The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-05-02 00:00:00, page 1

The SPEECH es Gov. J OHNSTONE, in the House
of Commons, on Thursday the 26th of October, 1775°
[ Continued from page 198. ]
,—^—^HE danger of pushing things to extreme makes
the good sense of men prevail, while the power of
refilling in every individual juryman prevents pte
=• jadice and injustice from trying their strength on
matters that are not tenable. The springs of a free govern
ment are not obvious to every understanding, while the
meanest foot soldier knows all the powers of despotism. Here
the fupemac, of the magistrate solves every question. In the
fame manner the adavntages derived from America, in the
circle of commerce, are not so evident to a vulgar under
standing as so much palpable cash paid into the Exchequer.
For this reason I am ready to forgive those who differ with me
in opinion concerning this American contest. It demands
a process of reasoning to which common understandings are
"not generally accukomed. 1 fliould not be surprised if half
the people in England should at firft join against the Ameri
cans ; national prejudice, pride, falfe glory, and falfe arith
metic, all contribute to deceive them ; but that any man,
affirming the character of a Hatefman, should proceed in
this mad career, to destroy in a few years that beautiful sys
tem ofempire our ancestors have been railing with so much pains
and glory, firft under the falfe pretence of raising a revenue;
l and next, under a more falfe pretence, that America wrfhes to
throw off her just dependance on Great-Britain. 7 his, I con
fefs, does furprize me. For this reason my indignation chiefly
riles against the noble Lord on the floor ; 1 am willing to acquit
all his colleagues, and most of his followers, even if they had
not the interested motives of places and pensions to bias their
judgment ; but that the noble Lord who yearly confiders the
riches that come into the public treasury, who knows and can
trace all the circuitous channels by which riches flow into
this country, that he should place no more to the credit of
America than the paltry sum collected by his infignificant
commissioners, and endeavor to mislead others by such asser
tions. This indeed is beyond belief. When the noble Lord
is pleased to take the other fide of the argument, what abun
dance of wealth does he sometimes pour forth in the most co
pious flow of eloquence. When he supports this rugged cc^
crcive system, how he labours and flags, nothing but founding
words and unmeaning phrases. The dignity of Parliament !
Now I fay this is belt supported by humanity and j uftice, and
maintaining the freedom of the fubjetl Thefaremaej of the
legislative authority of Great-Britain ! This 1 call unintelligi
ble jargon ; instead of running the different privileges be
longing to the various parts of the empire into one common
mass of power, gentlemen fliotild confider that the very firll
principles of good government, in this wide extended dominion,
config in subdividing the empire into many parts, and giving
to each individual an immediate interest in the com&nunity
to which he belongs should be well regulated. This is the
principle upon which our ancestors established thorn different
colonies or communities ; this is the principle on which they
have, flourished so long and so prosperously ; this is the prin
ciple on which alone they can be well governed at such a dis:
lance from & feat of the empire.
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST
Vol. lI.J
Price only Pico Coffers. Published every Puefday, Pburfday, and Saturday Evenings.
THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1776.
221
Yet we are breaking through all those sacred maxims of our
forefathers, and giving the alarm to every wife man on the
continent of America, that all his rights depend on the will
of men whole corruption are notorious, who regard him as an
enemy, and who have no interest in his prosperity, and feel
no controul from him as a constituent. The most learned
writer on government has defined civil and political liberty to
consist in a perfed security as to a man's rights ; after the
ads of Parliament of lad year, can any man on the great
continent of America fay that he feels that security ? Could
any thing less than dread of losing every essential privilege,
have united a people so divided in customs, manners, climate
and communications? Could any thing less than an entire
want cf policy, a species of political phrenzy here, have
produced this wonderful effect ? You blame the Americans,
but do not confider the next itep which your conduct neceft
fhrily drives them to. You affeic they aim at independancy-;
I assert thev wish for nothing more than a constitutional de
pendance on Gieat-Britain, according as they have subsisted
from their firft establishments, and according ds Ireland de
pends on the Britiih legislature at this moment. Can any
man who knows the power of the crown in the legislative and
executive parts of our colony government, who understands
the force of the feyeral ads of navigation, who knows the
incitements and attachments by the education of youth in
this country, who knows what would be the effects of mixing
the colonies in our fleets and armies, and every other office
in our government; who confiders the effects of appeals in
the lad resort to his Maj^fty in council; who knows the
power of his Majesty in annulling laws made in the colonies
within three years ; who perceives the advantages that every
part of the empire derives from the prosperity of the other ;
who is there, I fay, capable of digesting thole thoughts, and
can entertain the ignoble.jealoufies daily cxpreflea agairdt the
Americans, or show ^ny motive why the people in America
should break the bond of union with this country for ages yet
to come, unless driven to that extremity by following Mr.
Hutchinson's advice in abridging their liberties, which is as
much a part of their birth-right as of any man living and
born in England. The nature of government will not allow
us to define what are the precise points where refinance may
be made to the governing powers ; but will any man conclude
from thence that a&s of King, Lords and Commons ought
not to be refilled, if they should sap the fundamental princi,
plcs of the constitution ? Nothing but the general feeling of
the community can determine the point; and was ever the
sense of a people so unanimous on any fubjeft? I declare,
upon my honor, I have not con+erfed with one min from
America (and I have chiefly fought out the friends of admi
nikra:ion)who have not universally agreed, that all America
is unanimous in refiftmg the power of taxing them by the
Britiih Parliament, where they have no representatives ; that
they will never yield this point ; that in eale they were made
ealy on this point, and iccure as to their charters, on which
their property depends, they would immediately return to
their duty and obedience.
This I aver to be the universal report and opinion of all
[Num. 200.