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Show l 20 3 North and South Carolina, in behalf of ourfelves and the Inhabitants of thelc Colonies, who have deputed us to re~ prefent thcm in general Congretis, entrcat your Majetly's gracious Attention to this our humble Petition. The Union between our Mother Country and thefe Colonies, and the l‘inei'gy or mild and ju‘tl Government, produced Benefits to reinarlmbly important, and afforded fuch Allilrauce oi their l‘ermancncy and Increale, that theVVondcr and linvy of other Nations were excited, while they beheld Great Britain rifing to a Power the mof‘t extraordinary the VVorld had ever known. Her Rivals obferving that there was no Probability of this happy Conneftion beingbrokcn by Civil Dillirntions, and apprehending its unditlurhed, retolved to future liltl‘eets, it lelt any longer c prevent her receiving to court lllitl and lormidable an ACCefiion of \Vetlth and Strenirt h, by chet king the Growth of there Settle ncnts, from which thcywere to be derived. In the l'rotbcutiorr of this Attempt, livents lo untiwourable to the Detign took place, th it erery Friend to the Intcrei't of Great Britain and their: Colonies, entertained pleai'ing and 1‘eali~nahle lixptélaiions ot teeing an additional three and l‘ixteniion immediately given to the Operations ofthc Union hitherto experienced, by an Enlargement: of the Dominions ofthe Crown, and the Removal of antient 21nd warlike linemies to a greater Ditlance. At the ('onelution theretore. nt‘the late \Var, the mod glorious and advantageous that ever had been carried on byllritith Arms, your loyal CtllulllCS,lla\'it!g contributed to its Suceets by luch repeated and llrenuotis .iixertions as ii‘equcntly procured them the dittinguithed r-‘tpprobation ot‘yout Majctly, of the late King, and oi" Parliament, doubted not but that they thould he permitted with the Bell of the limpirc, to iharc in the lllellintgs or" l'eace, and the Emoluments of Victory and Conquctt. \Vhile thetc recent and honourable Ael\nozrletlgements of their Merits remained on Record in the ~lou‘nals and Acts of that; augufi Legitlature, the Parliament, undefined by the Im- putation, or even the Sutpieion, or" any Orience, they were alarmed by a new Sylletn of Statutes and Regulations, adopted for the Adminitlt'ation of the Colonies, that filled their Minds with the mutt painful Fears and Jealoufies ; and I: 21 it and, to their inexprefiible Aflonifiiment, perceived the Dangers of a foreign Quarrel quickly fucceeded by do melliclhngers in theirjiudgment ofa more dreldfulKind. Nor were their Anxieties alleviated by any Tendency in thisSyttem to promote the VVelt‘are oftneMother Country: for though its liliec'ts were more immediately felt by them, yet its Influence appeared to be injurious to the Commerce and Profperity of Great Britain. \Ve {hall decline the ungrateful Tail; of defcribing the irktome Variety of Artifices yiraftilcd by many of your Majetly's Minifiers, the delufive Pretcnees, fruitlefs Ter- rors, and unavailing Severities, which have from Time to Time been dealt out by them in their Attempts to exc- cute this impolitic Plan, or ol‘tracing through a Series of Years pail, the Progrets of the unhappy Dill‘erences between Great Britain and thelc C(‘llODlCS,\\'liiCh have flowed from this fatal Source. Your Majetly's Minit'tcrs perfeyer~ ing in their h'Ieafures, and proceeding to open Hotlilities for enforcing them, have compelled us to arm in our own Defence, and have engaged us in a Controverty to peculiarly abhorrent from the illiteétiorts of your llill faith» ful Colonitls, that when we contider whom we i'nui‘t op~~ pole in this Cornell, and it it continues, what may be the Conthuence; our own particular h'lislortunes are accounted by us only as l'artsot our Uiftrcis. Knowing to what violent Relentments and incurable Animohtics civil Difcords are apt to cxalperate and inflame the contending l'arties, We think ourlidves required by inditpenthblc Ohligations tr i-\lmighty God, to your Mm jelly, to our Fellow Subieets, and ourlelvt's, immediately to tile all‘the Means in our Power, not incompatible with our Safety, for flopping the furtherle‘ififlufion otBiood, and for averting the impending Calamities that threaten the Britifli Empire. Thus called upon to addicts your l\'l;1_ietty on Affairs of fuch Nioment to America, and probably to all your Dominions, we are earnelllj: defirou; of performing this Olace with the utmof't Delete-tire to your Ma- jetly ; and we therefore pray that your Royal lv'iagnanimity and Benevolence may make the motl‘ litt‘ourzible Confl‘ruction of our Exptefiions on to uncommon an Occafion. Could |