Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-11-21
REDEI.LInN.

KEHEI LION.
Lord Dunmore finding his province in
what he thought a state of rebellion, his
lordship determined to act with more rigor-
Gus severity. He issued proclamation
declaring martial law to be in force through
out the colony and erected the royal stand
ard to which he commanded his maiesty's
subjects to repair.
More jealous in his intention to promote
the interests of his country than discrimi-
mating and moderate in his policy, he pro-
iected scheme of very questionable wis
dom to allow, by the offer of freedom,
negro slaves, of whom there were great
numbers in the Southern colonies, to en-
brace the royal cause by rising against their
masters. Even well-wishers to the British
government censured this proposition, as
tending to lessen the bonds of society, to
destroy domestic security. and instigate
savages to the most atrocious barbarites
By putting arms into such hands the friends
as well as the enemies of the Government
would suffer ; the negroes neither would nor
could distinguish between the we'll and i'll
affected, and would involve all the whites
within their power in promiscuous massa-
ere. The Virginians, when this proclama-
tion was issued, were driven to the most
furious resentment, and thenceforward set
no bounds to their enmity. The project
had the same fate with many of the com
pulsory schemes of Government, causing
violent irritation without aifording adequate
benefits
Mr.. Connolly, native of the interior part
Pennsylvania, proposed to Lord Dunmore
to invade Virginia and other Southern colo
nies with parties of loyalists from the inland
country, that he might acquire the co-opera-
tion Of the Indians and of the slaves stimu-
lated against their masters. His lordship
approved of the design; but Mr.. Connolly
having set out to carry 1t into execution
was seized on his way, and his papers being
read the whole scheme was discovered and
overthrow and Mr.. Connolly sent to Phila-
delphia.
MIR. Martin and Lord William Campbell,
Respectively Governors of North and South
Carolina, having adopted similar plans of
exciting negroes to insurrection, and calling
down the back settlers, were obliged to
leave their governments and retire on board
ships of war
But in truth the cry of Dunmore did not
rouse among the Africans passion for free
dom. TO them bondage in Virginia was
not lower condition of being than their
former one they had no regrets for ancient
privileges lost their memories prompted
no demand for political changes; no strug-
Cling aspirations of their own had invited
Dunmore's interposition no memorial of
their grievances had preceded his offices. =
Bancrofs q. s., vol. 8, p. 225-year
l1775.
They rush on with headlong indiscretion,
thinking not to involve the empire in civil
war, but to subdue the Americans by fear.
The first step towards inspiring terror was,
to declare Massachusetts in state of rebel
lion, and to pledge the Parliament and the
whole force of Great Britain to its reductions;
the next. by prohibiting the American fish
cries, to starrc New England; the next to
call out the savages on the rear of the colo
MES; the next to ancite seruile insmrcc-
Itton.-Bancreffs .. s., cot. 7, p. 322.