The New-Hampshire gazette and historical chronicle — Portsmouth, N.H., 1775-06-09 00:00:00, page 4

and fucce@ors; fubjef? to the controul of Parliament, and to fatisfy
all damages done to the East-India Company. A
This our idea of fectling a revenue arises from a sense of duty
to our Sovereign, and of ¢feem for our mother country. We
know and have felt the benefits of a subordinate connefiion with her,
We neither are so fapid as to be sgnmorant of them, nor so unjust
@s to demy them, We have also experienced the pleasures of gra
gitude and love, as well as advantages from that connexion. The
impressions are not yet erased. We confider her circumitances
with fender concern.. We have not been wanting, when conftitu
tionaily called upon, to affit her to the utmost of our abilities ;
insomuch that she has judged it reasonable to make us recompen
«ces tor over strained exertions : And we now think Wwe ought to
contribute MORE THAN WE DO so the alleviation of ber burtbens.
Whatever may be said of these proposals on either fide of the At
laiitic,this is not either a time for timidity or ra/bnefs. We perfeltly
koow that the great cause now agitated is to be conducted to a
happy conclusion, only by that well tempered composition of
counsels, which firmnefs, prudence, loyalty to our Sovercign, re
fpe to our parent state, and affe&ion to our native country, unit
ed, must form.” —¢¢ In case of war, or any emergencyjof distress,
we shall also be ready and willing to contribute all aids within our
power. And we solemnly declare that, on such occasions, if we, or
our poflerity thall refufe, meglet or decline thus to contribute, it will
be a mean and manifeff violation ot a plain duty, and a weak and
wicked desertion of the true interests of this province, which ever
bave been and muff be bound up in the prosperity of our mother
country. Our union, founded on matual compaZls and mutual be
mefits, will be indissoluble, at least more firm than an union per
petually disturbed by disputed rights and retorred injuries.’” —
I could quote several more p:ffages from these instructions, which
are expreflive of the fame honest and generous Sentiments with
Regard to Great Britain, but I shall only make one more extract,
and that respecting the mode which they recommended to be pur
sued for the redress of grievances, viz. “But other considerations
have weight withus. We wilh every mark of respect to be paid
to his Majesty’s administration. We have been taught trom our
youth to entertain tender and brotherly affeions for our fellow
fubjeétsat home. The interruption of our commerce must great -
ly difirefs great numbers of them. This we earnestly desire to avoid.
We theretore regues?, that the Deputies you shall appoint may be
inftruéted to exert themselves at the Congrefs,to induce the mem
bers of it to consent to make a full and precise state of grievances,
and a decent, yet firm, claim of redress, and to WAIT THE EVENT,
before any oTHir step is taken. It is our opinion that persons
thould be appointed and sent bome, to present this state & claim
at tne Court of Great Britain.”® After mentioning their confi
dence in the intended general Congress, and their resolution to
abide by cheir determinations, for the fake of unanimity, they de
clare that itis with a strong bope and #ruft, that they will not draw
this province intaany measure judged by us, who must be better
acquanted wirh its state than strangers, bighly inexpedient. Of
Ibis kind, we know any other stoppage of Trade, but of that with
Great Briiain, will be. Even this fiep we should be extremely af
flized to fee tuken by the Congress before the other mode above
pointed out is tried.
Happy would it have been at this Day, in all probability, if
some such healing measures had been pursued. Some plan of
union, or proposal of a mutual compa&”” for “mutual benefit,”
was the grand object which every honest man in the colonies had
at heart. An imperfect one (if not too glaringly so) was better
than none, as it would, if it had answered no other purpose; have
Jaid a foundation for negociation and treaty. It has been lately
observed in Parliament, ¢ That it does not appear the Colonies
were feriouafly inclined to come into any reasonable terms of ac
commodation, as nobody was authorized to make any proposals
to that effect.”
However, it can be of little avail now to animadvert on past
tranfa@ions. Who has been most ia the right or most in the
wrong, can never be fatisfactorily decided. Many things will ever
happen, io the course of a long continued dispute, which good
m.en of both parties most reflect on with pain, and wish to have
buried in oblivion. Ia the present situation of affairs we should
“only look forward, and endeavour to fall on some expedient that
may aver: the impending Danger. To effcét this delirable pur
pose a plan is now formed, and recommenced to you by his Ma
jfty, containing terms greatly corresponding with the avowed
sentiments of many of the colonies, and which, 1 think, can only
“want to be rightly understood, in order to be generally adopted.
