The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-03-08 00:00:00, page 1

MARCH e, 1776. T n siE " - " ct .Nvmnanzs.
.
fsisiGAZETTEs
sisi
_ AND THE PUBLlCKs-OODsi,
'I'T -rkts. '
ALEXANDER PURDIE,. Psisiumu.
.1 f . :!!l,,si .. fuf ssfl.
_To Mr. Punplz.
"Blflz si
N this enlightened age, whoever shall
o about to impose shadow: on man
kind for substances, assnd names for thing:,
must be something else than modest, and
have other view: than those osiskairncss and
honesty. The present miniflry, nocoriuua
.; theyhave rendered themselves for their
attachment to these arbitrary principles in
government in opppsitipn to" which our
glorious aneestors fought, bled, and died,
and by whose spirit and wisdom thelibcrcy
we enjossy has been rescued from former
British tyrants, these ministers, after re
peatedly rejcsictin with disdain the most
molest ' and 'prefiin'g applications srum
Ev'ery assembly, on the wminent for redress
of intolerable grievances, ' aster having
va'mlv endeavomsicd, by force of arms, m
enflalre North Americn, expect now to
effect, by fi'ami and divzj/ion, ulmt their
all: and their anm have sailed to accom
fish; but. le: us, my coumr men, be on
our gufn-d'agzinst their dclu xve arcs, let
us continue to pursue that manly, scnsi'bsile,
and united conduct, which has hjthessqxp
haffled our insidious enem'ies, and w hich,
persevered in, must finally accompljsh the
]itical salvation of America. The mi
nistry sayssss thcysiwffl not treat with the
Genesiral Congress, bmnuse they are an
iflegal bod'y. If" thay great luminary of
law, lord Cent., be right, When he says,
.in the first part of'h'is institutes, ' * nothing
that is contrary to reason is lawful,"' the
converse of the proposition must also be
true , that" nothing can be unlawfid that i:
masbnable. _ Thea' pointment of a Genesi
xal Cougrdsi's being ounded on reason, cau
not theretssqre be illegal; and this we shall
(} estabsished, as well by the principles
o jnst_relsoning,ct assibssv the practice of on,:
'anestors. lt is agreed, by the best wri
ters, that the. end ofgovernmcnt is secu—
ilgity ofproperty,_ and persbnalflibersstyss; that
kings and overnours being appointed by
the people 50? these purposes1 is they for
seic— their (mist, by attempting the ruin
both of property and qujigkss Iibcrsstysi, the
-wemment'is at an end; and power-re
verts to the people, who gave it. The
fflustriousLchE. and theglsiorious Revolu—
"tion, ineontefflhly estabhshed these prin
'ciples ;, and the government osfilglahd is
sinow. agreed to be founded on reststance to
'arbitrat'y sway . Let us apply this doctrine
_'to Nsiorth America, and we lhaflsind that,
for 'a series of twelve years, the pr< perty
"and liberty. of every person here hns been
invaded by ass variety ofct'acts of parliament,
and proceedings of government, for tax—
"ing us without our consent; for deprivingsi
as of trial bvzjnxysi, insi casesbotlwslisc and
property.; For transporting us to England,
to be cried for. supposed offEnoes commit
ted here:, sor-greatly extending the limits
of one of the proviucel, and establishing
an arbitrary government therein; and
.finally, by attempting to enforce these
ssdestructive measures by the sword ; con-'
trary to the plained: principies of the con
ffi_tution,_ ofjuffice, o'fisic'otflpnct, and the
usage of an hundred and sixty ymsio, or
the first settlement of North America by
Englilhmcn; and in utter neglect and con
tempt ofrepestted, modest petitions, from
every House ofAsscmbly on this continent.
So atrocious an abnse of power, airmn
at the ruin of more than three millkms (: "
People now cxisting, and the many more
millions that are 'mvolved in future vene
mtions, justified the people of North me
rica, upon the belt eltabhshed mention of
the eontiitution, in the adoptisim of such
measures ;: were fitted to eulurc tho Pub
Iick safety, and securc the end of all go
vernment. A Congrcss was therefore up—
puinted, confining of delegaws from the
representatives of the peoPle in every colo
ny, that., by & union of thcvsinss counchs
and ltx'cngth, the common lately nngm;
be c-ffisctually obtaiu'ed. Those who deny
sithis proceeding to be legal do plainly deny
the legalily at the Revolutiun, and that
title by which the king of England now
holds his crown; for when the people of
Englaxfd were abused by similar exertion:
of defpotick-powcr, thev assembled by
their represe'nsitbtives in 1688, not in Pctr—
shmem, but in Convcntion ('nr Congress
ifyou wpll) and determined to banflh the
tyrant &! v A 11" from thet-hrone, and place
thereon our glorious ddivcrcr king \\ n.
