The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1771-10-10

ber of quelIons home to The breaR of every
reader, which he fruits will have : proper ef-
fed. In the hrf place, ak, whether the Go
vernon is rot armed with initru6tions TENT here
by The miniiteri This we know. again ak,
Has rot he Ia theie inaru6tions before the
Houfe, TO be by hem put into execution 1t
will be replied, the Houfe have right TO re-
fule. anfwer, if thefe inltrueticns are al
lowed to be legal, and fuffered to be puriued
By the Governor, the Houfe cannot reiui.
The offer is an infult not only to that body in
It's public capacity, but to every man Of fen
timent and diicernment, as an individual.
Il is an infult, as it only holds up the mere
forms of the contribution, which may blind the
unthinking, when in fact, il is only mere form,
and the flbfsnce is fed. 1t is an inlult, as it
fuppoies that the bulk of the community, ever
honef in their nature, and uDlulpicious of
fraud, when they fee the form preierved, will
not perceive the real nature of the action it.
felf, or when they behold the fmie on the coun-
tenance, and the airof che friend will NOT attend
to the dagger fecretly prepared, and ready TO be
plunged into the heart. To prove that H1S
only the form remains, and that the Hqute
cannot refufe, / will ak another queGiop.
When theie infru6tions are thus laid before AS
Houie, what Is the plain, fimpIe, natural ope-
ration of them When any thing is laid before
iuch BoDY,it is always fuppoied they have
right of debate, confequently tight of re-
fufal, if they think it uDjua. Right of debate,
and right of refuial, are not only eifential to
this high sfembly as a political inaitution,
butare inieparably connected with one another.
For what occaGon is there to debate about an
action, when there is an izdo5eg6bk neatly of
Purlaing the action, and no power of retuGng
il! To bring this reafoning home TO The pre-
ieut cafe. The Houle, it is trdc, have power
ALozted them 10 talk a EUi on the matte.
Will any one fay, they can refulc Happy
hould think myielf TO be found in miitake
in matter 70 infinitely intereffing, No, the
very inftruetion that now i, before them, cat
ries with it the menace ALTO; unlefs come into,
dihent TO all buhncls mua be expected.
HIRE thea is dilemma. Either that the pro-
vince have TO bufnefs done, and conf quent y
bereduced to fate of anarchy, confuil N and
nature, or the inafd6tion mutt be pahed.
There is 70 alternative. If 70, they have no
power to refuie, unlefs we luppole durefs and
Legal extoriions, can give man that power.
The man who out of fear of greater evils
is obliged TO purfue lefer, can not be
iaid to ae himlelf, and he can no more be re-
lponiible therefor, than the inftrument which
is wet with the blood of citizen. 1t mutt
therefore be an undeniable eternal truth, that
where one man is ezablelto draw the balance
of power to himleif, the other powers mutt
give way to him. C1niequsntIy, by the ma
ture of thefe infruetion., which thus alter the
balance, the Houfe can no more refuie the
mandzfef of governor, than they can snnihi-
late the tate. They are mere machines, kept
up to amufe the public. The alternative plainly
appears to be, either TO betray the contribution,
or do as they are orasyeG May the guar
dians of our freedom take care that they alIert
their own importance, and of courle the impor-
lance of the people, check the difeafe before il
is too late, and be determined thar this palla-
dunn hallnever be overthrow by the malice
of men, or the rage Of devils.
Once my counETymen, we were in ltua-
ton which the above Arguments could not
touch. The Governor dared not proceed In
this manner when the conRitutional check ex-
lied. Hi difen would be treated with contempt.
Withholding afalary would make the mightief
depot change his tUee. Thi. was the power
the contribution lodged in the Commons. But
is this the cafe nowi The Governor defpies
the empty threat, while backed by his pcnfion.
This cheek being then defeated, the Houle
are reduced TO the alternative above mentioned,
either 10 do IS ordered, or fling the fate into
ce-fufons This Is alu avs fhe "a ahe-e si,,.6e