The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1773-11-11

coniidered, is not another power anuHso,
which, no trace of liquidation in the 'un've'le
/. pretended to war; ant, to bind rs in letters
of iron, and extort from US what ihare OF osf
property i, pleafes, TO iupport thefe eitaoliipp'
men,s. and erea as many mote OF them p
il liftsl Are all thsfe no iniruiions, no en-
croachments, no invahons, no violations p
our rights 7 Or can any fate making iutH
inroads on the contribution Of another fate
and even taking the whole of its governmsf
into ito own hands, and Importing all thsis
ADAPTATIONS by military force, expect tf4!
the aggrieved fate can conceive l'ieii oounO
by any paa what ever. TO look upontne fo'
msr tate as a mother, pauoneis and pre-
teSor Let US again turn TO Vasell tor %
luton Of this queifion. This oracle OF shd
law of nations, p. 1873 5. s4'ells U.S. a" l. \
4 manifeit conlequence of the liberty and ~
dependence of nations that all have argr
to be governed as they think proper, and sh1
none have the leaf authority 70 interfere 4
the government ofancsher tafc. OF al ~
rights that can belong TO nation, JaUsvs,.
is dsnbGisjs the Sssjq brecisg', and that whr 2
others ought the inoft fcrupulouAy to IsiPea
If they would not do it an injury" Bu'
what Of all this fays prerogative gentleman,
this province is no fuch thing as a nation, q
fovereign independent fate; it is only CO..
lony depending on the crown or mother
fate from It's frf planting to the preient
day. Admitting dependence, which
however would defire my opponent to de-
fine and deduce from charter, my author
ftill vindicates the pofitiOn, p. IL. y. 81
Two lovereigu fifgsv~ni1g J ftates may
be fubje2 TO the fame prince, without any
dependence on each other, and each may
retain all its national rights free and fove-
reign. Left any fhould cavil at my APP
plying what is faid of nations to this pro-
vince or colony which they perhaps ae~
count but fort of out-houfe or common
6:ld for the nations pigs to root in, ! will
give Vatell's definition of the word nation,
in his own terms situations oritates are bo-
dies polite, focieties of men united toge-
Their, to procure their mutual fafety b'l
means of their union. Such fociety has
its affairs and inteTeffs, ii dshibsv0tsy and
taksS yjsiEfisns in eOmmss, and thus >be-
comes neral pUjSn, having an SndsrfGnS.
ing and sviH pseHiiOv to itlsE and 10 lya
ceptibe of oblie ztions and y>-.- n,ss3iSYls,-
are the lame, as equaITy proceeding from
nature, nations (ftates, focieties, or bodies
politic) competed off men confidered as 70
many free perions, living together in fate
of nature, are naturally equal, and receive
from nature the fame obligations ancI
rights. Power or weakness does not in this
reipea( mot even tributarydependance) pro
duce any difference. A dwarf is as much
man as giant, fmall republic, "a hanf-
town governed by its own magiHrates) il
az much lovereign fate a. the moft pow.
erfuI kingdom" Were the cafe other.
wife, poor encouragement indeed would be
given, TO thofe generous and enterprizinp
lpirits who at the Tifque of their lives, and
expence of their own property, emigrate to
diftant countries to form colonies in cIo(e
alliance with the parent fate. Thefe he
roes (GorloOlh) in modern sgiviHgs ait are
to be coniidered as the vaflals of few tink-
err and esblsvs that remain in decayed DO
rough in Old England unlefs faid refpset-
able perlonages be p'eviouly pleafed to fell
thsmielves foul, body, and appurtenances
real and ideal, to the devil, and the minifter
for guinea, dinner, and days guzzle of
porter And the declaration of the Britifh
parliament in the fixth of George iii. made
in direct reference to this unnatural claim
might with equal right have refpeeted the
commons Of France, Hanover and Portw-
gal, as thofe of North America. For any
man or number OF mtn, on earth to declare
themlelves entitled to make laws which
fhaIl be of fuficient validity to bind whole
provinces, without ever coniulting iaid pro-
vinces word on the premifes. or obtain-
ing the content Of one individual intended
- l. L.. Al =