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fo extraordinary, as to excite aftonifhment. It is univerfally confeffed, that the amazing increafe of the wealth, ftrength, and navigation of the realm, arofe from this fource; and the minifter, who fo wifely and fuccessfully directed the measures of Great-Britain in the late war, publicly declared, that thefe colonies enabled her to triumpha over her enemies.

7. Towards the conclufion of that war, it pleafed our fovereign to make a change in his counfels. From that fatal moment, the affairs of the British empire begun to fall into confufion, and gradually fliding from the fummit of glorious profperity, to which they had been advanced by the virtues aud abilities of one man, are at length dif tracted by the convulfions that now thake it to its deepest foundations. The new miniftry, finding the brave foes of Britain, though frequently defeated, yet ftill contending, took up the unfortunate idea of granting them a hafty peace, and of then fubduing her faithful friends.

8. Thefe devoted colonies were judged to be in fuch a ftate, as to prefent victories without bloodfhed, and all the eafy emoluments of ftatuteable plunder. The uninterrupted tenor of their peaceable and refpectful behavior from the beginning of colonization, their dutiful, zealous, and ufetul fervices during the war, though fo recently and amply acknowledged in the moft honourable manner by his majefly, by the late king, and by parliament, could not fave them from the meditated innovations.

9. Parliament was influenced to adopt the pernicious project, and affuming a new power over them, have, in the courfe of eleven years, given fuch decifive fpecimens of the fpirit and confequences attending this power, as to Jeave no doubt concerning the effects of acquiefcence un-der it..

10. They have undertaken to give and grant our money without our confent, though we have ever excercifed an exclufive right to difpofe of our own property. Statutes have been paffed for extending the jurifdiction of courts of admiralty and vice admiralty beyond their ancient li mits; for depriving us of the accuftomed and ineftimable. privilege of trial by jury, in cafes affecting both life and Property for fufpending the legiflature of, one of the

colonies; for interdicting all commerce to the capital of another; and for altering fundamentally the form of go› vernment established by charter, and fecured by acts of its own legiflature, folemnly confirited by the crown.

11. For exempting the "murderers" of colonifts from legal trial, and in effect from punishment; for erecting in a neighboring province, acquired by the joint arms of Great-Britain and America, a defpotifm dangerous to our very existence; and for quartering foldiers upon the colonifts in time of profound peace. It has also been refolved in Parliament, that Colonists, charged with committing certain offences, fhall be tranfported to England to be tried.

12. But why fhould we enumerate our injuries in detail? By one ftatute it is declared, that Parliament can "of right make laws to bind us in all cases whatsoever." What is to defend us again fo enormous, fo unlimited a power ? Not a fingle man of thofe who affume it is chofen by us; or is fubject to our control or infinence.

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13. But on the contray, they are all of them exempt from the operation of fuch laws, and an American revenue, if not diverted from the oftenfible purposes for which it is raifed, would actually lighten their own burden in proportion as they increase ours. We faw the mifery to which fuch defpotifin would reduce us. We for ten years inceffantly and ineffectually befeeched the throne as fuppli -cants, we reafoned, we remonftrated with parliament in the moft mild and decent language.

44. Adminiftration, fenfible that we fhould regard thefe oppreffive measures as free men ought to do, fent over Beets and armies to enforce them. The indignation of the Americans was roufed, it is true; but it was the indignation of a virtuous, loyal and affectionate people. A Congress of delegates from the United Colonies was affembled at Philadelphia, on the fifth day of last Sep

tember.

15. We refolved again to offer a humble and dutiful petition to the king, and alfo addreffed our fellow fubjects of Great-Britain. We have purfued every temperate, every refpectful meafure; we have even proceeded to

break off our commercial intercourfe with our fellow fub'jects, as the laft peaceable admonition, that our attachment to no nation upon earth fhall fupplant our attachment to liberty.

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16. This we flattered ourfelves, was the ultimate ftep of the controverfy: But fubfequent events have fhewn, how vain was this hope of finding moderation in our enemies.

17. Several threatening expreffions against the Colonies were inferted in his majefty's fpeech. Our petition, though we were told it was a decent one, and that his majefty had beent pleafed to receive it graciously, and to promile laying it before his parliament, was huddled into both houfes among a bundle of American papers, and there neglected.

