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Show , a i 34 J [35] praife or blame ;-what, in the name of God, [hall we do with it? You have before you the object; fuch as it is, with all its glories, with all obedient Afl'embly {hould fit, the humours of the people there, finding all paliage through the its imperfeé'cions on its head. legal channel ftOpped, with great violence broke You fee the mag- nitude; the importance; the temper; the habits; the diforders. By all thefe confiderations, we are {trongly urged to determine {omething concerning it. We are called upon to fix fome rule and line for our future conduc°c, which may give a little liability to our politics, and prevent the return of fuch unhappy deliberations as the prefent. Every fuch return will bring the matter before us in a ftill more on ractable form. For, what aftonilhing and incredible things have we not leen already? ‘Nhat monitors have not been generated from this unnatural contention? Whilf't every principle of authority and refillance has been pulhed, upon both fides, as far as.it would go, there is nothing lo folid and certain, either in reafoning or in prafiice, that has been not fhaken. Until very lately, all authority in America feemed to be nothing but an emanation from yours. Even the popular part of the Colony Confiitution derived all its activity, and its firlt vital movement, from the pleafure of the Crown. We thought, Sir, that the utmolt which the difcontented Colonilts could do, was to dil'turb authority; we never dreamt they could of themfelves lupply it; knowing in general what an out another way. Some provinces have tried their experiment, as we have tried ours; and theirs has fucceeded. They have formed a Go- vernment {ufficient for its purpoles, without the buftle of 9. Revolution, or the troublefome formality of an Eleftion. Evident neceflity, and tacit confent, have done the bu‘linei's in an irritant. So well they have done it, that Lord Dunmore (the account is among the fragments on your table) tells you, that the new infiitution is in- finitely better obeyed than the antient Govern- ment ever was in its molt fortunate periods. Obedience is what makes Government, and not the names by which it is called; not the name of Governor, as formerly, or Committee, as at prefent. This new Government has originated directly from the people; and was not tranfmitted through any of the ordinary artificial media of a pofitive conftitution. It was not a manufacture ready formed, and tranfnéirted to them in that conditiOn from England. The evil ariling from, hence is this; that the Coloniils having once found the pollihility of enjoying the advantawes of order, in the midft of a firuggle for Liberty, luch flruggles will not l'iericefor‘wai'tl feem {o ter- operofe buiinefs it is, to eltablith a Goverment rible to the {ettled and fober part of mankind, as abiolutely new. But having, for our purpofes in this contention, refolvcd, that none but an 5 obedient they had appeared before the trial. _ D 2 ' Purfuing |