The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1772-07-30

SS2CSHRK bulk of It TO coniiR OF mat
J9N0yGS6 ter 70 often hackned, haihed
up and repeated, after repeated and unanl-
wcrable expofals to the contempt of every
one, that no one would again endure for
NAL confederation of twentieth part of il ;
but (ince, understanding that fome of your
choice friends and in the front of thele the
patriotic MIR. T G-y, proclaim it
matter piece Of 70 high kind, that even
an angel from Heaven cannot anfwer it !; ]
Ihall crave the indulgence of my readers,
while perhaps offend their delieacy, with a
deeper overturn Of this Augean Stable.
mean now to begin with your fine COM
petition at its fra conception, and enumerate
the leyeral maLe it has caif forth, with juit
70 mitch obfevation upon each,a s mutt con-
vince the fondeR gofip in your neighbour
hood, that there never was lpark Of life in
the largeR Of them.
Imprint. You conceive that certain re-
folves and declarations, of the Hon. Com
mons Houfe of this province, are not well
founded and the 6rft infance you are pleaf-
ed to adduce in point, reads thus, " You
have declared that the fupport (made) for
the Governor by other powers than the legif-
lative authority of this province, is materi-
al infraaion of the charter" Now, Sir, in
my turn. / esacsivs were it in your power
60 produce as fubitantial evidence of good
foundation in nature, or folemn compact. of
your darling &C ess9ifEtisHai dspssdanes" of the
Commons of America, on the meer will of
the deputies of the Commons of Gieat-Bri-
tain, you would bid defiance to all the quib-
bles, and efforts to puzzle, that could &c
brought againlt il. But in this cafe you are
truly unfortunate in having the authority
of your adored Charles in direct oppoGtion
to you, in the infance youtfef alludes to !;
who very perdy told Iets flexible Parlia-
ment than The prefent, They bad nothing TO do
svifb BIS colonies ! Our Representatives. found
ed that relolve on that immutable law ofna-
aure, expressly recognized in our charter, that
people entitled to all the fEanchifes of En-
glifhmen, have it in their option to pay their
fervants what they Judge they merit for their
miniRrations. Your constitutional depen-
dance is chimcra of your own brain; at
leaf I challenge you to quote an authority
for the exprefiion beyond the ara of Lord
Bute's administration and you will as teadi-
" produce the bills of fale, which conveyed
the children, of Ifrael in fervitude to the E.
gyptians, as the formal POt7um of this fur
render. You know, Sir, nothing lels than
the highelt degree Of enmity to the rights,
liberties and happinefs of this people, could
prompt any man to admit their abiolute de-
pendance upon any power on earth. II
You go on in quotation of III founded re-
folves, to repeat, that by the above proviiion,
I" the Governor is rendsied not dependant
on the people, as the charter preicribed, and
consequently not,.in that rspEt7s iuch Co
vernon as the people conlenred to- This,
no doubt, you have thoroughly refuted, but
would gladly know where i,s. : 70
The next article complains of the deitruc-
ton of the mutual check and dependence of
the ieyeral branches of the Legislature upon
each other, and BY that means the expoizl
of the province to de(potic administration.
And this it leems is to be reconcied to our
flomachs. by.a decentralization that fuch
check was never in fact Reasonable. Here
again, Sir, you are 70 nnfortunate.as to diff
fer from every writer Of reputation who has
ever treated the Gubjea. BurIamaqui tells
you, abfoute power eaGly degenerates into
delpotifu, and defpotifn payss the way for
the ereateR and molf fatal revolutions that
can happen to fovereigns. "Fhe generality
of Princes have neither virtue nor courage
fuficient to moderate their Pafions, when
they find they may do whatever they lit.
The wilca of nations, therefore, (et bounds
10 che power oftbeir fcvereigns, and prefcribe