The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1773-03-04


another fpeech to both hcues, we nave
your repeated exceptions at the fame Pro,
ceedings as being " unwafran'aDie, anu
of . dangerous nature and tendency
aqainit which you thought yourief bound
IN call upon US TO JON with you in bearing
nroner teff,mony." This houle have not
discovered any principles advanced by the
TOWN of Bottom that are unwarrantable by
the contribution, nor does it appear to US
that they have invited every other town
and dia,ia in the province TO adopt their
mi. ciples. We are fully convinced that It
Is our duty to bear our teifimonY agalnit
sc innovations of dangerous nature and
tendency" Blu. it is clearly our opinion that
it i.,he indifpuiabe right Of all, or any OF bis
Maiea,'s tubjeAs, in this province regularly
and orderly to meet together to tate Inc
grievances they Isbour under, and to propoie
AID unite in luch conaitutional meaiures as
they fhall Judge neceiiary or proper to OBJ
tain ,edrefs This right has been frequent
II xercrfed by his MsjeRy's fubjetts within
the ,ea'm; and we do not recoIlect an IN
flaace, Gnce the happy revolution, when
the TWO houfes of parlamen, have been cal
LED UPON to circumference or bear their tel
tin,ny againit it, in fpeech from the
throne.
Your Excellency is pleafed to take no.
tice of fome things which we "aedge IN
our an(wer TO your firf fpeech; and the
obiefvation you make, we mutt conftts, is
rs natural and as undenlably true, as any
one that could have been made that " II
our foundation ihouId fail us in sveyy part Of
IT,. n. fabrick we have raifed upon II, mutt
certainty far". You think this foundation
will fail u, but we win your Excellency
had condeicended to confederation of what
we hfe " adduccd in fupport of our
principles" We might then perhaps have
had fomc things offered for our conviction
more than bare affirmalionS which, we
mulf beg TO be exculei if we fay, are far
from being efficient, though they come
with your Excellency's authority, for which
however we have due regard.
Your Excelency fays, that " as Eng
lin fubjeas, and agreeable to the doctrine
OF the feudal tenure all our lands are held
mediately or Immediately of the crown"
We uuN your Excelency does not mean to
introduce the feudal lynem in its perfscti
on; which 70 u(e the words of one of our
gtea,ef hifiorians, was " fate of perpe
tual war, anarchy and confuiion; calculat-
ed foley for defence againif the shauIts of
any foreign power, but in its provItlon for
the inferior order and tranquility of fociety
extremely defective" " A contribution 10
contradictory to all the principles that 60
VEN mankind could never be brought about
but BY foreign conquef OF native uiulpatlon:"
And very celebrated writer calls ii 6 that
mott ubiquitous and ablurd form Of govern
r,ent By which human nature was 70 fhame-
fully degraded" This iyRem of iniquity,
by Grange kind of fatality, though ORR
rinay foI med for. an encampment and for
military purpoles only, fpread owe! great
part of Europe; = and to fefve The purpoles
OF oppreiIion and tyranny was adopted by
princes and wrought into their civil confi-
ta;ions :" and aided oy the canon law, cal
clla.ed by the Roman Pontiff, to exalt HIM
felf above all that is called God, il prevailed
10 III. almoR utter extinction of knowledge,
virtue, religion and liberty from th.t
pat OF the earth. But from the time of
the reformation. in proportion as knowledge
which then dstted It's rays upon the benight-
ed world, increafed and fpread among the
people, they grew impatient under ihIs
heavy yoke; and the mOft vifruous and fen
fi,e among them, TO Whole fedfaRneis W.
If his iiiiant age and ciima.e are greatly
ia.ebted, were dessrn:ned 20 Get re of IL
I'D though they have ~ gTsa' neafufe fyb-
{ ID lis power ard inaIencc in Eng'an6,
thcy have never &c; totally erAdica;sd its
prsciPles.