The Connecticut courant and Hartford weekly intelligencer — Hartford, Conn., 1774-10-31 00:00:00, page 1

cm speaking.
He believes, that all men by nature, art upon a per
fell level in point of dominion——that whatever fuperi
trity one man may have over others, in this refpta, muji
originate from mutual comp aft and agreement,orfrom usurp
ation, there being no medium between theft two—That
civil government is a divine infitution, intended by Him
who is thefour ce of all power, for the general good ;He
will therefore highly approve of all such aSs of the legifia
tive, or executive authority of any community, that have
this for their grand objea, whatever inconvenience may a
rise therefrom to individuals; and on the other hand, utter
fy disapprove offuch ads, as have not the general goodfor
their objed, however they may be praduaive of the greatejl
private emolument—That as power is ever wanton, and
magistracy is found perpetually as it were to gravitate to
wards tyranny, he ought always to regard the magistrate
with an eye of political jealousy; determining every unjust
invasion of the rights of the people, must refidtfrom a fixed
design of those in power, to efiablijh despotism, upon the
ruins of Liberty.
further, As arbitrary power, when once the feeds of it
are sown, is xfually rapid in its progress, he will take eve
’ ry prudent measure, to rest ft tbefirft beginnings of ujwpati
on, knowing that every Juccetding stride, will render
resistance in proportion inef/eAua!. He will not, however,
tpon the firft attack of lawless power, adopt and pursue
finch mtafures, as are calculated to introduce disorder and
eonfufion into the fate ; but by way of petition and remon
firance, will endeavour to reclaim the magistrate to a sense
of his duty; if this methodfails of producing the desired ef
fia, he will try such other measures, as are intitled to a
profpea of success ; and as the last refoutKe in a desperate
Case, he will have recourse to arms, and by force compel him
within the bounds limited by the conftiiution, or depose him,
as an implacable enemy to the community: or otherwise pe
rifb in the attempt, preferring death to Jlaverys
In the mean time, in case the iron hand of power , jhall
fall with peculiar weight upon fame, far their noble ex
-Ortions in the cause of their country, his generous and bene
volent spirit will manifeft itfelf at once, by fympathixing
with them, in all their cares and troubles; and by
affording them all that afiiftance, and support, that their
eircumftanas may require, and his abilities admit: tfteem
ing evesy one, who refufts to aa the generous part in such
a case, whatever his pretenfious may be, but a political
hypocrite.
He is not only an irreconcilable enemy to all tyrants, from
ifit highest tt tbs lows/, m a fubardintttitn of power j but
Mr. Watson,
CpHE inclofed it intended as a gentle monitor, for
J* the prevention of some exceflcsof a political na
ture which have lately obtained amongit us, *and if
possible to set fomc people right in their .notions-—
The hints that diredly tend to produce this effeft are
few, but in passing through the channel of your Pa
yer they will obtain a degree of importance, which
they would not in any other way. I hope therefore
you wll, if you think proper, insert it as soon as
possible.
THERE it /caret any char after, the generality of mtn
among/ us at the present day stem fonder of, than
that of Sons of Liberty : and yet it is at the fame time ex
trcsicly evident to every attentive observer, that many who
assume to themselves that high-founding name, are either
grofty ignorant offever al particulars necessary to formfuch a
character, or utterly deltstute of that sublime virtue of the
heart, without which it never did, nor can pojfibly exijl.
The true Son of Liberty, is not only poffefed of a bene
volent temper, in the exercise of which, be prefers the good
of the whole community to which he belongs, to that of an)
of the parts of which itconfifts ; andfo is willing to give
up the whole of bis private property, and even life itfelf,
•when be confiders it necej/ary for the promotion of the good
of the whole; but he is likewije possessed of a competency of
political knowledge, and is well grounded in those general
principles which are the basis of civil government : for if
a. person is either ignorant of those matters, or from edu
cation, or otherwise, has imbibed principles subversive of
che ends of civil polity, the most exalted virtue of the
heart, can never intitk him to the char aft er of which I
MONDAY, October ji, 1774. T H E [NUMBER 514. j
CONNECTICUT COURA N^T,
AND HARTFORD
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER.
