The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1773-03-18
I" GENTLEMEN,

"iIENTIEMEN,
BESIDES the frequent violation of
our natural and e0nfitati0rai ,igbs, which
have taken place from time 20 time, from
the memorable era Of The dSteRabs lamp
al ~ The preitnt period, we are now alarm
ed. with the aaonlhing report, that the Judges
Of he Superior Court of this province aIeI
ehabiiGied 10 their fairies Fl m home, en-.
TREY independent Of our legiaatGEe which
in our opinion, is more dangerous invail-
on Of our rights and liberties than the late
revenue acts, or even he oppreffiye famp-
act i'fef: And IT fhmi;ted TO muft foon
conp'~at the deiiuefon of our iny4Iube
contribution. and reduce TO llavery once f. zee
and happy people.
We can no longer execute ourfelves If vel
remain fent under the oppreiive mesfures,
which are adopted BY administration to de.
prve US of our property and charter rights,
conveyed to us at the expence of the blood
and neafure of our pious and brave ancehors.
While our hovf.s, our chefs and even our
pockets are Liable TO be ranfacked at the
p'eafure Of every dirty tool of revenue offi-
GER, our money difpoied of by unconiiiuti.,
oral acts without our content and we de-
prived of pfing what is left for our own iup-
port and defence, by being reffrained, not
only from paving our own Governor and
Judges but from choofing and paying our
own Agent at the court e Great Britain /:
BY which means we muR ei.her fubmt to the
inconvenience of having none at all or,
which is WORE, of having the wretched
tool Of an arbitrary miniRcr to manage
Our affairs. In the mean time the jurif-
diefion of Admiralty Courts furprizingly ex-
tended over onr lives and properties, our
Supreme Court of JIdicature rendered de-
pendent on thofe, who rob and murder us,
and the blood of our fellow countrymen ihed
with mpunity, threaten US with total ex-
iinction of the impalial administration of
| iufice
While we thus behold with indigna-
tion one brarch Of our liberties Topped "a,
after another By the enemies Of our free
dom and hofe Of our fellow countJmen
who are baGe enough 20 ueat with contempt
sDa enmity our charter privileges, and 20
difcoursge manly sxertion in their defence,
are rewarded aud promoted. We think it
high time for US to exert ourfelves in tome
proper way to obtain fPeedy redrels ofthele
unfuffersble grievances.
" / hat the repeated petitions of the guar.
dams Of our rights and The representatives of
our country have been denied accefs to the
ROYAL ear, or treated with neglect, and the
pe,itones been frowred upon for exercfne
thst conh.m,ioE4l right, are fs6s we have
lorg brheld with regret. And this treat
ment we have reafon to apprehend has been
in conf q1ence of reports from our own do
nreflic enemies, which have deceived the
King into belief, that 'hofe petitions and
complaints were only the rebe'lious muir.
mefs Of faetious party in our houie Of COM
mons, and not the fenfe OF the people in ge-
neral. This evinces the necefiity there is
that we all unite as one man, and that eve
~ town in our county make their fenti-
ments known, that fhe King may be unde-
ceiVed, having vet confidence in his royal
clemency that he will not refufe to hear the
united petitions and complaints of more than
five millions of bis mol loyal fubjeas.
+" We therefore, the freeholders and othet
inhabitants ofthe town of Sandwich thinking
il of fOme importance that We in this town
unite with our brethren Of the feyeral towns
in this province in publicly expecting our
ienfe of our rights and of the grievances we
labour under. and in taking lueh methods to
obtain redreis as may be found proper, and
more Especially as we perceive the town of
Bottom have ioliCiied " free communicate
on of our fentiments," in a letter to you,
gentlemen, enclOfng their own; and being
deiirous of complying with 70 Reasonable
PrOPofsl, we do hereby requeR you to cali