The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-02-29 00:00:00, page 1

The Representatives of a free people, who are chosen purely
for their public merit and characters, must ever be considered
as men of integrity, wisdom, and capacity for the service. —
A fuppoiition ofa contrary nature would reflect more disgrace
upon the electors than ele&ed. In this light, I mean to
view our present Representatives, and to juftity their conduct
upon these principles only. An oath or affirmation is surely
the most sacred and solemn of all obligations, the most dis
tant appearance of the breach of which a confeiencious man,
and particularly the legislators of a nation, would carefully
avoid, as the happiness of the community in a great degree
depends on the reverential awe and dread in which such an
appeal to the divinity is held by the people. And of all oaths
For the PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
IT has always appeared more meritorious in my eyes to
make a good and fufficient apology for any seeming de
ficiency in the conduct of others, especially of public officers,
than for ever to be censuring them for condud, the reasons of
which they do not fully attend to. Insinuations have been
thrown out in pamphlets and news-papers against certain
proceedings of dur Honorable House of Representatives, which
l think injurious. As the belt causes have not been assigned
them, I would therefore beg leave to offer filch reasons for
those parts of their conduct, which to some have appeared
exceptionable, as I trust will fully acquit them, and remove
the censure from that Honorable body to thole to whom it of
right belongs.
I have often heard them condemned for their backwardness
in the cause ofliberty, the great dislike they difeover to cer
tain measures, and the reluctance with which they proceed in
an effectual opposition to a government, which sets no bounds
to its claims, and exercises the mod unrelenting cruelty in the
prosecution of them. Insensibility itfelf, it is said, might be
routed by their madness, and nothing but difatfettion to the
cause could account for fucli condua. If proper attention
were paid to the delicacy of their situation, I am persuaded
our Assembly would escape without censure. Risa principle
in philosophy, and ought to be admitted in every other science,
never to admit of more cadfes than are fufficient to account
for the effe& ; nor to permit a bad cause to be assigned, while
a good one can be found which will equally solve the phe
nomenon.
In C ON GRES S, February 28, 1776.
RESOLVED, That the Committees of
Infpeftion and Observation for the coun
ties, dittrids, or towns aligned for the
residence of PRISONERS, be empowered to
superintend their conduct; and, in cases of gross
mifbehaviour, to confine them, and report to the
Congress the proceedings had on such occasions.
Extract from the minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
Vol. ll.]
Price only I"' 1 '' 0 Coppers. Published every Tuesday, Phurfday, and Saturday Evenings. ,
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1776.
103
those that are undefined in their nature, and extensive in
meaning, create the greatest perplexity in the consciences of
religious men. To this alone I ascribe the backwardness of
the Assembly to enter on such decisive measures as would give
general fatisfadtion to their conllituents, not to a dislike to
the cause; and any one who will particularly attend to
the late inftrudtions given to our Delegates in Congress, will
plainly perceive that I have pointed out the true principles
on which they are founded. To the oaths which they are
obliged to take before they can fit to hear a debate or vote in
the House, and not to a difaffeftion to the cause is their con
dud on some important occasions to be ascribed. We ought
never to charge that to a bad principle, which can be ac
counted for on a good one, I beg therefore that my defence of
their condud may be impartially attended to, and not Ilightly
palled over, because it appears in a news-paper.
Men who are confciencioufly careful to prove to the world,
that a solemn oath or affirmation is a sacred thing, and not to
be trifled with, must find themselves under peculiar embarraf
ments, when called upon to aft against a government, to which
they have fivorn; and if lam notill informed, some Members
have had their objections to taking it at this very fitting. I beg
leave to tranferibe a part of the affirmation, which the Mem
bers are obliged to take on being admitted to a feat in the House,
which I am persuaded will fufficiently apologize for the seeming
reluctance with which they pursue measures, that may appear
to them to interfere with the oaths they have taken ; " IA.
" B. do solemnly, sincerely and truly acknowledge, profefs,
" teftify and declare that King George is the lawful and
" rightful King of the realm of Great-Britain, and of all
'' others his dominions and countries thereunto belonging,
" and [ do solemnly promise that I will be true and faithful,
" and bear true allegiance to King George, and to him will
" be faithful against all traitorous conspiracies and attempts
" whatsoever, which Ihall be made against his crown and
" dignity, and I will do my bed endeavor to disclose and
" make known to King George and his fucceffofs, all trea
" sons and traitorous conspiracies which 1 know to be made
" against him or any of them." Now this short abstract,
though but a fmal)'-art of the whole, is so full of words of
uncertain sense and import, so crammed with expressions the
extent of whose lignification is so undefined, and ill-limitted,
that a confeiencious man may readily be at a Joss to know
how far he may proceed with fafety, and where he must hop,
or be perjured. Our Representatives certainly deserve great
credit for the truly patriotic part of their conduct, and a too
confeiencious regard to their oaths ought to apologize for
what they have left undone, as well as for some parts of their
proceedings, particularly their inftruftions. It is hard to
oblige men to do any thing that they may think interferes
with their conferences. It is acknowledged that a bad oath
is better broken than kept, and yet few among us would be
quite free from uneaiy sensations and reflexions on being reduced
to the necessity of violating it. I readily admit the ju&nefs
of that reasoning which, in the present case, alledges, that
where the obligation is mutual, breach of covenant on
one fide of necessity releases the other. This is certainly i&
[Num. 17g.