would befruithfs; andw e therefore compelled to
adopt a measure, to which Nothing butablohre ne
cessity could have reconciled us. It gave us,however,
fame confolatiori to reflect, that should it occasion
much distress, the fertile regions of America would
afford you a fafe asylum from poverty, and in time
from oppieffion also ; an asylum, in which many
thousands ofyour countrymen,have found hospitality,
peace and affluence ; and become united to us by
all the ties of consanguinity, mutual interest & affec
tion ; nor did the Cengrefs Hop here ; flattered by
a pleasing expectation, that the juitice and humani
ty, which had so long characterized the English na
tion, would, on proper application afford us relief;
they represented their grievances in an affectionate
address to their brethren in Britain, and intreated
their aid and ihterppfitton in behalf of these colo-
nies ° r nr
The more fully to evince their refped for their
Sovereign, the unhappy people of Bolton were re
queued by the Cangrefs to submit with patience to
their fate ; and all America united in a resolution
to abstain from every species cf violence. During
this period that devoted town fuffe?ed unspeakably:
Its inhabitants were insulted, and their property
violated. Still relying on the clemency and justice
of his Majesty and the nation, they permitted a few
regiments to take poffeflion of their town ; to iur
rc^nd it with fortifications, and to cut off all inter
course between them & their friends in the country.
With anxious expectation did all America wait
the event of their petition. All America laments
its fate. Their Prince was deaf to their complaints,
and vain were all attempts to impress him with a
sense cf the fufferings of his American fubjeds,. of
the cruelty of their trife masters, and cf the many
plagues which impended over his dominions. Instead
of directions for a candid inquiry into cur grei arces,
insult was added to oppression, and cur long for
bearan'e rewarded with the imputation es cowar
dice. Our trade with foreign (fates was prohibited;
and an ad of Parliament passed to prevent oi m even
fiftin^ on our own confs ;.our peaceable Affem
bi;? for the purpose of confultifigthe common fafe
ty s'°e declared seditious; and our averting the
very ri hts which placed the crown of Great-Britain
on the &llds of the three faeceffive Princes cf the
jfyfi of Hanover, fried ref Ilion. + Orders were;
given to reinforce the troops in America. The wild
Hnd flourilhing town of Boftori was surrounded by
fleets and armies; its trade destroyed ; its port
blocked up; and thirty thousand citizens fubje&ed
to all the miseries attending so sudden a convulsion
in their commercial metropolis ; and to remove e
very obstacle to the rigorous execution of this fyflem
of oppression, an a& of Parliament was palled evi
dently calculated to indemnify those, who might,in
the prosecution of it, even embrue their hands in
the blood of the inhabitants,
™ TH E '=
both FOREIGN and DOMESTIC.
[A LUViDrm DO^.J
C 0 URA N T,
HARTFORD
INTELLIGENCER.
and barbarous fafragesef the wilderhefs have beeti
solicited by gifts to take up the hatchet against us ;
and instigated to deluge our Settlements with the
blood of innocent and defehcelefs women and chil
dren. The whole country was moreover alarmed
with the expected horrors of domestic infurredions.
Refinements in parental cruelty, at which the
genius of Britain mull blush ! Refinements which
admit not of being even recited without horror, or
pradifed without infamy ! We should be happy were
these dark machinations the mere suggestions of
suspicion. We are ferry to declare that we are pos
sessed of the most authentic & indubitable evidence
of their reality.
The ministry, bent o r pulling down the pillars of
the constitution, endeavoured to ereCt the Standard
of despotism in America; and if fuccefsful, Britain
and Ireland may Ihudder at the consequences 1
Three of their m<>lt experienced Generals are fini
to wage war with their fellow fubjefy; and Ame
rica is amazed to find the name of Howe in the cata^
lojue of her enemies.---She loved his brother,,
Despairing qf driving the colonies to refiftanc? b^
any other means than actual hostility, a detachment
of the army at Boilon marched into the country in.
all the array of war; and unprovoked, fi ed upon,
and killed several of the inhabitants.-- The neigh
bouring farmers suddenly assembled; and repelled
the attack.---From this, all communication between
the town and country was intercepted:--The citi
zens petitioned the General for perm.ffibn to leave
the town, and he promised, on surrendering cm rr
arms, to permit them to depart with their other cf
fe&s ; they accordingly fur:erider§d their armg, and
the General violated his faith ; under various pre
tences, passports were delayed and denied,and many
thousands of the inhabitants are at this day confin
ed in the tewn, in the utmost wretchedness & want^
The lame, the blind and the tick, h ve indeed been.
turned out into the neighbouring fields ; and some,
eluding the vigilance of the Entries, have escaped
from the town, by swimming to the adjacent (ores.
The war having thus began on the part cf Gene
ral Gage's troops,the country armed and embodied.
The reinforcement from Ireland soon al:er arrived §
a vigorous attack was then made upon the Provinci,
als. In their march, the troops surrounded the town
of Charlcftown, consisting of about fair.hundred
houses, then recently abandoned to escape the furv
of a relentless soldiery ; having plundered ths
houses, they set fire to the town, and reduced it to
affies ; to this wanton wafle of property, tinffifa
to civilized nations, they : were prompted, the better
to conceal their approach under cover of the fmbak«
A Blocking mixture of cowardice and cruelty,which
then firft tarnished the luftre of the British aims,
when aimed at a brother's break ! - But bieffed be
God, they were retrained from committing farther
ravages, by the loss of a very coniiderab e part of
their army,including many of their most < xrerienced
officers ; the loss of the inhabitants was inconfider^
able.
Compelled therefore to behold thousands ct our
countrymen impriloned, and men, women and chil
dren involved in promiscuous and unmerited mise
ry ; when we find all faith at an to 4 and sacred
treaties turned into tit ks of state ; when we per-*
ceive our friends and kinsmen massacred, our habi
tations plundered, our houses in Aimes, ?n4 their
once happy inhabitants fed only by thehard cf cha
rity ; who can blame us for endeavouring to reilrairi
the progress of deflation? Who pan cenfo ecu,
rebelling the attacks of such a baibar.us band 2
Who, in such circnmttance#, wou'd n?: ^e, the
great, the universal, the divine law of feifprelcrva^
tion? ,
Though vilified as waning spirit, we are Vetere
mined to behave like men ; though insulted ad a.
bused, we with for reconciliation ; though d,fi cd
as seditious, we are re/dy to obey th i<wi; nd
though charged wth rebellion,will <he < Juli* b< d
in defence of cur Sove rign in a righteous VF ;
what more can we fay I What more cm we est 2
But we forbear to trouble you ;J tedious d^
tail of the various and Luitluis oEta and applisafc