18. The Lords and Commons, in their addrefs in the month of February, faid that " a rebellion at that time actually existed within the province of Massachusetts Bay; and that those concerned in it had been countenanced and encouraged in it by unlawful combinations, and engagements, entered into by his Majefty's fubjects in feveral of the other colonies; and therefore they be fought his majesty that he would take the moft effectual measures to enforce due obedience to the laws and authority of the fupreme legiflature,"

19. Soon after, the commercial intercourfe of whole colonies, with foreign countries, and with each other, was cut off by an act of parliament. By another, feveral of them were entirely prohibited from the fisheries in the feas near their coaft, on which they always depended for their fubfiftence; and large reinforcements of hips and troops were iminediately fent over to General Gage,

20. Fruitless were all the intreaties, arguments, and eloquence of an illuftrious band of the moft diftinguished peers and commoners, who nobly and ftrenoufly afferted the juftice of our caufe, to ftay or even to mitigate the heedlefs fury with which thefe accumulated and unexampled outrages were hurried on.

21. Equally fruitlefs was the interference of the city of London, Bristol, and many other refpectable towns in our favor. Parliament adopted an infidious manoeuvre calculated to divide us, to establish a perpetual auction of taxations, where Colony fhould bid againft Colony, all of them uninformed what random would redeem their lives s

and thus to extort from us, at the point of the bayonet, the unknown fums that would be fufficient to gratify, if possible to gratify, minifterial rapacity, with the miferable indulgence left to us of raifing, in our own anode, the prefcribed tribute.

22. What terms more rigid and humiliating could have been dictated by remorseless victors to conquered enemies ? In our circumftances to accept them, would be to deserve them.

23. Soon after the intelligence of thefe proceedingsarrived on this continent, General Gage, who, in the courfe of the last year had taken poffeffion of the town of Bofton, in the province of Massachusetts Bay, and still occupied it as a garrifon, on the 19th day of April, fent out from that place a large detachment of his army, who made an unprovoked affault on the inhabitants of the faid province at the town of Lexington; as appears by the affi davits of a great number of perfons (fome of whom were officers and foldiers of that detachment) murdered eight of the inhabitants, and wounded many others.

24. From thence the troops proceeded in warlike array,to the town of Concord, where they fet upon another party of the inhabitants in the fame province, killing feveral, and wounding more, until compelled to retreat by the country people, fuddenly affembled to repel this cruel aggreffion.

25. Hoftilities thus commenced by the British troops, have been fince profecuted by them, without regard to faith or reputation. The inhabitants of Bofton, being confined in that town by the general their governor, and having, in order to procure their difmiffion, entered into a treaty with him, it was ftipulated that the faid inhabitants, having depofited their arms with their own magiflrates, fhould have liberty to depart, taking with them their other effects.

26. They accordingly delivered up their arms; bat: in open violation of honor, in defiance of the obligation of treaties, which even favage nations efteem facred, the governor ordered the arms depofited as aforefaid, that they might be preferved for their owner, to be seized by a body of foldiers; detained the greateft part of the Inhabitants in the town, and compelled the few who were

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permitted to retire, to leave their most valuable effects Behind.

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27. By this, perfidy, wives are feparated from their hufbands, children from their parents, the aged and fick from their relations and friends, who wish to attend and comfort them and thofe who have been used to live in plenty, and even elegance, are reduced to deplorable diftrefs.

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28. The geneal, further emulating his minifterial mafters by a proclamation, bearing date on the 12th day of June, after venting the groffeft falfehoods and calumnies against the good people of thefe colonies, proceed to "declare them all, either by name or defcription, to be "rebels and traitors; to fupercede the course of common law, and inftead thereof to publifh and order the use and exercise of the law martial.”

29. His troops have butchered our countrymen, have wantonly burnt Charleftown, befides a confiderable number of houfes in other places; our fhips and veffels are feized; the neceffary fupplies of provifiens are intercepted, and he is exercising his utmoft power to fpread deftruction and devaftation around him.

30. We have received certain intelligence, that general Carleton, the governor of Canada, is inftigating the people of that province, and the Indians, to fall upon us; and we have but too much reafon to apprehend, that schemes have been formed to excite domeftic enemies against us. In brief, a part of thefa colonies now feel, and all of them are fure of feeling, as far as the vengeance of administration can inflict them, the complicated calamities of fire, fword and famine.

31. We are reduced to the alternative of choofing an unconditional fubmiffion to the tyranny of irritated inifters, or refiftance by force. The latter is our choice. We have counted the coft of this conteft, and find nothing fo dreadful as voluntary flavery. Honor, justice, and humanity forbid us tamely to furrender that freedom which we received from our gallant ancestors, and which our innocent pofterity have a right to receive from us. cannot endure the infamy and guilt of refigning fucceeding generations, to that wretchednefs which inevitably awaits them, if we bafely entail hereditary bondage upon them.

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