OCR Text |
Show DECLARATION BY But why {hould we enumerate our injuries in detail I By one Statute it is declared, that Parliament can " of light, make laws to bind us in all cafes whatfoever." VVhat is to defend us againlt to enormous, fo unlimit- ed a power? Not a tingle man of thofe who all'ume it, is chofen by us, or is tubjc‘et to our controul or in- fluence; but, on the contrury, they are all of them ex- empt from the operation of tuch laws; and an American revenue, if not diverted from the oltenfihle purpofes for which it is raifed, would actually lighten their own burdens in proportion as they increale ours. we faw the mile y to which itch defpotifm wouid reduce us. We for ten years incell'antly and ineffeflually beiieged the Throne as fupplicants; we rerifoned, we reinonltrated with Parliament-in the innit mild and decent language. But Adminiftration, fenlible that we {hould regard thhfe opprcflive meafures as t'reeinen ought to do, fent over fleets and armies to enforce them. The indignation of the Americans was roufed, it is true ; but it was the indignation of a virtuous, loyal, and affectionate people. A Congrefs of Delegates from the United Colonies was affembled at Philadelphia, on the 5th day of lafl Septem- ber. VVe refolved again to offer an humble and duti- ful Petition to the King, and alfo addreflied our fel-- low-fubjec‘ts of Greathitain. We have purfued every temperate, every refpectful meafure; we have evrIn proceeded to break off our commercial intercoufe with our fellow-fubjeéts, as the laft peaceable admonition, that our attachment to no nation upon earth fhould fupplant our attachment tolibertv. This we flattered our- felves was the ultimate f'tep of the controverfy; but the l‘ubfcquent events have thewn, how vain is' this hope of hndrng moderation in our enemies. Several threatening expreflions againf't the were inferted in his M'ajef'ty's Speech. Our Colonies Petition, though we were told it was a decent one, jetty had been pleafed to receive it grac that his .Maioully, and to promife laying it before his Parliament, was huddled into both Houfes amongf'c a bundle of American papers, and there neglected. The Lords and Commons in their Addrefs, in the month of February, laid, That " a rebelli on at that time afiually exilted within the Province of THE CONGRESS. 9 of Maffaehufet's Bay ; and that thofe concerned in it had been countenanced and encouraged by unlawful combi- nations and engagements, entered into by his Majef'ty's fubjeéts in fevera'l of the other Colonies ; and therefore they befought his hlajei'ty, that he would take the moit etfeflual meafures to enforce due obedience to the laws and authority of the Supreme Legiflarure." Soon after the commercial intercourfe of whole Colonies, with fo- reign countries, and with each other, was cut oifby an A8: of Parliament; by another, feveral of them were entirely prohibited from the fifheries in the feas near their coafls, on which they always depended for their fuftenance; and large reinforcements of flaips and troops were imme- diately fent over to General Gage. Fruitlefs Were all the entreaties, arguments. and elo~ quence of an illultrious band of the molt diflinguifhed Peers and Commoners, who nobly and llrenuoufly afferted thejullice of‘our caufe, to Pray or even to mitigate the lieedlefs fury with 'which thefe accumulated and unexaln- pled outrages were hurried on. Equally fruitlefs was the interferenCe of the City of London, of Briftol, and many other rtzfpeétable towns, in our favour. Parliament adopted an infidious manoeuvre, calculated to divide us, to cllahlifh a perpetual auction of taxations, where Colony lhould bid againlt Colony, all of them uninformed what ranfom fllould redeem their lives, and thus to extort front us, at: the point of the bayonet, the unknown fums that thould be fuflicient to gratify, if poflible to gratify, Mi-J nilterial rapacity, with the miferable indulgence left to us of railing in our own mode the preferibed tribute. Vv'hat terms more rigid and humiliating could have been dictated by remorfelets viétors to conquered enemies? In our circumflances, to accept them would be to deferve them, Soon after the intelligence ofthcfe proceedings arrived on this Continent, General Gage, who in the courfe of the laft year had taken polltffion of the town of Button, in the province of i‘xlallachufet's-Bay, and ftill occupied it as a garrifon, 0n the 19th day of April fent out from that place a large detachment of his army, who made an unprovoked ailault on the inhabitants of the faid province, at. |