The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-05-03 00:00:00, page 1

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M A Y 3, 1776.
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ALWAH ron L IB E R T Y,
ALEXANDER PURDIE, PRINTER. ! .! - ....-sizss
si _S an simp- without cavalry is, in all
countries, :: very desective maclzine,
but in thi: province, circwnstanced as it is,
it it im ffible to carry on the service, with
any to rable degree of credit and success,
mthout a certain pr ortion ofthisjpacie: of
troops, general LE begs leave to address
ht'ng/Zlfto the young gentlemen of the di erent
countiu, entreating that they wi! form
themselves into companie: of L ! G H T
D R 40 0 0 NS, conststing of one captain,
onesilieutcmant, one comet, two serjeants,
two corporale, and a trumpet or hornsound
er; As it is intended, and hoped, that the
whole will be composed of a :; N 'r :. E M !; !!
Your N T-E a xs, it will not be expected
that they should receive any pay ; b'ut, at
the same time, a: it is not reasonable that
they should put themselves to the expen/Z- of
maintaining their horses, they are to be al
lowed! ration.:fbr them, a: well as for them
flsslvex. Their armrdbauld be, a short riflcd
carbine, alight pi e, of eight feet Ion ,
and a ;;mglawk. Genera! LEE it can -
, ent, ' t e ou ' e'ntlemencta out and
jdopt this stint:? gthe will army do
great "honour to them/e ", but very im
Hort'a'ntservice to their countty.
. _ To Mr. BURJDI-Eu si- ct
-' s : 1,- . si " .ct _
"HlLE indeptmnce makes such a
' ' "'bustlc in than colony, permit a pri—
shce than to offer : few cru'de dbservatiom
on dependence, _
And oblige your humble fiervant,
C
. D.
-si- ----- --0 tatie: servot! quc bellua ruptis,
Gum fimel effugit, redditsu prava catem'n
— ' ' H 0 1 .
T issi an old remark, that in all subjects
"which admit of controversy much time
And disputntion mi ht be saved if the
terms employed In fiiscusiin them were
previously senled and defincc . lu eon
t'mv'ersies that deeply engage our pafflons
a'nd cjudicest, such accuraoy is seldom
soun' ; I: cannot, therefore, be reason
ably expected, in the present moshentous
qctdeltion ofindependence; which, neverthe—
less, is so especially influenced by the want
of' it, that ] believe our differences would
w'hdllv subside cduld the err'ours and Dre
jt'ldicc's bc_ removled which'some of us have
attached to ' indeplgn'dence and 'rep'ublica'n
government, ontpc one hand, and to de
pendence and the bynstjtutian," on the other.
We seem determined to view the evil in
the first, and this boil in the last os_thcsc
sishbjsiects, separtxt'e ; and when we find
n'either in sufficient abundance, our ima
ginations are sruitssfn] in'creating'lhem.
When one Vvquhfflfflave proved the auspici
ous; divinity ossiNpptuncsi by shewing the
vot'we tsidblcs' which had been hung up by
. those who had escaped shipwreck, but
show mc, said Another, peninently, a list
of those that are drowned. ] have been
frequently reminded ofthis rcpnrtce when
I have heard tndn fondly ]zlvish Lhcir praises
on the advantages of our former golden
days, without sceming scnsih—lc tlnr they
Wercchcqucrcd with the smalicst disctdvan-si
rage. From the abilitics of those who are
engaged in stating the true value of'inde
gendence, ] hope that. our minds will sooh
ccome acceffible to its benesits, as Well
as its evils. This, surely, may be fairly
required in every case. As an American,
I have, si: far as my unequal knowledge
would permit, pondcred these unspeakably
interesting subjects, anxioufly and impar
tially; and I confess, that I cannot disco—
ver those charms in our dependence on
Great Britain with which some are so much
captivated. Its advantages appear to me
to have been negative, the coddition itself
to have been not ficedom, but increly not
flavety, and its origin to have been the
work of usurpation and t rann .
_]f Britain condescende to a low us just
so much perform! liberty as not to prevent
Indu/Zzy and p ulation, her motives were
similar to tho e of the sarmer, who culti
vates his fields and improves his flocks:
All-was done with a view to the market.
The principal reashns which have induced
it! to take this view of our connexion
w th Britain now follow.
