The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-05-18 00:00:00, page 1

TU H^ L>A X, MAY 16, 1779- I rl tt - [NUMBER 747-
CONNECTICUT COURANT,
AND THR
WEEKLY I NTELLIGENCE R.
P ROTEST
Of the HOUSE of LORDS
On refuting the motion to exprejs the d^ff,
fare of the House at the ManifeJbfflberf
in America.
Moved, Die Lur^, Dec, . 7, 1778.
THAT an humble Address be patent
ed to his Majesty, to exprtfs to his
Majesty the displeasure of this House at a
certain Manifefto and Proclamation, dated
the third day of October, 177'2 an d P u b
lifhcd in America under the hands and
seals ofthe Earl of Carlifle, Sir Henry
Clinton, Knight of the Bath, and William
Eden, Esq ; Commissioners for reftonng
peace to the Colonies, and countersigned
by Adam Fergufop, Esq; Secretary to the
Commission ; the fid Ma ifefto contain
ing a declaration, of the following tenor :
'' If there be any perfens, who, aivejted
of mistaken resentments, and uninfluenced by
felffo interns, really think it is for the bent
fit ofthe Colonies to feperate themldves
from Great-Britain, and 'that so separated
they will find a constitution more mild,
more free, and better calculated for their
prosperity, than that which they heretofore
enjoyed, and which we are empowered and
disposed to renew and improve ; with such
persons we will not dispute a position,
which seems to be fufficiently contradicted
by the experience they have had. But
we think it right to leave them fully aware
of the change which the maintaining such
a position must make in the whole nature
and future conduct of this war more es
pecially when to this petition is added the
pretended alliance with tie Court of France^
The policy, as well as the benevolence of
Great, Britain, have thus far checked the
extremesof war, when they tended to distress
a people still considered as our fellow fub
jedhs, and to deflate a country shortly to be
come again a fourfe of mutual advantage;
but when that country profeffes the unna
tural design, not only of estranging herfelf
from us, but of mortgaging herfelf, and
her refourfes, to our enemies, the whole
contest is changed, and the question is,
howfarGreat-Britain may, by every means
in her power, destroy or render useless a
connexion contrived for her ruin, and for
the aggrandizement of F ance. Under
such circumstances, the laws of felf-preferva
tion must direct the conduct of Great Bri
tain ; and if the British Colonies are to be
come an accession to France, will dired her to
render that accefon of as little avail as p'fible
to her enemies."
To acquaint his Majesty with the sense
• of this House, that the said Commiftioneis
had no authority whadbever, under the
A^ of Parliament in virtue of which they
were appointed by his Majesty, to make
the said declaration ; br to make any dc
faaration to the fame, or to the like pur
port ; nor can this I Icufe be easily brought
H A RTFO R D : Printed by HUDSON and GOODWIN, near the Great-Bridge.
Diffentient,
ift. Because the public law of nati
ons, in affirmance of the dictates of na
ture, and the precepts of revealed religi
on, forbids us to resort To the extremes of
war upon our own opinion of their expe
diency, or in any case to carry on war
for the purpose of desolation. We know
that the rights of war are odious, and in
stead of being extended upon loose con
ftru&ions and speculations of danger,
ought to be bound up and limited by all
the restraints of the most rigorous con
ftru&ion. We are (hocked to fee the firft
law of nature, fclf preservation, pervert
ed and abused into a principle d^ruaive
of all other laws; and a rule laid down,
by which our own fafety is, rendered in
compatable with the prosperity of man
kind. The objeds of war, which cannot
be compassed by fair and honorable hosti
lity, ought not to be compassed at all ;
an end that has no means, but such as are
unlawful, is an unlawful end. The Ma
nifefto exprefly founds the change it an
nounces from a qualified and mitigated
war, to a war of extremity and desolation,
on the certainty that the provinces must
be independent, and must become an Ac
cellion to the strength of the enemy. In
the midst of the calamities, by which our
loss of empire has been preceeded and ac
companied, in the midst of our apprehen
sions for the farther calamities which im
pend over us, it is a matter of frefh grief
and accumulated shame to fee, from a
commission under the Great Seal of this
kingdom, a declaration for desolating a
vast continent, solely because we had not
the wisdom to retain, or the power to
subdue it.
idly. Because the avowal ofa delibe
rate purpose of violating the law of nati-
to believe that the said Commissioners de
rived any such authority from his Majes
ty's indrufeions.
Humbly to beseech his Majesty, that
so much of the said Manifefto as contains
the said Declaration be forthwith pub
licly disavowed by his Majesty, as con
taining matter inconsistent with the hu
manity and generous courage, which at all
times have diftinguithed the Britifli nati
on, subversive of the maxims which have
been eftablithed among Christian and ci
vilized communities, derogatory to the
dignity of the Crown of this realm, tend
ing to debase the spirit, and subvert the
discipline of his Majesty's armies, and to
expose his Majesty's innocent fubjeds, in
all parts of his dominions, to cruel and
ruinous retaliations.
Which being objected to, after long
debate, the question was put thereupon.
It was resolved in the negative.
Contents 34) Non Contents 55)
Proxies Proxies 16)'
ons, must gife an alArm to every state in
Europe, All common wealths have a
concern in that law, and are its natural
avengers. At this time, surrounded by
enemies, and destitute of all allies, it is
not necessary to sharpen and embitter the
hostility of declared foes, or provoke the
enmity of neutral dates, € We trust that
by the natural strength of this kingdom,
we are secured from a foreign conquest,
but no nation is secured from therinvafi
on and incursions of enemies. And it
seems to us the height of frenzy, as well
as wickedness, to expose this country to
cruel depredations, and other outrages too
Shocking to mention (but which are all
contained in the idea of the extremes of
war and desolation) by establishing a falfe,
fhameful, and pernicious maxim, that
where we have no interest to preserve, we
are called upon by necessity to destroy.
This kingdom has long enjoyed a pro
found internal peace, and has flourifhed
above all others in the arts and enjoy
ments of that happy state. Tt has been
the admiration of the world for its culti
vation and its plenty ; for the comforts of
the poor, the splendor of the rich, and the
content and prosperity of all. This situ
ation of fafety may be attributed to the
greathefs of our power. It is more be
coming, and more true, that we ought to
attribute that fafety, and the power which
procured it, to the ancient justice, honour,
humanity, and generosity of this king
dom, which brought down the bluffing of
Providence on a people who made their
prosperity a benefit to the world, and, in
terefled all nations in their fortune, whose
example of mildness and benignity, at
once humanized others, and rendered it
felf inviolable. In departing from those
solid principles, and vainly buffing to
the frailty of human force, and to the ef
ficacy of arms, rendered impotent by their
perversion, We lay down principles, and
furnilh examples of the most attrocious
barbarity. We are to dread that all our
power, peace and opulence, should vanish
like a dream, and that the cruelties which
we think fafe to exercise. because their
immediate object is remote, may be
brought to the coasts, perhaps to the bo
som of this kingdom.
ydiy. Because, if the explanation gi
ven in debate, be expressive of the true
sense of the article in the Manifefto, such
explanation ought to be made, and by as
high authority as that under which the
exceptionable article was originally pub
lished. The natural and obvious sense in
dicates, that the extremes of war had hi
therto been checked, that his Majesty's
Generals had hitherto forborne (upon prin
ciples of benignity and policy) to desolate
the country ; but that the whole nature,
and future condud of the war must be