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Show [5°] [ 51 3 militate againft each other; where reafon is perplexed; and an appeal to authorities only thickens the confufion. For high‘and reverend authorities lift up their heads on both fides; and there is no fure footing in the middle. This had, at their leaving this country, fealed a re- gular compact of fervitude; that they had folemnly abjured all the rights of citizens; that they had made a vow to renounce all Ideas of Liberty for them and their pofierity, to all point is the great Ser/mzian bog, éet'wixz‘ Damzzzta generations; yet I fhould hold myfelf obliged and Mount Ctr/fur old, 'w/Jere armie: wbole [mpg to conform to the temper I found univerfally prevalent in my own day, and to govern two mil- fiml‘. I do not intend to be overwhelmed in that bog, though in fuch refpeé‘table company. The queftion with me is, not whether you have lion of men, impatient of Servitude, principles of Freedom. on the I am not determining a right to render your people miferable; but a point of law; I am reftoring tranquillity; and whether it is not your interef'c to make them the general character and fituation of a people muft determine what fort of government is fitted for them. That point nothing elfe can or ought to determine. happy? It is not, what‘s. lawyer tells me, I may do; but what humanity, reafon, and juflice, tell me, I ought to do. Is a politic a8; the worfe for being a generous one? Is no concefiion proper, but that which is made from your want of right to keep what you grant? Or does it leffen the grace or dignity of relaxing in the eX- ercife of an odious claim, becaufe you have your evidence-room full of Titles, andyour magazines finffed with arms to enforce them? What fig- nify all thofe titles, and all rhofe arms? Of What avail are they, when the reafon of the thing tells me, that the rifleX'tiOii of my title is the lofs of my fuit; and that I could do nothing but wound myfelf by the ufe of my own weapons? My idea therefore, Without confidering whether we yield as matter of right, or grant as matter of favour, is to admit t/Je people of our Colo/721's: into an {Mere 2'72 #36 coig/f/tution; and, by re- cording that admiflion liament, to give them the nature of the thing for ever to adhere to in the Journals of Paras {trong an affurance as will admit, that we mean that folemn declaration of fyfiematic indulgence. Some years ago, the repeal of a revenue act, upon its underflood principle, might have ferved Such is fledfaiily my opinion of theabfolute to fhew, that we intended an unconditional neceffity of keeping up the concord of this em- abatement of the exercife of a Taxing Power. Such a meafure was then fuflicient to remove all fufpicion; and to give perfect content. But pire by :1 Unity of Spirit, though in a diverfity of operations, that, if I were fure the Colonilts had, E 2 unfortunate |