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Show .- .--.=::fle,'¢¥.‘$ #4.:41-5 .-v\ Ina-.mmamsw farm..." 55%, firmly} 18 REVIEW OF THE AMERICAN to throw together a few hints, which may aflif'c you in finally fixing a right choice. The Britifh adminif'rration began its attacks on out liberties with a Stamp Adi, but meeting with fl‘rong op- polition they thought fit to repeal it. This at": threw the colonies into ilrong convulftons, and we rejoiced exceedingly on its repeal, and fondly hoped, that we {hould enjoy future tranquillity. But we Were mizlaktn. 1 hey never llltCIKlt'tl to relinquilh the delign, but only to change their ground, that which they lirl't pitched upon not teeming tenable. An American revuiue granted by a B:.tifh parliament was the object, and they never loft fight of it; for they foon renewed their attacks upon princrpres which they thought more favourable to their intentions; but meeting with as little fuccefs in that, as in the preceding attempt, they futpended their meafures for a time, in hopes of lulling us into a carelefs fecurity. They accordingly once more returned to the charge, and endeavoured to eifecf‘t by cunning and artifice what they had heretofore attempted in vain on every other peaceable plan. This not fucceeding, they were redu- CONTEST. 19 we fail in this, all our former vie‘tories will only ferve to make our all the more conlpicuous and terrible. I will not enquire what would have been the efficacy of any heretofore recommended, but untried means. The woril that can has happened, and it is with it we have now to deal; to relinquifli it on our part, would be to give up the matter, for however any means might once have done, cowardice alone would how delcrtthe field, and flavery mull be the inevitable confequence. I do not wonder that war fits heavy on us, and that We are fornewhat refllefs and uneafy; but I {hall he fur- prized, if we, who have to long and f0 fucceflively op- pofed tyranny and opprefiion, {hould all on a fudrlen lofe every defire of retaining our liberties. I am forced into this remark by the artful, cunning and deligning manner in which fome men talk of a reconciliation with Great Britain, and the bug-bears they conjure up to frighten the timid, irrefolute and ignorant, from a Heady profecu» tion of thofe means, which alone can help us in our prefent circumflanees. Faéts bear evidence from the begin~ ning of the contef't, that every feheme they ever recom- ced to their lal't fhift ofbullying and force; and this they mended has, upon trial, proved inadequate to the end refolved upon. They levied armies, appointed generals of reputation to command, and fent them amongl'c us, for which it was intended; yet they proceed. Beware of fuch men, they love neither their country nor their lie We may know theircommili'ions by their conduét, for after abufmg, brow-beating and infulting, after llarving berties, f0 much as fomething elfe. and tarring and feathering, after oftering every pofiible injury which a free people could bear, without obtaining their ends, and every other meafure failing, they drew the fword, and at once reduced us to the dire alternative Tories by the more zealous Whigs, who, in their hearts, of fubmitting to their illegal claims of jurildié‘tion, or entering into the bloody contefl. Like men detern‘rined to be free We chofe the latter. It now refts on the loll: argument, an argumtnt which finally fettles all contro- verlies of a like nature. The plan of operation is now opened, and they who {land to it with the nioft fleady perfeveranee mull: finally lueeeed. This is the decree of Providence in all cafts, " he that perfevereth unto the " end {hall he faved." We have, by the blefling of There are many, I doubt not, who are denominated will) fuccefs to our mcafures, though they may be chagrined becaufe thofe they propofed did not go down with the people; thefe are uniform, open, and not very clan- gerous; but there are others, who, under the cloak of friendfhip for the caufe, harbour the bitteref't rancour and malice in their hearts. Thefe tall: favourably in goneral, though their difcourfes moflly terminate with a a'oufit, ji/f/iition, or bar, which gives thofe with whom they converfe, reafon to dread fomc hidden defign, or GOCl) Cflieaually baffled all their former attempts 3 but if approaching evil, which molt men have not properly at» tended to. They artfully recall your attention to a cer« tain period, when all was peace and quietnels, and by pathetically lamenting the unhappy alt-,- rition, endeavour we ta |