The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1777-01-31 00:00:00, page 1

TssHFct-si- -V 1 R G- 1- Nssl'ssA'si'G '"A'ct siz E'T T E.:
fie Frecdm office Pus} gone of the great Bul-wark: of liberty, and csian never be "strained but by despon'c Go-ver hmenu.
[JANUARY 31, 1777.] WILLIAMSBURG: Printed by Dusim Es' HUNTER. [No. x33o.]
An" ADDRESS
of the CONVENTXON of the Rnnttrrnwu of the Out: of
NBF-TOR! to their CONS'NTUBNTS.
Puk—Kmp, Daniel 13. )776.
Ttpis imperfect period. when the freedom and he.;
inefe, or the bvery and misery, of the present end
' sunne mention of Ameriem !] to be determined on
: blemn uppeal to the-Su e Rules of all Evemt
to whom every individua mufl one da answer for
! e :! he now acts) it becomet the d of the re
frzmiveu of : free People to call their :mntion to
this man serious sussect; and the more to, at a time when their enemiet
are induflrioufl endeavouri to delude, intimidan, and !educeJ-hem,
- by false sug nous, nrtful mtsi'epresenntiom, un! infidious promises o!
protection. . ,
You, and an men, were cmted free, end authprlzed to rhbfflh civfl
government, -sor.the preserution of yaur ri t: egainfl oppreflbn, end
the security of that freedom which God be given you, : zinfi the re
pacious hand of tyranny and lawless wet. !t it the 're not only
necessary to the welI-being o! society, {out the duty of every man, to 0 -
pose and repel zfl those, by whatever name or "tle diil'in uished, vrxo
pronitute the power: of government to deboy the hapri : end freedom
of the peosile over whom they "may be apyoimd to 11: e.
Under: :: :mspicet end direction of Divme Providence, your foresathett
removed to the wild add wildemesk of America; hy thn'r indushzsihey
made it :: fruitsuf, and their virtue : happy country; end we uld
still'have enjoyed the bl, ofsspuc and plenty, if we but not forgot
ten the source fi-om wh} tho e bleffin ; flowed, md- ctnn'uted our
country to be contgminated'by the many amefol vice: ich hue gre
vailed am no. ' ' '
it it a- kno'n truth, chlfno virtuous people were ever opprlfled;
and it il also true, that : feourge was never wantm to those of an o po
site thunder. Even the ]ews, those fatouritet of men; [net wi the
(rowns whenever they for ot'the sinne; of thfllct'fienevolmt Cream. By
tyrants of Egz'pt, of Bn ylon, of Syria, end of Rome, t were &,
vmly chaffisiu ; and those tyrants themselves, when they h elecuted
the vengeance of Almighty Go D, their own crime: burning on their own
hezds, received the reward: justly due to thei't' vmlation of the sacred
rights of mankind.
' You were born ear:]!y free with the-lm, and have as od n' ht to
be exem ted from arbitrlry dominatwssn of Britain " kiss:, hndgfrom
the in , one of Egypt, Babylon, syfia, or Rome. But they, for their.
wickedness, were permitted to be fco'urged by the latter; and we. for
o'er wickednest, are s'courged by tynnu an cruel and impluable as these.
' Out- cale, however, is peculiarly distinguished from their'l: Their
enemiet were flnngers, unenli htened, and bound to them by no tiea
Bfctgmtitnde ordoofanguinity. ur enemies, on the contrary, cal! them;
fbsilves Christian; they are of : nation and people bound to no by the
hongek'tiuz : peogle b wbofe side we have (ought and bled, whose
over we have contri "me to raise, who owe much of their wealth to our
nanry, end whose grandeur has been augmented by our exertion:
f ' !: is unnecessary to remind you, that, dur'm the space of between one
'and two hundredyean, every man sat under il own vine and his own
fl tree. and there Nnn none to make him afraid; chn the people of
firm never'claimed a fight to dispose of us, and every thin belonging
to us, acccrdin to their wnll and pteasure; untii the reign o the present
{(ingof thati and; and that, toenforce this abominableylaim, they
"are invaded WK country by sea and by land. From this extravaganund
iniquitous claim, and from the unreaso'nabie, as well as true] manner,
in which they would gain our submission, it seems as though Providence
were determmed to me that! as inshnmenrs to ponih the guilt of this
c'onntry, and bring us back to : sense of duty to our Creator.
ss You may remember, that, to obtain redress of the many rievnnccs to
qhich the King ..ssa Parliament of Greathtain had suhj ed on, the
lnost'dtuifui pecitiomwere resented, not onl by the everal Assyemhlieg,
Mlffi'th'e're'nrefintadvek o afl Americaissn Jenerz! ngrem and you
annot have forgotten with what contempt they were rejected. Nay, the
humbleft of all petitione, prayin only to be beard, was answered by
the sound of the trumpe and ing of arms. This, however, is not
the only occelionton " ieh the hearte of Kin s have been hardcned;
and in 11! peohehility it will add to the numger of those inflames in
which their oppreflion, injufliee. end hardnese of heart, hate worked,
M defiruction. t
' Bein bound by the ct [trench obligations to defend the 'mherirznce
which Son hzth given ue, to him we referred our cause, and opposed
silk, lsaultl of out ushpmaken; being determined rather to die flee than
ve fine: and en'tail bondzge on out children.
