Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-09-04


appeal You have been told that sedious impa
government and DESTROYS Of ndependency BE as
sured that these not facts but caumnies Permit US to
be free yourselves, and we shall ever esteem union
with you be greatest glory and greatest happiness
We shall be ready contribute all in power to the
welfare of the empire shall consider your enemies as our
enemies, and your interest as our own
THE petition to the King is written in the style of
lofty eloquence After briefly enumerang the grievances,
proceeds
Had Creator been pleased to give existence in
land Of slavery the Of condition might have been
mgated by ignorance and habit But thanks be to his ado
rabe goodness, born the heirs of freedom and ever
enjoyed right under the auspices OF royal ancestors
whose family seated the British throne TO and
pous and gallant nation from the popey and despo
ism of supesous and memorable tyran Your Majesty,
confident justly reoces that your title to the crown
is thus founded the title of people TO Liberty and,
therefore. doubt but your royal wisdom must APP
prove the sensby that teaches your subjects anxousy
guard the blessing they received from Divine Providence,
and thereby prove the performance OF that compact which
elevated the ilusous house of Brunswick to the imperial
dignity it possesses
"We ask but for peace, liberty, and safety. We wish
not dminuion of the perogatiye, nor do we solicit the
grant Of any right in favor. Your royal authority
and connexion with Great Britain shall always
carefully and zeaousy endeavor to support and maintain
We think it will be admitted that the Congress Of l774
had an abiding faith the reality of American freedom and
that they had be with their rights and p
vege when they expressly the King that they desire
crcumscbe his prerogave the grant Of any
right to themselves.
But let pass to the next year. After Lexington and
Bunker H the CoseREss adopted manifesto, drawn up,
like all the papers of that body and its predecessor with
summate eoquence and ability We must give two three
paragraphs whch-hough the manifesto generally abu
ted Mr. DICKINSON and in the main his composition
written by Mr. JEFFERSON and bear the impress of his
fervid mind
eve reduced to the alternative of choosing
diona submission the tyranny of ntated Ministers,
resistance by force The latter is choice have count
ed the cost of this contest and find nothing dreadful
voluntary slavery Honor, justice and humanity forbid
tamely surrender that freedom which received
gallant ancestors and which innocent posteriy have
right receive from We cannot endure the nfamy and
guilt of resgnDg succeeding generations to that wrethedness
which inevitably awaits them if we basey entail hereditary
bondage upon them s'
Les this declaration should dsquiet the minds Of
friends and fellow subjects any part Of the Empire,
them that not to dissolve that union which has
long and happily subsisted between us and which
sincerely wish restored Necessity has yet driven
into that desperate measure induced excite any
other nation against them We have not raised armies
with ambitious designs of separating from Great Britain and
establishing independent States We fight for glory
conquest. We exhibit to mankind the remarkable spec
ace of people attacked by unpovoked enemies without
mputaion suspicion OF offence. They boast Of their
privileges and civilization and yet proer mder conditions
than servitude DEATH
60 In land defence of the freedom that is
brthrgh and which enjoyed until the late
ation Of tior the protection Of property, acquired solely
violence actually offered, have taken up We shall
lay them down when hosss shall the part Of the
aggesso and all danger of their being renewed shall be re-
moved. and not before. !"
We may rely with confidence upon these extracts to show
that believed themselves ee and asked fr
privileges.
That independence the original design, and that
entered into the minds Of but very few, after the
mencement Of hosthes and that the annunciaton of il
startled many Of the most ardent patriots propositions sus
cepble of abundant proof We might adduce columns Of
extracts from public documents and private correspondence
expressive of aectonae loyalty to the King and love for Brit
h connexon and repeling with Indignation mputatons,
made by their enemies in England of wish the part Of
the Colonies up for themselves.
English WRITER'S of that period and later times unable to
appreciate the zeal of the Coons defence of principle
have charged them with fomentng difficulties with the secret
design Of independence But there grounds for the
charge. Nor be subsaniaed without convcng men,
whose memories all their countymen Of fasehood and
hypocrisy The spirit and form Of their institutions led the
Colonies sometimes act independent peoPle-and
doubtless rejecting minds have foreseen that
later indefinite PERIOD the dependence
the mother country must The analoges of nature
would point to such contamination But the day was re-
gaded far distant and have evidence that any lead
ng in the Colonies cherished independence imme
date object until within year two Of It's declaration
PArRIcK HENRr, before the meeting Of the first Congress
talked occasion Of independence and his biogrspher
says that at the word the company appeared to be startled
for they had heard any thing Of the kind before
suggested " JoHN ADAMS, in l775 without mentioning the
word the Colonies achieve their ndepen
dence But the mass Of the prominent men in the sew
eral Colonies, did dream Of independence until the meet
ing Of Congress in 1875, and when ii proposed
would have been defeated had been taken the ques
ton the day. .ais7
We content ourselves with .slfsy extracts. They
shall be from the declarations Of men uhe sincerity is above
suspicion and whose OF Information the best
WasHISsroS whilst member OF the Congress of l774,
writing 10 Capt, Mackenzie, Of the British army stationed in
Boston, says
s'Alhough you taught say, by dscouriDg with such
men, to believe that people Of Massachusetts, ebeous
setting up for ndependency and what NOT give leave
good friend to tell you you abused grossly abused
This advance with degree Of confidence and holiness
which may claim your belief having better opportunities Of
knowing the real sentiments of the people you among,
from the leaders Of them, opposition to the present
sues of the Administration, than you have from whose
business il is not disclose truths, but msepresent facts,
in order to Justify much possible to the world their
conduct Give me leave add and think can announce
as fact that il is the wish interest OF that
ment or any other upon this Continent separately or cocc-
tvely 10 set IN for independence but this you may the