The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-09-05 00:00:00, page 5

The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
CT^ O be SOLD by JOHN SPARHAWK, in Second-Street,
I near the Courthouse, Weft-India and Country RUM,
a parcel of Pepper, Race Ginger, a few Cases of fwcet Oil,
and Packages of Glass Ware formed,
To those who indulge the idea, that the conduft of men
in public Rations are. exempt from impartial Scrutiny, enter
tain notions incompatible with the good of Society, for it is
not merely the men but the measures which form the good or
ill of society ; it is the right of examination, and to remedy
the defects, that constitute the Safety of the people ; and
when that right is infringed, the constitution falls a facrifice.
to tyranny and uJkrfeanjn —to appoint men of wiidom and vir
tue to places of public notoriety, is the characteristic of a
judicious nation. —Julhce and temperance should be the stan
dard for the appointment, and the measures will ever be glo
riously supported ; lor the end cannot be crowned with a
happy success, where the means to obtain it, are founded in
public or private wrongs.
Tae Statesman, the Officer, Quarter M.after, Commissary,
and all thole in Subordination to them Should be haneft, dis
interested and free, otherways the people, from whom they
derive all their power, and are accountable to, will feel the
effects of their intemperate measure of distributive
justice, we Shall be Subdued by passion and resentment, and
the property of the fubjed, initead of being protested, will be
robbed by avaricious and wicked men.
We are now entering on a feene of public calamity to
which our feelings and possessions have before been rather
firangers to, and great care ought to be taken to admit none
to govern us, either in a civil or military capacity, butthofe
whole ways are marked out by justice and peace.
The Americans in general are considered as a noble and
generous people, and their contest with Great-Britain found
ed on the rights of mankind, and, ih the historic page, will
fill posterity with amazement and veneration.
It will be well to examine into the propriety of the hint I
have here offered, and if any advantages may be reaped from
it, we Shall Shew our wiidom and our Spirit of liberty by de
termining to purlue them. D —.
For the PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
FREEDOM of speech and writing on matters of
public concern, having in every free country been
considered, the belt bulwark to preserve the Spirit of
liberty from degenerating into supineness and sla
very, it gave me great plealure to observe, that the Con
vention of Pennsylvania, in their declaration of the rights of
the inhabitants, have made it an object of their delibera
tion, viz. " That the people have a right to freedom of
“ Speech and of writing and publishing their sentiments, there
“ fore the freedom of the press ought not to be retrained."
On this principle 1 prelume to offer a general hint to the
consideration of the public, and hope 1 do not therein exceed
the line of prudence, or injuie the personal character of any
one.
Vol. lI.J
Price Three Coffers. Published every Tuesday, PburJday, and Saturday Evenings.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1776.
443
An ORDI NAN CE of the State of Penn
sylvania, declaring what shall be TRE A
SON, and for punning the fame, and other
crimes and practices against the Rate.
WHEREAS government ought at all times to take
the most effectual measures for the fafety and Security
of the Rate, Be it therefore ordained and declared, and it is
hereby ordained and declared, by the Representatives of the
Freemen of the state of Pennsylvania, in General Convention
met, That all and every person and persons (except prisoners
of war) now inhabiting or residing within the limits of the
Rate of Penn fylvania, or that Shall voluntarily come into
the fame hereaf er, to inhabit or sojourn, do and Shall owe
and pay allegiance to the state of Pennsylvania.
And be it farther ordained, by the authority aforefaid,
That all and every such person and persons, so owing allegi
ance to the State of Pennsylvania, who, from and after the
publication hereof, Shall levy war against this State, or be
adherent to the King of Great-Britain, or others the enemies
cf this Rate, or to the enemies of the United States of Ame
rica, by giving him or them aid or assistance within the limits
of this State, or elsewhere, and Shall be thereof duly can.
vided in any court of Oyer and Terminer hereafter to be
erected, according to law, Shall be adjudged guilty of High
Treason, and. forfeit his lands, tenements, goods and chat
tels, to the use of the state, and be imprisoned any term not
exceeding the. duration of the present war with Great-Britain,
at the discretion cf the Judge or Judges.
And be it farther ordained and declared, by the authority
aforefaid, That any person or persons (except as before ex
cepted) residing, inhabiting or sojourning in this state, who
Shall hereafter know of such treason, and conceal the fame,
or that Shall receive or assist such traitor, knowing him to be
such,. and Shall be thereof duly convicted as aforefaid, shall be.
adjudged guilty of.milprifion of treason, and fuffer the forfei
ture of one third of his goods and chatties, lands and tene
ments to the use of the date, and be imprisoned any term
not exceeding the duration of the present war with Great-
Britain, at the discretion of the Judge or Judges.
And be it farther ordained and declared, I hat in all con
visions for high treason, the Judge or Judges, before whom
the trial is had, may, out of the estate forfeited by virtue of
this afl, make such provision for the wife or children, if any,
of the criminal, as he or they in his or their discretion may
deem necessary.
And be it farther ordained and declared, That this ordi
nance Shall be in force till the end of the firft fefiion of the
firft Assembly that Shall meet under the new constitution of
this Rate, and no longer.
Faffed in Convention, September 5, 1776, and Signed by
their order, B. FRANKLIN, President.
Attest. John Morris, jan. Secretary.
No advertisement will be inserted in
this paper, if the money be not sent with it.
[Num. 255.