The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-04-30 00:00:00, page 7

To the ELECTORS and FREEHOLDERS of the
City of Philadelphia.
Friends and Fellow Citizens,
AL ATE law of this province having appointed the elec
tion of four additional Members of Assembly for this
city to be held tomorrow, and the choice of fit persons for
this trust being a matter of the highest importance, it has
been thought proper, in a brief and plain way, to submit a
few things to your serious consideration on this great occa
sion.
The chief blessings which a people can enjoy under a
free government, depend upon a fair and equal representa
tion—the having frequent elections of those to whom they
consign the care of their rights—and holding these elusions
in such a way, that every person entitled by law to a vote,
may exercise that most valuable of all privileges agreeable to
his own reason and conference, without being overawed by
the threats of power or party.
The late law has provided for the firft of these three
things, viz. a more equal representation ; and our prudent an
cestors in their former laws, by the method o, ballot, have
provided for the two latter in such a way as hath rendered our
constitution the admiration of all our neighbours: But the
best laws are of no lignification if a people become insen
sible of their value, or inattentive to their execution^ The
office of a Bur efs for the city of Philadelphia is.as great and.
honorable trust as can fall to the share of any freeman of Penn
sylvania; and yet a flranger, who had observed what a small
proportion of the electors of this city have thought it worth
their while to step from their houses to give a vote in feme
late instances, would imagine, either that we hold this pri
vilege at a cheap rate, or that we have nothing at. flake in
our Representatives ; and this negleft..has been lately con
strued against us, by an anonymous writer, into a tacit ap
probation of new dc&rin # es by no means agreeable to the ge
neral ferfe of the good people of this city.
A question has been lately flatted, which has greatly
changed our political ground, and has driven all our little,
diftindion of parties entirely out of light. It is, whether,
united as heretofore, we shill continue our resistance to an'
oppreffire Ministry, till we can bring vengeance on their
heads, and open the door for renewing our happy connexion
with the people of Great-Britai&—.Or whether, without wait
ing to know clearly, whether this be possible or not, we fhall,^
by our own aft, shut the door against reconcilation, imme
diately declare ourselves a separate people,..and.run the risk
of all the evils which may follows
Upon one fide of the quellion we have every public de
claration of the continent —The avowed design of our taking
arms into our hands—the ardent desire of multitudes of good
men deeply interested in the consequences-— the fenfe.of this
province uniformly expressed from the beginning—and of
fonie neighbouring provinces just renewed in theirlateft tranf
adions. On the other fide, we have .the publications of
nameless writers, setting themlelves up in opposition to public
bodies—driving to inflame the passions, and lead us on to
schemes of dangerous and uncertain event —wholly incon
sistent with our original purpoles.
If peace can be obtained upon fafe-terms, no good man
can think without horror upon the purluit of new schemes,
which present nothing to us but a long Itoppage of our trade
and commerce—an immense increase of our taxes—changes
in our civil governments —the consequent uncertain situation
of our lives and properties—the ruin of families—inteftine
divisions—and all the calamities attendant upon civil war.
There is this essential difference between a declaration of iri-
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dependance (as it hath been tailed) and the continuing cur
defence upon the present foundation.—ln the one case, a con
vitlion of her error on the part of Great-Britain may restore
peace and tranquillity—in the other, we leave no room for
such a conviction to operate in our fav r. On the contrary,
the tools of power will drive to verify their predictions, that
we were aiming at a separation from the beginning—they
will thereby seek to raise the indignation of the world against
us—and to unite the whole Britilh nation in a fixed enmity—
they will exert every engine to defeat our schemes—and prac
tife. every art, in every court in Europe, to injure our credit.
As prudence and regard to curlelves can never direct us to
give an enemy such an advantage, or to pursue such a con
duct till the last extremity, it becomes one of the most weighty
concerns that ever employed our attention, to be careful what
fort of men we entrust with the conduct of our affairs
during the ensuing five months; in which time we shall pro.
bably.be. able to.judge, .whether reconciliation be yet pos
sible If. violent men,? who .have predetermined this great
question,. should be our. choice, the guilt of every rath mea-.
sure into which we may be hurried, ,will.lie at our own door;
but if the majority of voices shall be given to those who are
kn wn to be firm in the defence of American rights ; friends
to the constitution of this province; visibly interested in its
prosperity.; and, at the fame time, desirous of peace upon ho
norable terms, every thing will be fafe in their hands. If the
fatal neceffiry should evidently arise, which will juftify new
declarations, and a change of nieafures, packmen will never
diffent.from.the general .Voice <of, their constituents. .
Upon this tingle consideration the matter now rests; all
other diftinChons are vain and trifling. Let unnecessary heats
be avoided, and every, man give his voice according to his
conscience, with that freedom, which ought to dilbnguifo a
people in the exercise of one of their most sacred rights, under
tire function of the best laws. This is not a time either for
timidity or rashness, and threats or abuse will only disgrace
these that makemfe of them? In. this light a most daring
publication is.to be considered, which has just appeared under
the signature of an. ELEC FOR. At a time when all America
is contending among other things for the Charter Rights of one
of the provi. ces, he calls upon the people of this city to tramp,e
the charter of this colony under their teet; to aft upon a novel
Jyjtrrn ; to pay no regard to the legal qualification of voters; ncr
iQjmofe faced laws, by which every man, who becomes a citizen
of Philadelphia, has agreed to be bound. This would be
giving a fatal stab to our liberties ; and may teach us what
we are to expeft, should we fuller men, profeffing such prin
ciples, to get the direction of our affairs.
W'HEREAS Cato, in his eighth letter, and feme of his
partizans since, have made free with the Forester as
having neither " character nor connexion." To whi^. I.an
fwer, firll, “ better to have nonethan bad ones." Seconclv,
that the person supposed by some, and known by other , to
be the author of Common Sense, and the Forester's letters,
came a cabin passenger in Jeremiah Warder's ship, the Lon
don Packet, last Christmas twelvemonth, bringing with him
two unsealed letters of intfodoaion frem Dr. Franklin to his
friends here, in which he fays, " 1 recommend the bearer
hereof, Mr. —, as a worthy ingenious, cfc."
I "have published this, at the request, and for the fake of
those gentlemen whole acquaintance I am honored,with—and
in my turn call on Cato and his confederates to set forth/ as I
have done, what rank and recommendation they or theirori
ginals made their firft appearance in
The FORESTER.
To C A T O.