The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1770-1772, 1772-02-20
For the M .aSACHUsETTs SPY.
MIR. l Thomas,

Mr.. Thomas,
IN my country retirement, on my little
/ farm, 70 far FEC uded from the world, as
to be free from tina, agitation of fpirits which
attends the ambition and ofentatlon OF
cou ,or the vanity and diGpation of cities.
find nv contentment( thatbalm OF the foul
the peculiar blcfIi1g Of heaven, to that fit
and mott laudabie occupation of mankind
often interrupted by reflections on the un-
happy ftuatlon OF my country. L'bsrtY
has been conf tered in all, even the mott
barbarous ages, as great bleiIing, and in
ages and nations enlightened and refined
by learning and knowledge, as the BATS
of all happiness. But it is to be lamented,
that however right and well founded this
lentiment is, it has leldom produced con-
iequences adequate to the importance of 1t.
So far from it, that in this age when arts,
licences and learning are carried to as high
pitch as we can fuppofe the human mind
capable of, and when liberty and the blef-
lings confequent from it are well under
food, it has been 70 little attended to,
and 70 fe.by defended, that very little aP-
pearance of it is now to be found in the
world. Europe where it Aourlthed longeIt,
is now reduced to nearly the fame itate
with Alta and Africa, and in very few
ftates excepted 5here remains not the tha-
dow of that liberty which was 70 long the
glory of that quarter of the world. And
in thefe few ltates luxury, corruption,
ftanding armies, sc. the ruin of liberty
wherever they prevail, have fuch footing,
that their contributions fickeH and decay 10
faf, as leaves but little hopes of their re-
coyery. Lawlefs deipotilm and tyranny
nave iubgerted the Happiness of many ma
tons once free, and are now riotng upon
their ipois After reducing them to
fate very little fupsrior to that of BEATS,
who neither know their true intereft, or
are fcnfible of the frength the God of ma
ture has furnilhed them with, to remove
evsry obRacIe to it. Thus thy are 60
yerned and abufed, from one age to ano-
ther. without one effort to ailume that
dignity and maiefy which are due only to
the people, and only ierve to fupport that
which is claimed by the arrogance OF a
few. who have impudence enough to pre-
tend. that all the reh of mankind were
made to be fublervient to their purpoies
But | need not enlarge on thefe heads, the
blefIing of liberty, the miieries OF tyranny,
have often been exhibited in their proper
colours and am lorry to fay, without
fuch effects as might have been expected
from men. Tyranny which fPreads its
baleful influence far and wide, though Of
ten defeated in England, by the virtue of
patriotiGm, while that remained, now
threatens that oace happy people with the
devefiations it has already brought on other
nations, once as free and happy as they
were, and as a prelude and introduction
to theirs, the ruin of America is to take
place, and feems to be determined, while
that unhappy people, loft to the policy and
yirtuous (entiments of their anceftors, u
mite with the opprehors of the whole, in
facrihcing at the ihrine of injuitlce and
opprefion, the rights of America, to what
they fooliihly imagine their intereh; and
vet we are 70 inattsntive to matters of this
importance, and 70 engaged in triAing bu-
iinefs, or fill more triHing amuiements,
as to neglect an Object of the greateit con-
feouence. We are really got to itage,
not only dangerous but fhameful. We are
not only oppIeGed, but inlulted, and fuf-
fer with tamenels, unworthy of men, both
the opprsilion and infult, while to the Diff