Containing the FreHieß ” A D V I C E S. both FOREIGN and DOMESTIC.
Open to all PARTIES—-not under the influence or ANY.
every one, even in aprivate capacity, who endeavours to
prr.pagate arbitrary principles, calculated for the support of
tyranny, is the objea of his abhorrence and detestation. Ht
will not however, *throw the vanity of such persons into
convulsions, to -convince and reclaim him; but instead qf
attempting this, by appearances of terror, he will endea
vour to gain him by reason and argument, in conjunaion
with a benevolent treatment; and if be Jhouldfucceed in this
way, and bring him to afincerc and ingenuous canfe/Jion of
, his fault, he will have the heart-felt Jatisfaaion, of fub
duissgat once an enemy, and making a friend to the State.
But be has no opinion of canfejfions, extorted by force, or
terror, ading over the fame things upon individuals, he is
endeavouring to prevent from taking place upon the whole;
tcJoicb will, he is fenfible,ferve only to confirm the prejudi
ces, and increase the enmity of the offender, and at the fame
time produce, most probably, a similar effeß upon the whole
circle of his friends and acquaintance: but instead thereof,
the gentle method of argument and persuasion proving inef
feaual, he will admonifih him of the danger he is in of po
liticalexcommunication, which ftntence,tn case of obstinacy,
he will if pojfible cause to be pronounced agavft him, at
once depriving him of the common advantages, benefits,
and/wests, of civil society : till the buffetings of Satan, the
gnawings of worm confidence, destitution of the necessaries
of life, and the contempt of mankind, jhall induce him to
give ample fatisfaaian to the public.
OBSERVATOR.
Mr. Watson,
America.
IN the Conneaicut Courant of Monday last, among
other articles of London news I observed
this ; “ A correspondent informs us, that he h as
“ undoubted intelligence that a large number of
“ Jesuits are preparing to fettle at Quebec, and
“ that a college is to be erefted there for their re
“ ception.” Fery probable—They are the nioft
artful and inifehievous order of men that ever the
world was plagued with ; the best adapted to serve
the interest Of Reme, and civil tyranny; worthy to
be chosen by the present Ministry, as their instru
ments in accompliffiing their black designs against
America. Designs as black as infernal policy can
devise. They will serve excellently to maintain
and increase the dark spirit of dclufion and servile
submission in the Canadians ; and to extinguiffi eve
ry ray of light ffiining to them from the other pro
vinces, and every riling spark of the generous fire of
the spirit of Liberty which the Creator has inspired
in the heart of man, and to blow up a dark fire of
bigotted zeal in your briafts against Protestant here
ticks, and so prepare them to come down upon the
southern provinces at the nod of the Minister, as true
sons of Apollion; thinking to merit heaven by des
troying their neighbours. They will make excel
len ministerial missionaries to the Indian tribes, and
easily inspire them, and bring them down upon thefc
provinces with all their savage fury, and the greater
fury of Rome, as often as the minister pleases. *
Besides all this we must expert that body of Je
suits will fend out missionaries through all the pro
vinces to serve the views of Rome and a most aban
don’d administration. Beware of them—they will
come to you as wolves in sheep’s cloathing ; ’tis
their method, and they have a dispensation to con
ceal fins under all kinds of disguises when they are
sent out to propagate the faith in chriftian countries.
Their policy is to unsettle the minds of'the people,
to break them into fe&s, and by opposing parties to
inflame their zeal, and to inspire them with a fafti
* The society for propagating thegojpel may now rtfign
thtir charter, for they are in a great measure fuperfeeded
by the eftablijhmen't of Popery in Canada. The Rotnijh
Clergy and Jesuits will furnijh tnifiionaries for all ths
Indian tribes, and exclude theirs. They will teach them
another gospel, such an one as if an angel Jhculd bring it to
nsen he would be occurs'd.—How the parliament will bi
able to secure yours from Jharingin ike curse, it concerns
you ferieufy to coyfider,
Please to give the following a place in your next.
