The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-03-29 00:00:00, page 1

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ALWAYO FOR L [BE R TY, ( AND THE PUBLIsiCK GOOD.
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ALEXANDER PURDIE, Pmmzn. _ .;ss—si-_
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Mr. Polnrz, 'siffi- * '
. March 15, 1776.
UCH has been said concerning the
M 'tndependence of the colonies, and
same people have been made to believe
that such a state is not desirable, and that
we should wish for no more liberty than
'wesisienjoyed in 1763; but let any man con—
sider, that, at that time, we were res—
trained from making nails and hats, and
might with equal justice have been hinder
edsifrom building houses or making stock
infis; thalsswe were cruelly and wantonly
re r'tcted in our trade, in some instances,
as it were merely to showthat we were
thesiflaves of Britain. Although the Eng
lish cannot make wine, raise silk, grow
olives, citrons, oranges, orlemons, yet we
were forced to day these articles of them
only, and were not suffered to jzurchaie
them of the French, Spaniards, or Italians;
and although all Europe to the northward
osCape Finilterre had been ltarving for want
-ofgrain, and wehadit incur power to sup
ply their wants, yet we were nut-permit
sitedsi ttsdo'it : Our'tobacco trade was whol
ly en ossed by English merchants ; they
alon'efiiad the privilege of selling this inva
lnabp article qf our commerce to the
Dutch, [french, Spaniards, Portuguese,
and to the different states up the Mediter
rasinean. The king nominated all officers
eivil and military, had the power of re
pealinct'g all our law?, however necessary to
our security and happiness ; and the present
king has wantonly and cruelly exerted that
pown'; in repcaling an ac't of our Assembly,
for obliging ships to perform uarantine,
and another for preventing the farther im
brtatioo of flaves, by iayin heavy duties
onsisuchas shouldbeimportc . The king,
by his instsuctidns to' his governours,
could dissolve our Assemhlies at pleasure,
without asiigning an reason for so doing,
as he has frequently (Kme . He had a right
to keep any number of troops or ships in
our colonies, which right he will never
ive up. He could build forts on oursron—
hers, and garrison them as he pleased.
This was our situation in 1763, and yet
some people arc weak enough to wish to
be left as we were then, as they express
it; but, good Uod ! were We not abJeCt
flaves? We wanted but the name. Indeed
we .were treated with some small respect,
and it was not till 1763 that we were
openlyctinsulted, and treated as flaves.
The English have certainly looked npon
us as (Lawes, or they would have carried
on the war in a manner more becoming
the character of their nation. They seem
to think, as the masters of slave: in the
West lndies do, that no method is
unjustisiable by which they can suppress
an insurrection, nor any punishment
too severe to be inflicted on revoltcd fiaves.
Our masters in Britain, though they made
us labour and toil for their emolnment,
yet did not attempt to take from us the
little we had been permitted to eam sor
ourselves. In this respect, they were as
indulgent to us acts _we are to our poor
flaves; but this they evidently looked
. , t
upon as an instance of their indulgence,
moderation, and sorbearance, for they
have declared, in both Houses of Parlia
ment, and the royal sanction has been
given to the declaration, that they had,
have, and of right ought to have, a power
to make laws to bind us in all cases what-_
soever, that is, that they are our absolute
lords and masters. Well, therefore, may
lord North and general Burgoyne say,
that they aik no more than that America
should be in the situation she was in 1763.