1! sisiasi, that until he were able td sup
port ourselves.We suctbsisted not by the aids
ofthe bl'sh crown, and still less by those
qf tsssiffl ish parliament, but by those
of' ate adventurers. ln our charter of
1 ,, in which compact theh'ng and the
c'olosgj/J were the sole parties, toreigners
were indulged with unlimited trade to the
anleA aq: uo 'IUJD sad ! Bupsizd uo Rump:
oF their exports and importa'h In that.
of 1699, the colony was freed from " all
" subsisidies and custom: for :: years, and
" sromall imposttiom and taxerfor everss ."
These rivilesiges were amply and solemnly
ratisiedm the charter of 161 14!" .
I cannot find that the name of a colony
or plantation occurs in any act of parlia—
ment, for 66 years after we had enjoyed
our charter-rights, as stipulated with the
crown (not the parliament) of England;
viz. in the year 1672, which gave birth to
the famous Navigation Act. By this act,
no soreign commodity could be brought
to the colon'les but what was shipped in
England, Ber-wick, or Waler, in English
builtshipping, whereof the master and three
fourthe of the mariners must be English; nor
could certain productions of the culonies he
camea to any out me lame places; under
the same circumstances. These produc
tions (commonly called enumerated Com
modities) were in fact all thestaple articles
which the colonies, in that early period,
afforded. They were sugar, tobacco, cot
ton, indigo, and dying woods. . -]n the
4th osct queen Anne, rice and molosses hav
ing .become considerable Objects, were
tacked to the enumerated commoditiea}
nor was it till the -third of Geor e I]. that
the parliament, having little 1] c sor fice,
and- finding the colony of South Carolina
to be on the brink of baukrnpcy and ruin,
permitted, most graciously, thacit mi hc
be carried to foreign parts, southwar of
* Art. xiii.-'I! lists xix.—"" Ass. XX
xvi.
Cape Fiuisterre, provided, howderyk was
carried in ships navigated arvordihg la law.
In the reigns of George ]. and H. the
list osenumeruted commddities was incrcfisi
ed, by the addition ostar, pitch, turpeni
tine, masts, yards, boltiprits. - hemp,
cnppet' ore, beaver ikins,_ and other sufii
Mahy ps these arddes, nsitqr'eot'er, wert
loaded with enormous duties.
[! appears, then, that While We rethained
sit object: of a tender care and compafliotl
We were strangers to the pretended pmmtj
but, as soon as our valuable production!
awakened her rapacity and qvaritewfid
instantly sell victims to the stcpmothe'kssisi
It appears, that, not content with doing
away ou'r rights, in order to seen" anmji
valuable monopoly to her own commence,
by thatsi first and mbst flagraucctusurpmiotl
ofpower, this parent-piirliasnevtha: vigl-si
lum}! watched our progress ; and ,whedf
ou'i- tndush' has fdmished a newsiapk sat:
trade, she as been as dsiften prompt?! m"
re eat the resiion. he power, tow—
eer, hadolyesiln aftsully eterciscd) under
the specious title ofcom'mercial rig'ulatlon;
until the ptcsem reign; When !"** let
Milton say,
. --*'-------—-—'-Oue did arise
Os proud ambitions heart, who, not cbnsisi'
tent .
With fair equality, fraterflai state,- ,
Will arrogate duthinion, undeseh'd, ., .
Over, his brethren, and quite dispdffefs
Concord, and law of natdre, from the ct
earth. -
Hunting -----------'--'---_. . '
With war, and hustilc (haires,- such as"
. refuse '
Subjection to his empife tjrannoussi-a-nd
Next to the productions of oursoil,_ th'lsi
attention of parliament has been directed,
to those of our art and ingenuity ;' btit the
efforts of these have been so effectunnj
checked, by their system of American go;
vernment, that they have had sew occa
sions to interfere. Such as "hewe ssoffe'red
have not been overlooked. To vvhatever
extent the coionics would have carried the
manusacture of iron and sun, their nati"!
ral produce, they are absolutely sOrbiddet'l
to erect llitting miils, and their permifliouss
of felt and hat-making is qualified with sd
many difficulties, and excesiive penalt'm;
as reduce it almost to nothing.
This exdusive preference of the British
nation so nearly assects their interest, and
vanity , that those of them who are esteem
ed our best friends seem inseosible to ill
humiliating effects on the Wretchcd colo
hist- ' .
Lord Chsiatham would not tax us, side
he woukl not permit us to " manufacturc'
a hobnail." ,
Govemou'r Powna], with a" fiissi nssfodc
ration and gaodwifl to the Colon'ies, has
the following friendb' note in the zolst
page of his administration of me Colonies;
where, staling the improbubility that the
colonics could, for a long time, vie with
Britain in manufacturin for forcign or"
home consumption, he ays, " And yet. ,
f* :ster all, should any thing of- this song