Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

very high in the Law, not only humanely propofing, according to the ideas, and in the language of his own country, but dwelling with rapture on what he claffically called a Starvation Bill for the poor Americans. I rely, however, Sir, on the fpirit of the Americans, that they will neither fuffer the fate of the Amalekites, nor retaliate the attempt on the favages of Europe. Governor Johnstone, Nov. 18, 1777.

No man can have a more determined abhorrence of the employing the Indian favages in our wars than I have; because no man, in this Houfe at leaft, has had occafion to know fo much of this matter, as it fell to my lot to have during the last war. My horror of their cruel fervices does not arise from the paintings of imagination, but from what I have known of the fact; there is not fo hellish, fo unfair an engine of war, as the fervice of the Indian favage, when mixed in with the wars of civilized nations. What then must we think of it, what must be our feelings, when they are employed in a war, between parts of the fame nation, branches of the fame family, in the war between us and our brethren?

The mutual feelings of humanity, and a fpirit of honour, have, amidst civilized nations, defined even rights, and given laws to a state of war; have laid a restraint on havock, and given limits to destruction and bloodshed. There are even in rigours of war, the jura belli, which civilized nations have adopted, and do almost univerfally obferve. The war of the favage, instead of being a conteft of right by power, regulated and restrained by any feelings of honour or humanity, is an unreftrained effufion of the paffions of revenge and bloodthirstinefs, eft certare odiis, is a war of univerfal ravage and devastation to utter deftruction; instead of giving laws to war, it gives the name and effect of right to every cruel exertion of paffion, revenge, and barbarity, jufque datum fceleri. Governor Pownall, Feb. 6, 1778.

WHEN

WHEN America was firft fettled, the whole right to conqueft, discovery, and divifion of lands was in the King;—it was in his power to grant them to any body, and on any condition. This power he used in America, in all cafes without, and in fome against the consent of Parliament, who never, indeed, fuppofed, that fuch feudal Rights were vefted in them. At what time the King gave up, or Parliament ufurped these Rights, is not now my business to inquire; but I muft maintain, that unless America had confented to fuch a ceffion, America is not bound by it, but her Rights remain the same as when first established by her Charters.

A late decifion in the King's Bench has fully established this doctrine. The King may lay any impofitions on a conquered country by his own authority, till he has by Proclamation, or otherwise, given up that power by establishing another.

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

I

HAVE fpoken fo often against maintaining an extra ordinary number of land forces in time of peace, that I "should now chufe to be filent, if I had not the first day of "the Seffion entered my claim to difpute the continuance of the four thoufand Augmentation Troops; and if I did not "think it my duty to oppofe every propofition, which feems "to carry the leaft appearance of danger to our Constitution.

"I ask pardon, if I take the present Question to be of this "nature. Nor can I be perfuaded, that the frequent impo"fitions of unneceffary Taxes, or the repetition of any "grievance, ought to beget an infenfibility, or a slavish ac"quiefcence in it. On the contrary, I think it ought to "awaken and double our attention, left it should in time "plead a prefcriptive right, and gradually grow into an « establishment.

"If I may be permitted to confider the King's Speech as "the compofition of his Minifters, which, though I know by "experience to be a more dangerous, is yet a more parlia ❝mentary way, than to confider it as an Edict from the "Throne, I will obferve, that it does not ask the advice and "opinion of the Commons, how far they will use their great, "effential, and undisputed Right of raising money; but it "pofitively prefcribes the exact provifion we are to make, both

by fea and land, for the fervice of the enfuing year: and "whether that be not a new method of speaking to Parlia66 ments, is with all deference fubmitted to the wifdom of this "Houfe, which is the best judge of its own Privileges and "Power.

[ocr errors]

Surely, Sir, it is very melancholy to hear, one Seffion af❝ter another, that, though we are in a state of tranquillity, "as the language is, yet we can neither be fecure at home,

❝ nor

"nor refpected abroad, without continuing above eighteen "thousand land forces in pay.

"This way of reasoning entirely mifreprefents our circum"ftances and condition. For it would fuggeft, that we can"not enjoy the bleffings of a good Reign, without enduring

at the fame time the hardships of a bad one; which is a "contradiction in itself, and inconfiftent with the notions we, "as Englishmen, muft ever entertain of our legal liberties; "in maintenance of which, our predeceffors in Parliament "thought fit to alter the lineal fucceffion of our Royal Fa<< mily. This way of reafoning farther fuppofes, that the "mutual confidence betwixt his Majefty and his People is "deftroyed; that there is a diftrust on one hand, and a "difaffection on the other, for which there is not the leaft "ground or pretence. For his Majefty, by his refidence "amongst us this laft fummer, has not only given us the "cleareft proof of his preferring the welfare and happiness "of thefe Kingdoms to that of his own foreign Dominions, "but has for ever fecured the love of his subjects here, by his "moft gracious affability and personal condefcenfion to them. "He has for ever fecured that tranquillity at home, on which "he is pleased with fo much fatisfaction to congratulate his "Parliament. Nor can this tranquillity be affected by the "clamours in Ireland, against a late Patent for coining; for "there is a large army in that Kingdom fufficient to curb tu

[ocr errors]

multuous fpirits, and to awe patronizing malcontents, "fhould any fuch be found. Nay, if more forces are judged "neceffary, either for the honour or fafety of the Government

here, that Kingdom is able and willing to maintain more on its "own Establishment; and therefore all arguments drawn from "thence relating to the prefent Question must be inconclufive. "The House may perhaps think fit, at a proper season, to "liften so far to the complaints of our fellow-fubjects in ano"ther Kingdom, as to call for this obnoxious Patent, and to examine into the grounds of it. For the mif-government

"of Ireland has been frequently under the examination of the

House of Commons here, and such examinations have fre"quently proved fatal to as great Ministers as England ever "bred: which may be matter of reflection to their fucceffors, "and to those it may concern; but never can be any induce"ment to any English Parliament, to pay one Soldier more "than is abfolutely neceffary for our own use.

"Now all Rebellions, all Confpiracies, feems to be totally "extinguished, not more by the late seasonable exertion of par"liamentary juftice, than by the wife and prudent conduct of "thofe in the Administration. They have fo carefully re"viewed, and modelled the forces of this fummer in every "part of the nation, that, we are to hope, there are not left "even fo many as three or four Serjeants and Corporals, who fhall have fool-hardinefs enough to undertake again to draw the whole Army into wild and chimerical attempts. They have freed the Church from all apprehenfions of danger, by "promoting only the moft orthodox and learned part of the "Clergy to the epifcopal Dignity, and other ecclefiaftical "Preferments. They have preserved the State, by advancing "only men of diftinguished ability and experience to all great "Offices and Civil Employments. They have, which is

above all, reconciled their own animofities, and have no "other contentions now, but who fhall best serve his Majesty " and the Public, without any views of accumulating im"menfe wealth to themfeives, or of aggrandizing their own "private families. Such an Administration can never need "the affiftance and protection of above eighteen thousand dif"ciplined troops. Such an Administration fhould not fuffer "the Army to run away with the reputation of their good and "great works, or to affume the glory of raifing our Credit, "enlarging our Trade, and establishing our present Prosperity.

"Nor are our Foreign Affairs in a lefs flourishing con"dition than thofe at home, fo far as I am capable of judging " from

« AnteriorContinuar »