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Show (5‘) («7) all comparifon, richer, more powerful and ref; peétable now, than the would have been, if our But as to any methods 'of oppofition to that fathers had never emigrated: And both they'and rneafure, on the part of the Colonies, befides their poflerity have, in effect, been labouring, thofe of humble petitioning, and other {iriétly legal ones, it will not,./I conclude,be fuppofed, from firlt to lafl, for the aggrandizement of the mother-country. In this light, that {hate of commdnjéqfc, which the colonills have, be it more or lefs, leads them‘to confider things. ' It is taken for granted, that as the furprifing, unexampled growth of thefe colonies, to the extenfion of his‘Majel'ty's dominion, and pro- digious advantage of Britain in many refpeets, has been chiefly owing, under God, to the liberty enjoyed here; fo the infraction thereof in two fuch capital points as thofe before referred to, would undoubtedly difcourage the trade, indufo try and population of the colonies, by rendering property infecure and precarious; would foon ‘ drain them of all their little circulating money; would put it abfolutely out of their power to purchafe Britifh commodities, force them into manufactures of their own, and terminate, if not in the ruin, yet in the very effential detrimentof the mother-country. It fhall, therefore, alfo be taken for granted, thataltho' the colonies could not jullly claim an exclufive right of taxing themfelves, and the right of being tried by juries; yet they had great rcafon to remonfira'te againfl the aét aforefaid on the fooring of inexpedicnce, the great that Iappear in this place as an advocate for them, whatever the general fenfe of the colonifls may be concerning this point. And I take for granted, that we are all perfectly agreed iii condemning the riorous and fellonious proceedings of certain men of Belial,1‘ as they have} been juflly called, who had the effrOntery to cloke their rapacious violences with the pretext of zeal for liberty ; which is fo far from, being a new thing under the fun, that even Great Britain can furnilh us with many, and much more flagrant examples of it. But, my Brethren, however uneonllitutional, opprefiive, grievous or ruinous the aforefaid act was in its nature, and fatal in its tendency, his Majefl y and the Parliament have been pleade to hearken to the jufl complaints of the colonies, feconded and enforced by the prudent, fpirited conducl of our merchants; by certain noble and evershonored patriots in Great Britain, ef- poufing our caufe with all the force of reafon and eloquence, and by the general voice of the nation: 30 that a total repeal of that dreadful act is now obtained, His Majefly and the Fat- liament were far too wife, jail and good to per-' hardfhip, and dellruétive tendency of it ; as a fiflm a meafure, after they were convinced it was meafure big with mifchief to Britain, as well as to themfelves; and promoted at firfl, perhaps, only by. perfons who were real friends to neither. good fubjet‘ts, fo contrary to the interel't of the But wrong ; or to eonfider it as any point of honor, to enforce an act fo grievous to three million Britith f The Bock ofAmerica, Chap. U, r re. |
