The Freeman's journal, or, New-Hampshire gazette — Portsmouth, N.H., 1777-08-23 00:00:00, page 1

To THE PEOPLE OF MARYLAND.
WHENEVER a diverffty of sentiment
takes place between your two bran
ches of legiflacure, refpe&ing the
utility, policy, or necessity of any public re
gulation, it remains solely with you to de
termine in favour of the one or the other.
Both branches originate from you, and from
you alone derive all their authority. You
are their conftituenfe, The fenare are the
mediate, and the houie of delegates the im
mediate representatives pf the people- fh< y
are both equally t^und to speak jour opini
on, and to carry your will when known into
execution. Each branch of your legislature
is, and ought to be perfe&iy free and inde
pendent of each ether ; both ought to be
fubjed to, and independent on you. A great
Contrariety of opinion has happened between
your senate and the house of delegates, rela
tive to the tender of ateft of fidelity to the
difafftrfted. the conferences of a rcfufal to
take it, and what penalty ought to be infact
cd on thole who have deferred their country,
and fled to Britain.
The senate have twice refufed their assent
toeffablifh any test of allegiance in this state,
and at the last session rejected the bill enti
tled " ab a& for the better fecufty of the
government, " without assigning any rea-.
sons for their negative Your delegates have
published the bill for your consideration, &
made their appeal to you, It is therefore
your duty to approve the one, and condemn
the other. Your decision alone can recon
cile the difference, and the sooner it is de
clared the better. Arguments, by way of
meffige, between the two houses, will only
incr^fe the breach ; both are rivetted in
their opinion. Jealousy, suspicion and ani
mofity may arifebetween them, to the grief
of the friends, and the joy of the enemies of
our common country." Confider therefore
maturely the fubjedt. pronounce with candor
& dignity, yet with fimn^fs, your opinion,
and beaffured that either will cheerfully ac
qui&fce in your determination. ,
It is an uncontrovertible sass, that each
country produces some person difaffeaed to
the independency of this date, audits pre
sent government ; it is also a truth, that a
few are to be found not only inimical to its
government, but whose residence among us
is dangerous to the state. To our internal
foes are we indebted, in a great measure, for
the present war, the immense expence incur
red, and the devaluation, ravage and ruin
fuffered by ur, in consequence of it. My
foul glows with the warmest resentment a
gainst our kicked, perfidious, and cruel op
en foes, but in a much greater degree ac
cumulates my detestation and abhorrence of
9^ internal secret enemies : Some of them
[Vol. 11.
New-Hampshire Gazette.
drew their firft breath in Maryland ; others
fled to it as a land of refuge, and have rail
ed themselves from indigence to affluence.
The firft ofkt in government were lavifned,
and the profits of trade indifer rmnately be
flowed on foreigners. A preference was too
generally given to the English and Scotifh
emigrant; in the appointment co office, and
the emoluments of commerce, A „native
traitor is a villain of the blackest hue : His
parricide ought never to be pardoned.
Scotch treachery might have been expected,
and British enmity may be forgiven. ", The
Scots, tfanfplanted from their own country,
are atwfysa diltia& and feperate body from
the people who receive them." ihe En
glifh have the ftrongeff affection to, and
pride in their native country, and an huzza
for old England will transport them into a
temporary frenzy, and break every tie, hu
man & divine* These are ^ .gels in compari
lon with our ipodate coa^.^ men. A want
,< p^rnk/r ^ ' - . - nr bate ingratitude,
may be urged against re one , bur agitim;
the other.—l want language to express their
crime. Loft to every sense of virtue and
duty to their country and posterity, they al
mod fink beneath the dignity of revenge.