B our vigoroue efforts, zed-by the goodness of Divine Providence;
Mz cruel invaden [were driven from our country in the last campaign.
We then flattere'd ourselvet the.! the fignal sixteectss of our arms, and the
unan'unity end spirit of our peo le, would have induced our foes to deliti
from the rosecurion of their wicked designs, and disposed their heart: to
peace. got peace we had not yet deserved. Exukation took place of
fhanksgiving, end we ascribed that to our own prowess which we; only
to behz'ttributed to the Great Guergiian of the lament. "
enesi , with Rater hideth, , : ain in e us; invade us not
len: !) theiilzyrts thingtheir armo- Th 3tell you, that if yop submit you
shnll v.e protection; thet their King tenthe: nothing but peace; that
he will tense [not repeel] all hie cruel acts and insimctions, and wilt
receive you into favour. But ,vvhut ere the terms on which you _are pro
mised peeee? Have you heard of any, except absolute unconditional
obedience and servile submisiion? if his pmfeflions are honest, if he
Wl not to enjole end deceive You, why are you not expiicitly in formed
the terms, and whether the Puliement mean to m: you hereafter as;
their will end pkesurek U !) this, md the like points, these military
commiflioners of peace me nient, and indeed are not authorized to say :
vwd; unless . power to grant pardon: im iiee : power m adjutt ciaime
Ind seem privilegu, or unlesisi the here (lion of iiseis the (miy pri
vilego—which Ancient! mio enjoy. or a power to grant perdons is
the only one which their Parliament or Prince have thought proper to
'siive them: And yet they speak of eacc but hold daggers in their '
ende. They ir-Vlte you to accept qtpbleifings, and thin your hshixa
tions with blood. Their voice rescmhiee the yoice of jacoh, but their
hent}: are like the hande of Esnu.
is their sonre'gn (intend: to ropeal any of the acts we com lain of,
why are they not ] cinlly named? if in sign: you shall he ne, why
does he not igthat die thigh of his arhamcnt topind you in all
cases vha oever shall be given up and reh'nquished) . If : reasonbh
peace was intended, why did he not empower his commiflionen w un:
With the Congresl, or cith dcpudn front]! dle Wine? Or in
was not some other mode devised, in which America, might he heard?
I:. it Which]; qidiculous for them to pretend that they are audxorizcd &:
(rent ofcpace between Britain and America with every man xhey Much?
Was such sia may am {end of before? is such an induce to he me
with in thehiflory of mankind? No! The truth is, yeaceiu not men;,
am] their [" iom pretence: and proclamaions m calculucd only p.. dis.
unite and Kcsseive. * .
If the King of Bricain :cally desired peace., why did he order al! you
veflhls so be seized and confiscated? Why did he- moll clubily comest si
that th- men found in bpard such vcfl'els should be added K- the men.
his ship: of war, god compelled to sigh; againfi their own couplqsim _
spill the blood of. this neighbours and friends, nay, of their- set",
their brother:, and children; and all this held! his punmkd unbassa
don of peace had ln-i-ved on ous shorn? Dan an, Way, s-qred a;
pinsane. record aoyxhilzfim ix 'ww. mauhuu-Ne, more execnbly
wicked. tyrznnicd, or ct "lion is there hectone single idea of pmesijn '
his mind, why doe- he under your cicics to bsse [: — yctc wct counm' du".
land, your brethren wjlhryc and [zing-inn,. an die in.,rnsms? ct I.! :..y
thin mjncmded besi ldesimction,'dapal'.aiou and hPQoufl-cd, fly
arc ( 1; muxmam'spf unmsiw "th nag sin; xhcamd n.]ectcco
lundrr your houses, to ravish you: wiasics and dumhurl, to sin : your
mfnot children, toexpoj'; whole fmuiim, naked, mlsrra'dc, And uniom,
(o went, to hunger, zc 'mclcmcm Skin, and ucezchssd drinks] )! pure
were not totally xeprobucd by him, why aressclsscic plmaninmu, daw,
servilc wretch" mong you, whn, for prusent case,; of impioul boiT,
would sell their liberty, their children, and their souls; who, like -
si_si_j