LMM, in succession to whom the present
king apw sways the sceptre us that coun—
try. Thus you scesi my cunnt-r-ymffl, the
appoinemem of & Congress is founded in
feasim, schfisiprescrvation, and the practice
offingbmt; but- theprescnt 'l'ory- mini-stry ,
and their secret directors, oljcct to this
proceeding, not_ only begauscctr is agree—
able to the purett pnnctples or liberty and
the Revulucionct both which they detest,
but because the Congress, by their wise,
spirit-ed cuuncils, and conduct, have effec
tually baflled the cah'met. shhcme For en—
flaring Amcrica. When lord NORTH pro
posed his clum/jl plan of accnmmodution
last winter, he declared in the-Hou-se of
Commons his de/lgn to 00"qu by divid
ing m,- and, after- an open declnration of
his purpose, the governours were directed
to proposieit tothed'tflvsserent assc'mbhes. But
Amecha disdaincd the vulgar artifica, and
resizrred him to thatbody (the General Ccton—
gresi) in which the councils of Ameri'ca
were centrcd, and which had already
couducted the general business to general
satisfaction. lt must be evident, to every
thinking man, that is thirteen different
treaties are set up, hopes, rewards, ter
rours, and all the infinite machinery of
undoe influence, may, and will, he-prac
tised in negotiatision, to set the different
colouies at variance, and thus, by division,
to conquer and ruin Amcrica. It is very
remarkable, that the only two cohmies
(New York and New jcrsev) that caught
at the ministesirizz] bait, of separate assem
bly application, after the ming- of Con—
grass in 1774, had their petitions most
oontempmoufly rejected, thus deserVedly
meeting that sate which will coulhnsitly
amend departure from a wise, firm, and
united conduct". These idhncn, 'toge
ther with the present proceedin ((
adminisiration, prove incmtcflibly, that
they mean to disunice us, and umh'm
else. The General Cungrcss, in their de.
cluration as last shmmer, molt solemn], ss
declare, " For the protection osonr
** pcrty, acquired snlely by chchoucit in
((
uuftrynt'uur shresaxhers and uuselvu,
against violence actually offered, we
(6
[(
have taken up arms. Wesi shall lay
" them down when hnltil'nies shall mit
" on the part at the aggrcflm, and an
s-k
danger of their being rcncned shall he
((
rnnovcd, and not betake." ]: minihry
mean pence, why do_ they not acceplfhif
un", auu chau lutu ucew all] alnlkkl
Yet you find they are increasing both, in
cvesry part of North America. him::
ships of war, and shldiers come and com
ing ! u e mutt therefore give up mn'y
claw) to policysi or prudence if wc doubt;
moment of their design to push the usin
uguinst us, under the fallac'uma ctud'c aff
trealy. If they had the (mullesisspncuenli
mns m sinccrsiny, ur dceency, would the
ofi'cr a brave and free people torms of an:
cUmuwd-at'vssm at the poims o'f' bayoncts-I
Would they, after cruelty injlr-mg and
abusiug us, beyond the example of too
mcr times, insullingly commishon person!
lo rece'noour submlfliom, and repentance
for defending righu which. GOD, rew,
and compact, had given lie ?' Would
they content themselves whh repoaling
two or three acts only, of those numcruul
stamksis with which that have afflicted un,
still retaining the prinuplc with the act!
sor-tufflny us without our consent? No
my country men, believe me, end observe
what the great puriot lord (;nnnau
thought, when he prowsed to mark sid—
ecrity by a removal uf fleets and amies
from North America, and by the repeal
of all the obnsiox—ious acts. Until you se'c
this done, there will be no linccris'y in the
profi'cred treaty. The desiguis evidtnt-ly
to divide, in the-first place, and in the
second, to gain time for the-kvyilzg und
transporting armies for our subduction;
whilst, under the delusive prospcct osac
commodation, their forces now here are
suffered to remain unmolestcd, to be inor
ed to the climatc, and the time] vigorons
efforts of Amcrica delayed and 'ruflrated.
When therefore they offer to treat with
assemblies separately, refer them to the '
General Congress, and in the mczm—time
press the war with manly yigour-and per
severance so long as hoffilctc armies remain
in your country; and hosiile they must be
if they remain at all. Common sense,
common safety, honour, and the 'mterEst
of the present and sure generations, All
qutlly call on you- thus to act; for if the
minish'y are in earnest sor restoring ace,
and doing justice, the united voice of
Antcr'tca, in Congress, wi" most certainly
and cordiallyct embrace the offer.
- 8 0 M E' ]! S.