The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1772-02-20
February 20.

grace VI tdlS ReHcl 3tlO XIV NN~Su'i'HNAS
of this vile and infamous p'a an arc iuttered
to parade cur freets and public places, in
all the pomp of pride and oit4ntat'on.
What can it be owing TO, that people
naturally brave, defended from heroes,
ofe virtues and magnanimi'y We revere
and boat of, fhould have 70 hide regard TO
their own characters, as well as intereif, as
to fuffcr (uch indignities Will neither
realon, argument, or even the hlttory and
example of other nations route Us Thc
prelent Gtuation ofSpain does excite horror
in the minds of E7gilhmen, and With
great reafon, for their civil and eccleGafi-
cal domin alton prevail with every pci1ioIc
mark of horror anu yet this people. few
ages ago, enjoyed freedom, and as fine
contribution OF government, as ever ma. =
kind in any age or nation were b'ehtd with,
were as f:nfibe of the b'rfiing as ever we
were, and perhaps thought their conlt,tu-
ton in as little danger, as Cv9n45 snj o.
ther tools would make US tllnk on is If
this be fact, AMI nobody ever f. lite
acquainted with the hiitory Of that coun-
try wi j queition it. It naturally exciseS a
curjolity to enquire bywhar WAYS ard means
70 great change could be effected anl
perhaps it may fart'e lome people who
are inattentive to matters of this kind,
though true, to be tod, that this v>ry
great change was effected by the very fame
ways and means, which are now pra6tiied
here, for the fame purpofe.r Standing ar
mics, creating and fomentihg dlviiionS and
artfuily managing them, 70 as to command
the attention, while hrh legihaton, and
then taxation, were aflumed and exercifed,
and before the people were aware of the
consequences, while each party promted
idelf Tome advantage, they were all involv-
ed in the fame fate. Their Kings had az
CURED an independence, had no further
location for their parlaments, which for
that reafon were very feldom called, and
then only to keep up the form, and by that
means lull the common people into greater
iecurity, while shey whcn met were fluff
fered TO tran(act nothing of importance,
and in fome inhances, before the Prince
had efabllihed fettled tyranny, and while
the people had fome check, by his being
dependant on them, and it was necenarY
for him to conlult their parliament, and re-
Ceive fuch grant as they thought proper to
make. He called them to places mutual
and announcement, in order to force them
into (uch meaiures as were agreeable to him,
and accorded with the (yifem he purified:
and to fecure an influence, not only to
make the people ealy and acquielcent, but
aiding and aHifing in their own defruefion,
all Offices were given to creatures who had
fold themfeves to work wlckednefs, and no
other qualification was requiGte in any, e.
ven for the tirff and mott exalted feats of
luifice, but thorough and feady fupport
of what they thought proper to call govern
ment. At lah that brave and once free
people faw their error, but they faw it too
late to hope for redrefs but from the point
of the fw ord, and even that, by the wick
ednefs of lome and the timidlty of others,
was delayed too long to be fuccelsful, and
after manly Rruggle by few choice fpi-
rits, without the fupport their cauie delerv-
ed, and would have had from their coun-
trymen in better times, they fell lacrihce,
and only glutted the revenge and cruelty of
the tyrant, who upon the ruins of liberty
effabliihed a defpOtifm, to all appearance as
lafting as the mountains and as dreadful as
the unfeeling licentious rage oftyranny can
exhibit. Spain is rot the only countIywhere
the wickednefs of fOme and the folly of o.
theirs have produced fuch consequences. E
very fate in Europe, where abiolute power
prevails, exhibits tcenes equally calamitous.
A prince tyrann'zIng with unrelenting flu
ry, and people either inlenEble of their
true interet, or tamely and Ignominiouly
fubmtting TO the tyranny, as milerable as
can be conceived. Let us not then fall in