The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-03-14 00:00:00, page 1

To THE PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA.
LETTER I.
My dear Countrymen,
THE wisdom of some nations has been greatly com
mended, because they never enabled any new law,
nor fuffered any innovation in their ancient cou
ftitutions, without firft proposing the matter to the
people, and giving them a full opportunity to express their
approbation or dislike. It is true, we have never come up
to the perfection of this rule, yet in the former happy days of
the province, it was a good and salutary custom among us,
freely to discuss and examine all public affairs, in conversation
as well as writing, when occasion required. And although,
since the commencement of our present troubles, this rule
could not always be observed, yet every unnecessary deviation
from it has but added to the affliction of many real friends of
America.
Grievous as the least restraint upon the Press must always be,
to a people entitled to Freedom, it must be the more so, when
it is not only unwarranted by those to whom they have com
mitted the care of their liberties, but cannot be warranted by
them, confident with liberty itfelf. Neverthelefs.we readily
submitted to it, while any colourable pretext could be offered
for requiring such a submission. Nay, we have done more—
we have too quietly yielded to a few who have been claiming
one power after another, till at length, encouraged by their
success, and prostituting the cry of public necessity to cloak
an ambition, which needs as much to be checked in the low
est as the bigbeft, they have now the astonishing boldness to
aim at a total deftruCtioß of our charter constitution, and seiz
ing into their own hands our whole domestic police, with le
gislative as well as executive authority.
To prepare the way for effecting this most ruinous design,
the Majesty of the People of Pennsylvania has
been grievously wounded, in the persons of their legal Repre
sentatives, by repeated attempts to intimidate them in the
discharge of the great trust committed to them by the voice
of their country, and the meft scurrilous misrepresentation of
patriotic exertions which have not been exceeded by any other
body upon the continent. •
Since the Press is at length become so free, that such pub
lications are thought tolerable on one fide, it cannot but be
judged reasonable, that it Should be equally free on the other
fide also ; especially where charges are to be answered, and
innocence defended. At all risks 1 am determined to make the
experiment, and to offer one appeal to the remainder of our an
cient virtue. Nor need any persons be alarmed; for an indecentor
angry expression Ihall not dishonour my pen, nor yet a single
sentiment, which is not calculated to cement all parties in the
province, upon fafe and popular grounds, more firmly than ever,
in executing the Resolves of Congress, and maintaining he
rican Liberty. So far as our Committees confine themselves
to the purposes of their appointment, which are merely exe
cutive ; so far as they are exerting themselves to effeft what
is well exprefled in the Evening Post of last Thursday, to
have been their original design, viz. “ a fai.hful execution
" of the association entered into by the Continental Congress,
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST-
Vol. ll.]
Price only Two Coppers.
THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1776.
Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Evenings.
131
This great privilege which we enjoy, of giving our free
unbiaffed voice annually in the choice of an Assembly, who,
from that moment, by charter, become a constitutional
body, vested with the authority of the people, and can meet
when they please, and fit as long as they judge neceflary.—
This privilege, I fay, and the ease and quiet with which our
public /business has been tranfaded, during the present con
test, have been the envy and admiration of our neighbours,
who, enjoying no such perfection in their civil constitutions,
have been driven into the measure of Conventions, and
forced to hazard the emission of money, and ads of state,
under disadvantages which need not be mentioned here, as
we are yet happily free from them. Would any wife people,
enjoying such a constitution, ever think of destroying it with
But if, instead of being confined to such purposes as these,
any individuals of our Committees, who I trust will never
amount to a majority, Ihould, by the bait of power thrown
out to them by designing men of this or any other province,
be led out of their line, to interfere in matters foreign to
their appointment, I am persuaded, that when they seriously
confider what may be offered on this head, they will perceive
that such a conduct (as it never can be submitted to by the
people of this province) would give a more effectual stab to
out domestic harmony, and to the public cause, than
all the efforts of all the difaffe&ed persons in America can
give.
In carrying on our great controversy with England, Penn
sylvania has no need either to make the least facrifice of its
constitution, nor yet to yield in zeal to the foremolt of the
Colonies. It has been our singular happiness from the be
ginning, that we have been able to grant, and have actually
granted, as large sums for the common service as any of our
neighbours, in proportion to our numbers; and that these
grants have been made in a way to which the people were ac
customed, and to which they have given their fanftion, by
re-electing the fame men, since the contest with England had
advanced into open war ; thereby pledging themselves to
submit to whatever mode may be adopted by future Assem
blies for finking the immense sums with which the province
is charged, as well as fignifying the fulleft approbation
of the measures, which have been concerted for our de
fence.
" relieving and assisting those who may fuffer by the fufpen t
" fion of trade, promoting reconciliation upon constitutional
" principles between Great-Britain and her Colonies; the
" encouraging the manufactory of such articles as are necef
'' fary for our exigence, clothing and defence ; the prevent
'' ing manufacturers or venders of goods and merchandize
" from felling the fame at unusual or extravagant profit,"
and holding up transgressors of every rank to public censure,
without fear or affection—-fo far, I fay, they ought to have
the thanks of their country, for generously bellowing their
time and attention to its service, and ought to be supported by
all good men. In this view they deserve the greatest com
mendation, for their late vigorous endeavors to refeue their
injured fellow-citizens from the avaricious gripe of engroffers
and foreftallers.
[Num. 179.