The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-03-02 00:00:00, page 2

minds. Lord North's motion last winter did much for you ;
the Commissioners, equally improved, will probably crown
your wishes. I ihall thank God, and heartily rejoice, if
your influence reach not the councils and proceedings of the
Congress.
Depend on it, my countrymen, “ divide & impera” is
the inftrudion of every Commiffi ner, and his orders will be
delayed, that he may divide and dictraft as much as possible,
until the forces are all arrived, and they be in a condition to en
force their plan, then they will inform you they have re
ceived orders, by which they are commanded to break off the
treaty.
Tv o many have already left fight of the King, and our
real enemies, and are so fafcinatcd with the profpe& of
Commissioners, that I begin to dread the snare, and cannot
help crying out to you, Oh, foblifh Americans ! Who has be
witched you, that you should put any confidence in men who
spill your blood with as little ceremony and reluctance, as a
butcher would that of an ox. Is this all you know of the
King and his Ministers ?
1 know there is not a Tory now on the continent but hopes
these Commissioners will effed their purpose, and are prepar
ing to give them every possible assistance, and very few
Whigs who have not their fears on the occasion. Every think
ing man on both sides of the question must, and does believe,
that their sole errand is to cajole and deceive, and that large
promises, lies, bribery and corruption, are the means they
will use.
I beseech you to lend all your spirit and vigour to the Con
gress on the occasion. Depend on it they will want it. Pray
them to take one decisive Itep. To fend orders to the Com
mander in Chief in each province to arrest said Commissio
ners, in the name of the Thirteen United Colonies, as soon
as they set foot on shore, and fend them, under itrong guards,
to the Congress, with the ftrideft injunction that they be
permitted to fptak with no man, besides the guards and
their servants, until they arrive in Philadelphia ; and
that as soon as they arrive, a deputation from Congress
wait upon them, and aft them this one plain question:
Have you authority to order home your fleets and ar
mies immediately ? If they answer in the negative, then
to break off all farther conference, and fend them off that
instant to the enemy's head-quarters, with this information,
That we scorn as much to treat with a dagger at our breasts,
as we disregard their forces. If they answer in the affirma
tive, then to assure them, that as soon as the intelligence of
their fleets and armies fafe arrival in Great-Britain shall have
reached America, the conference shall be opened, and not
before. That they, in the mean time, (hall be kept in fafe
custody, treated like gentlemen, but not permitted to corre
spond or convene with the inhabitants before the treaty is
completed. Every hour spent in conference with Commis
sioners before this takes place, is an hour loft to America,
and two gained to Great-Britain, besides the immense da-
mages which will arise from the powers of deceit and cor
ruption, Englilh gold, government promises, pensions, ti
tles, and every art which malice, cunning, and religious
hypocrisy can invent or use, will be played off against our li
berties. These, judiciously applied, will convert such among
the great as have not virtue and integrity to withstand their
force ; and you will be fold, without pocketing a penny of
the price. Without pocketing, did I fay? Nay, yourselves
must pay it. Hard lot indeed ! But if you have not virtue
and spirit sufficient to lupport the Congress in executing these
'"' y° ur security, you deserve it. I conclude by
exhorting you to keep on the watch; loose not fight of the
108
King and the army, by looking at the Prime Minister, Par
liament, and Commissioners. One bold llroke will effectu
ally defeat the machinations of the latter, and, then the for
mer will Hand alone and unsupported, and a second vigorous
exertion will crush their evil deligns against your liberties.
Remember these Commissioners are the wooden horse which
is to take those by stratagem whom twelve years hostility
could not reduce. Aft then like Laocoon ; Rrike the dagger
into his bread, and never permit your credulity or inactivity
to give the perjured Sinon an opportunity of making a worn
out, deluded, or corrupted Whig the altar on which to offer
up your dear bought privileges.
CASSANDRA.
Squire YT7ELL, neighbour Wheatly, what is the
Shrewdly. intelligence from the great city ? The
moon will light you home—suppose you day an hour extraor
dinary, and take a friendly pipe—what are the Assembly
about?'
Wheatly. Why, Squire, I generally get through my bu
siness as quick as I can, and don't trouble my head much with
public affairs.—l suppose they are in good hands, and so I
trust such matters to our learned men—but now 1 think on't
—I had half an hour's talk with one of our Members (who
speaks as freely to me now, since he's a Member, as he did
before) and he told me the citizens had been a&ing a strange
part, which neither he nor any of his brethren could get to the
bottom of—they have presented a petition to the House, re
queuing a bounty on the railing of flax, and also praying the
Assembly to set up, all round the country, a number of
thingumbobs for fpinßing wool and cotton, by which one per
son can perform the work of three—now our Member thought,
as the city has always been contwifted careful of doing favors
to the country, that they have some underhand design to over
reach us ; for some of em, you know, Squire, wo'd cheat the
Old Boy himfelf if they could.
P. S. Ifhall be told this would be treating the Commissioners
too cavalierly. To this I answer, men coming on such an
errand cannot be treated too much so. Let any one ffiew the
least mark of a design in Administration to relinquish their
claims, and I will treat them with the utmost ceremony and
refpe&. I will publish an ancient testimony in their own favor,
if it can be but considered as doing them honor. For though
I trust I shall never prostitute a pure and holy religion to pay
my court to men, though they be Kings, yet I will do any
right thing for those who come on so good an errand.
Squire Shrewdly. Very well, neighbour, and pray
what was your opinion of the matter—did you venture to offer
a conjedure upon the occasion, or did your deference for the
learned, as you are pleased to term them, induce you to sus
pend your judgment, till you get to your own fire fide.
Wheatly. I had to be fare some thoughts on the occasion,
but you know, Squire, it is not fit at all times to tell one's
thoughts.
Squire Shrewdly. You fay right—but there are other
Mr. Printer,
If you think the following dialogue will be any amusement
to your readers, it is at their service. How it came to
my knowledge is of no great importance to the public ;
but if people will speak so loud in a tavern, as to drive
their voices through a board partition, into the room of
a traveller, whoretires to his chamber with no other de
sign than going to deep, they must not blame him for
overhearing.