Lt does not require from ghe people of this country any formal ac
knowledgment of the'right of taxation in the parliament. It waves
ail dispute on that head, and fulpends the.exercife of it forever, if
£ long the cojobies thall perform their pare of the compact. lc
does nog: eved Teqlire, as a preliminary, that the non importation
and_,@@_ni‘n agreements shall be abolished. It comes
beiore o theold accultomed manner, by way of requisition,
being appioved and adopied by the King, who has directed his
several governors to figify to the refpettive assemblies his desire
that they should gran: such aids for the common defence, & the
fypport of government within the colonies, as shall appear to them
jait 2nd equita'e, and proportionate to their abilities : His Ma
jesty and thePurhamens, it is true, are to judge whether the aids
which each, colony may cfler are worth acceptance, or adequate
to their fefpetive abilities, as they did during the course *\f
last war,-very much to the fatista&tion of those colonies wh ‘ 3
ted themielves, often making them a compensation “accordy | |
their active vigour and Grenucus efforts refpe@ively appeat Y
merit”” ‘The necefiity of forfe such™ fuprende judge is evident
from the very nature of the case, as otherwise some colonies might
not contribute their due proportion. During the last war, I well
remember it was ardently wished by some of the Colonies, that
others, who were thought to be delinquent, might be comnpélled
by a& of parliament to bear an equal share of the public burthens,
It appears by the minutes of assembly, in March and April 1758,
that some of the neighbouring colonies thought New Fer/ey had
not at that time contributed its due share towards the expences of
the war, and that President Reading ( the then Commander in
Chief of the colony) was of the fame Opinion. And since my
Administration, when the Aflembly in 1764 was called upon to
make provision for raising some Troops on account of the Indian
war, they declined doing it for some time, but *‘on condirion a
majority of theEaftern colonies, as far as to include MalJacbufetts
Bay, thould come into hisMajefty’s requisition on the occasion.”
But, as none of the Assemblies of the New England governments
thought themselves nearly concerned, nothing was granted by
them ; and the whole burthen of the expedition then carried on
fellupon Great- Britain and three or four of the middle colonies 3
with which this colony was diffatisfied, and the Aflembly com
plained of it in one Of their addressed to me on the occasion. —
But what fully evinces that there is no design of oppreflion or
extortion in the proposed reservation in his Majesty and his Par
liament, of the right of approving the aids which may be offer
ed by the colonies, is, his Majesty’s gracious aflurance that the
propositions on this head will be received with every possible In
pULGENCE.— The monies raised by the several Colonies as their
proportion to the common defence is made fubjec to the difpofalof
parliament, as in justice it ought, as they furpith .the whole sum
which may be wanted for that necessary purpose, according to the
estimates annually laid before them by the Crown, besides makiog
provision for the civil lift and national debt, towards which the
Colonies are not asked to contribute. The army and navy ef
tablithment it is well known ds necessarily increased since the ex
tension of Briii/b dominions in America. The whole American
civil and military eftablithment, as paid by Great Brilain, after the
peace of Aix/a Chappe:le, was, it is said, only L. 70,000 sterling ;
but since the last peace it amounts to upwards ot £. 350,000~
As this great additional expence was chiefly incurred on an Ame
rican account it cannot but be reasonable that America should pay
some part of it. To remove every obje@ion that other taxes
may be raised upon America, under the colour of regulations on
commerce, the produce of all such duties is to be carried to the
account of that province where it is to be levied.
We have now, thank Heaven, a happy opportunity of getting
entirely rid of this unnatural contest, by only complying with
what, I thiok, has been fully approved & acknowledged to be our
indispensable duty. 'Wherevera people enjoy protection, and the
other common benefits of the ftate,nothing can be more reasonable
than that they should bear their share of the common burthen.
It is much to be lamented that there is so much truth in the
observation, that mankiod generally act not according to right,
but according to present interest, and most according to present
paflion. In the present case, there are no difficulties but what
may be easily surmounted, if men come together sincerely difpol
ed to serve their country, unbiaffed by any finefter views or im
proper resentments. This, Gentlemen, I trust, will be found to
be your disposition in this most alarming situation of public af
fairs. Let me conjure you, however, not to come to any preci
pitate resolutions respecting the plan of accommodation commu
nicated now to you. I have no objetion to give you any time you
may think necefflary for the due consideration of it. It is, in
deed, a concern of a moreinterefling nature than ever before came
under the consideration of an American assembly. If it is adopt
ed, all will yet be well. It it is torally rejected, or nothing fimi-
Jar to it proposed, or made the basis of a negociation, it will ne
ceffurily induce a belief of what has been lately so often mention
ed in public, ““That it is not a dispute about modes of taxation--
but that the Americans have deeper views, and mean to throw off
all dependence upon Great Britain, and to get lid of every con
troul of their legislature.”
Should such sentiments ever prevail, they cannot but have the
most fatal effeé@s to this country. lam, however, fully convinced,
that the body of the people in the colonies do not even entertain
a 2 with of the kind. Rather than lose the prote&ion of Great Bri
tain, America, were it ever 10 constitutionally and allowedly inde
pendant, would find it for its advantage to purchase that protec
tion, at an expence far beyond what Great-Britain would ever
think of requiring, while we show her that regard and obedience
to which she is julily entitled, and which our own interest & fafety
thould prompt us to shew, if there were no other considerations.
Taxation being the principal source of the present disorders,
when that important point is once {ettled, every other fubjeét of
complaint which has grown out of it will, no doubt, of course, be
removed. For you may rely, Gentlemen, that notwithftanding
the many inimical and oppressive designs which the jealousies and
suspicions of incensed people have attributed to government, yet it
is evident from the whole tenor of the letters which I have the ho
nour to receive from the King’s Ministers, that his Majéfty & they
have nothing more at heart than to have these unhappy differen- ;
ces accommodated on some juit and honourable plan, which thy”
at the fame time secure the liberties of the Pcople, without leflef - |
ing the neceflary power and dignity of Parliament. s
GOD grant that the colonies may manifeft the fame laudable |
disposition, and that a hearty reconciliation and harmony may take
plaée of ;hE;pregent confufion ard diffention. > a
wact Gepber, W, Frankhing
May 16. ; ] O
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