To the Inhabitants of the British Provincbs in
ous spirit one against another. Their maxim is ta
divide and conquer (this maxim the Ministry have
adopted with regard to America,) for this end they
scruple not to disperse them among various parties,
and appear very zealous, lome for one and foihe for
another, if by any means they may engage them to
bite qae another and so become an easy prey.
My brethren, be ye not ignorant of Satan’s devi
ces, of Rome’s Jcfuicical policy. You have reason
to look with a jealous eye upon ftrangera coming a
mong us as popular itinerant preachers—others may
insinuate themselves under a more private character
as secret inflatners. ’Tis not improbable there aia
some of this fort of tnemies dii'pers’d through the
provinces even now, under various disguises. We
have reason to expeft more. ’Tit said jealousy is the
eye of the foul—-we never had so great reason to
keep this eye open on every fide as now. How a
baadoned and loft to all sense of trttth, equity, ho
nour and goodness, mull the Ministry be, to use such
means and inflruments to accomplilh their covetous
and arbitrary designs against America as we fee them,
adopting I The Britilh government seem to be in
haste to fill up their measure, as though they thought
their judgment linger’d. If the nation is io iiifatu*
ated as to fuffier thele men to g© on in their mad de
signs, the parliament this winter puts a finifliing
hand to their plan of despotism against America.
We may fafely fay it is because the Lord will destroy
them.. If this sign is given, ’twill be time for the
Lott's to flee out of Sidcm— And whether can they fly
but into the wildemefs ? where our Fathers found,
fheltcr, and where God has been with us till this
day—Let us return to him now and seek him in thie
time of trouble ; Then Jhall ye seek me faith the Lord,
andfindme whrnye jlek me with all your heart,
mTTw ATSON,
SIR,
As the late Doings of the town of Stafford have cat/-
id much fptculation ; and reports to my disadvantage, are
induftrioufty J/read and propagated by Jome perjons^—l
seem in justice to myfelf obliged to give thepublic d true
account ofthefe matters.-—Please therefore to give the fol
lowing account and ref elves q place in your next.
A MEETING of the inhabitants of the town of
Stafford, being warned to be held on the 7 th.
of September last ; one of the Seleft-Men desired me
to write some Resolves fiiitable for the town to
come into on the occasion; which I did, and at
tended the Meeting. ' Where I found that two
others had wrote on the fame occafibh. The Mo
derator desired each of us to read to the town what
we had wrote; and we did so. Upon which,
the town very, unanimously made choice of my
composition. But two or three persons soon after
the Meeting, difeovered a good deal of chagrine,
& gave out,that thofeßefolves were like to bs hurt^
ful to the liberties of America, which they said they
wtere zealously engaged to defend. Nevertheless,
they were recorded by the Town-Clerk, and an at
tested copy by some of the people was sent to the
Printer. Whereupon, (’tis said) two or three per
fonj signed a letter directed to the Printer, desiring
him to delay printing the said resolves, ’till the
pleasure of this town was further known. A meet
ing was warned to be held on the fifth of October,
to fee if the town would reconsider and set aside the
whole, or part of those Resolves adopted on the 7th
of September: I attended the Meeting, and pub*
lickly told the Moderator, that as those Resolves
were a production of mine, and by some said to con
tain Htrefy, and Treason ; and be deftruClivc of the
Liberties of America, &c. by which means mycha
charaCter fullered, I begged leave therefore to offer a
defence of the Resolves and myfelf, before the Town;
and desired the Moderator to lead the Town, to
vote me leave to make my defence, if they saw fit.
But this was strenuously eppofed, and in fine, could
not be obtained, theugh urged by many. Th»
Town then proceeded by their vote, to reconsider
^ud set afidc the whole of said Rcfoives. No •the;