Since the late alt to punifti treason, mis
prison of treafor\ and certain misdemeanors,
against the government, the tories in this
state may be ranked under two classes. The
firft artfully rake care to escape the letter of
the law ; they conform their public conduct
agreeable to it, and are legally whigs ; they
remain the fame insidious enemies as before ;
with their poisonous dodrines they taint and
corrupt the principles of our people ; they
pretend a fear of our success, and attempt
to prove the impoffibi iryof it, by magnify
ing the wealth and power of Britain. They
dread a foreign alliance, and whisper that
aid from France or Spain may end in our
deftruStibn, They paint, in the strongest
colours, otir former happiness from our con
nexion with Britain; they deprecate and la
ment our prefect wants as intolerable, and
diferibe the hardships we now fuffer as mi
series to endure for ever. They originally
depreciated our currency ; they continue the
practice,.and juftify their conduct by the a
varice of others, which they firft inspired.
They increased our dilfrefe, by foreftalling
and engrossing the conveniences and necef
farjes of life, They alarm and terrify our
people by their daily lies of battles never
* ^natural refleaien is not intended. Theob
fervation is true in the general but many are the
exceptions. Lee, Gates, Stephens, Maxwell, Sin
clair M'Dougall, and many other officers in the
army, and gertleme^ in the civil departments, oj
theftates, are a rep,each to their left virtuous
countrymen, and worthy of our kifcft truji and
confidOTced'
SATURDAY, luguft 23, 1'777-
0 R
THE
fought, and vidorics never gap©.!-- Trie
war is to have a long continuance, and the
taxes for its Support will be enormom. Oar
independency, may produce endless wars z
mong outfelves, and ?r.h them, a ce^aim
loss of liberty is to be sustained from our so,
reign foes, from an appreh,nfion sh k Qlfe
ginary evils wikfibw from internal cuvifioi™,
Every base art, which can be executed with
impunity, is daily praftifed by them. Every
state has fatally experienced their hypocrisy
and duplicity, their baseness, falfhood, and
treachery, four observation will furnifh
more instances oftheir ingenuity to injure
our cause, and the ill effects which flaw from
their conclude and influence over their rela
tives and dependents, and their weak and,
ignorant neighbours, than I am acquainted
with., or can enumerate.
The second class of these mifereahta are
those who formerly effected the reputation
of the moderate men, and may now be di
dinguifhed under the character of the neu^
f J 1 f ^ —-h nf morlpratinn they
uniformly opposed every mea^u ^'^^
Alette ; their opinion they eftecmed more
wife than the general fcnfe of America; Folly
& impudence in the extreme Ilf by modera«
tionthey had meant deliberate, prudent wife
& firm meafure^,& had only opposed injudi^
cious, hasty and rash conduct, I should not
only have approved,but have ceased so hear^
tily to despise their assumed. character. ^l(i
truth,this character was fabricated by knaves
adopted by the timid, and paffid as current
among fools. Alter the declaration of inde
pendency, the men of this cast, joined them
selves to the neutrals. It is a mark of base
and abject cowardice for a man, who pro
feffes himfelf a friend to his country, to re
main neuter, to stand an indifferent fpe&a^
tor, while his countrymen and the friends oi
liberty are compelled, by brutal force, to
contend for the dearest gifts of human na
ture : Meanly, infamoufly, hoping to reap
the benefits of fucc^fs without rifquing the
danger. No man can now doubt the wick
ed designs of the hypocritical and sanguina
ry tyrant of Britain. His venal, servile par
liament have avowed their intentions.; abfo
lirte, unconditional submission. The gall^
ing chains of conquest, or the glorious free
;dom of independency a wait the event of
war. ; Our cause is common,the benefits of
success will bewared by all, we are all e-,
dually interested, and should all be engaged.'
Cur liberties and properties, our, laws and
constitution, are invaded by robbers ; not to
defend is. to betray^ At such a moment, no
honest man. would remain filept or inactive;
I rhe old Grecian law, which forbid any mam
to remain neuter, in their civil diffentions,
was wile and politic. The man who b^
Rr more fee last Page,
[ N0.11.]