The truth is, the ministry do not wish that
we Were more enllaved now than vsse were
then, but they earnestly wish we woqld
be as passlve. Since this is .the case, and
We have not only heen long oppressed,
and of late grievous] ib., but have also
been attacked by an and land, our
town: and private houses plundered and
burnt, our property simtched srour us,
our countrymendsiragged t'rurn their yery
beds to ]nratncal boats, and nurrlea on
board men of war, our negroes taken
from our plantations, many encouraged
to leave their maflen, and take up arms
against them, several hundred: of whom
are now in arms against us, and when we
know that all of these have been invited
to do so; when we know that an act of
parliament was passed to encourage the
Canadinns to attack us, and that a skilful
and artf'ul general was sent amongst them
to lead them on upon on, and when we
know what pains have been taken to pre
vail on the ]ndians-to ravage our srontiers
(For no one is a stranger to general Carie
ton's, Dunmore's, and Connully's plots)
] say, since we know these things, who,
that is not a slave indeed, who, that has
any f'eclings, or the least spirit, is there
amongst us that would hesitate a moment
to declare he will no longer submit to such
hard restrictions on hi- trade, that he will
not s uffer himself and his posterity to be so
cruelly insulted and oppressed, and that he
will be revenged of his mhuman Plundercrs
and butchers; who, when he finds it ne
cessary to carry on the war we have entered
into (a most just and holy war, and in
which Heaven has peculiarly favoured us)
who, ] lssay, can hemate :: moment to
make use of all the affistance he can pro
cure to prosecute it with Nigour? And
can the war be carried on with any pros
pect of succesi without a trade, by which
not only specie may be procured for the
payment of the troops, and desi'aying all
other expenses, but for the sinking of a
load of paper money,_ which in time,
without an exchange for specie, must be
come of no value? A trade is absoiutely
necessary to procure clothes, blankets,
nails, and even arms and ammunition,
and as necessary to enable the planter and
fixrmer to pay off their proportion of the
taxes, which must in a few years be col
lected, as well as to enable them to pay
their mutual. debts, and maintain their
samilies. Forei ners ought, therefore,
to be immediatesify invited to trade with
us; but this they cannot openly do, with
out engaging in the war against Britain,
!
and it is not worth their while to incur that ]
w '* .
expense which must attend a war unless
they can be certain that they shall alway: si
enjoy the benefit of the made for [w '
they enter into the war. lf they wm
once assured of this, there is ho doubt ,)sstctc
should enjo not only the benefitssof 'ssa
free and fulYtrade, but should engagssclp
our quarrc] powerful allies, allies who in "if
not only able to revenge us of our enemiel
but who would do it with pleasure, tq gra
tisy their own revenge. Engiand deserve!
thisatourhands; shewho, b ourasslstancq,
was raised to the highest pitch of glorycttb
which anynation ever arose , has spurned)!
us, has levied a cruel war against us, calling
in to herctassistance Russians, Hanovcrianl'ct,
Canadians, ]ndiam, and Ne owen ]
say, she deserves that we ould declare
ourselves independent of her, and callin to
our assistance the French and 8 adiardr;
and, ifw_e do this, _we shal] soon_ e ctamplss *
revengca on ner for ner mgraumae and,
cruelty, and shall com letelijmble her
pride, and exalt our elves to a state of
eminence and glos , and become th'e Wsi'}
and admiration o mankind. ,
]suur trade should be opened to FrancZss, >
Spain, and the Mediterranean, we should
not only find a better market sofsssion; "
tobacco, and grain of all sorts than We
have ever yet met with, but we should fea
dily procure all the necessaries we may
want, and the trade woui}! introducc
numbers of useful manusacturers, and va
rious artists. But, as it has been observed_
above, this tradsse cannot be procured
without declaring ourselves independent'
states, nor the war prosecuted effectually
without a trade, or indeed without :
maritime ally, what friend to his country,
or even to his family, would scruple a mo
ment to declare for independcnce} is a
werful fleet and army should suddenly
invade our counts , and etct possesiion of
the lower parts ofyit, waHin it with fire
and sword, and should totacty put a {top
to our trade, and at the same time should
supplv their armies from hence with provi
sions of every sort, and enable them to
make a com lete conquest of some other
colony, we ould then wish we had called
in the asslstance of the French and Spanish N
fleets; or is, whilst we are most dutisufly'
whirling after. our mother country, France
should choose not to wait any ]on er foe '
offcrs from the Congress, but shoul agree
with England to share the plundcr of Ame
rica, what should we say for ourselves?
But, God be praised, France has waited"
with atience, and it is not yet too late to
ask a istance of her ; and she such pre ar
ed to give it. And if she does, Eng and
must desist from her cruel plan of'enflavingssf-si
the colonies, and will think herself ha py
to come in for a share of their exten ve
trade. So shall peace and harmony be
restored to these desh'actcd countries,
which will become great and flourishin
in commerce, art:, and science:; and wisi
flourish as long as they enjoy freedom,
and practise virtue. -
- ,, All AMEBICAN,
fL—osi sin...