The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1774-08-25

WHOM and we muit import lalt, fugar,
MolaGes, SC. And fome farmers of the
like famp, re-eccho, true, we mutt put off
our old hories, and we mutt have lalt,-
but let me tell you, without total flop is
put to the Wett-India trade, nothing can
be done for ! am well informed, and |
believe may venture to affirm it is true, that
there is no lefs than feventy-Four members
of parliament that are Wet India planters
or proprietors and alto am credibly in
formed that they were the means of fomen-
ting thefe difficulties, by 6ra getting duty
laid on all fugars, molafles, coffee, &c. not
imported from the Engliih WeR-India
Hands it will therefore be neceiiary to
fhcw them Of how much importance we
are, by diftreiling them for want of our
trade. / have feveral old horles and mares
that am determined to knock in the head
the enfuing fall, if fuch agreement is come
into And as to the neceiiary article of ialt,
am well Informed there is more than can
be expended in the country in three years
And am told that between thirty and forty
years ago they made it in Bottom, as
good and as cheap as they could bring it
from the Wet Indies and our ialt water
will produce good ialt now, and our maple
trees will produce very good fugar and mo-
lafes. But fome mercenary farmsS will
fay, but there is great lois in killing my
old horfes and breeding mares, can't bear
that, 81 anfwer but you can bear to be
nave, like IGachar's ais, crouching down
between two burdens, and have your old
hories, mares and every thing elfe taken
from you, by them that have not half the
right to them that the aborigin Indians
have. If | can purchaie this dear liberty,
or regain it with the lois of dozen old
hories, dozen fat cattle, and few fuch
triAes, / have I-gained it at cheap rate,
much cheaper than | fear we fhall But let
it colt wha: it will, / am determined not to
part with it without my blood For as our
pious anceitors purchafed this land of liber-
ty at theexpence Of their precious blood and
treafure, God forbid that we fhould part
with it at cheaper rate.
am efficiently chagrined, and my in
dignation boils to hear fome who call them
felves prudent or moderate men talk,-'tis.
beff, fay they, to be moderate, to be well
adviled, to act cautiouny, and to do Moth
ing rafhly IT'S true, the caution is good,
but it is needless for the temper of thefe
men is to do nothing at all but calmly fub-
NIT to every requifition of parliament
They fay, why the voice of parliament
makes all Europe to tremble but | an
fwer,. it never made America to wink.
Thele are what are called by fome like
themlelves prudent, moderate men.--
Principles of true prudence and modera-
ticn, 1 like as well as they, and thefe
principles have been acted upon heretofore
in our humble petitions to the king and
both houfes of parliament, but with what
contempthaye they been treated ?--
thrown out without hearing. We have
prayed and petitioned till we have been in
fulted and abuied, and treated yiler than
any fave had right to expect And ak
thele prudeAt, moderate men, what fhall
we do now why pray and petition fill.
They mean, they can mean no more than
Elijah did when he told the prophets of Baal
&C Per1d0mtzrs be IS 1JGeeb and mgf be
&C asUdkeG." | think our haif-honeh mo-
dcrate men 90 more mitchell to the caule of
liberty than the rankee profcGcd tories can
do, and l with they may be treated with the
contempt they deferve, j. c. like lfiachar's
ais be obliged to crouch down between two
burdens, till fpirit of virtuous liberty be
enkindied in their fouls. Hope my bro
ther farmers will kindly receive the hints
given them, and act accordingly.