They confider it effential. to English liberty that no man be condemned unheard, or punifhed for fuppofed offences, without having an opportunity of making his defence. They gave it as their opinion that the le giflature of Great Britain is not authorised by the conftitution to establish a religion fraught with fanguinary and impious tenets, or to erect an arbitrary form. of government in any quarter of the globe. They confider the proprietors of the foil in America as much mafters of their own property, as thofe of Great Britain are, and affirm that they are not bound to fubmit to any parliament not of their own election. They infift that the intervention of the fea which divides America from Britain, can make no difparity in ~ rights; nor can the diftance of three thoufand miles from the royal palace, make the rights of subjects less than the distance of three hundred miles. Reafon, they declare, looks with indignation on fuch diftinctions, and free fubjects can never perceive their propriety. They exprefs their amazement at the. pretenfions of the British parliament to bind them in all cafes whatsoever without exception, without their confent, and to take and ufe their property when and in. what manner they pleafe: and to make the colonifts penfioners on their bounty, and that they can hold it no longer than they vouchfafe to permit. Such declarations they confider as herefies in English politics, which can no more operate to deprive them of their property, than the interdicts of the Pope can diveft kings of their fceptres, which the laws of the land, and the voice of the people, have placed in their hands. They attribute the plan for enflaying them to that minister and his affociates, who made the late inglori ous peace, and declare that ever fince that time, that fcheme fcheme of oppreffion has been pertinacioufly carrying into execution. In this addrefs they next appeal to the mother country, how patiently they have fuffered the reftraint upon their trade in every way that could con duce to the emolument of Britain. Say they, you have exercifed unbounded authority over the the fea; you have named the ports aud nations to which alone our merchandize fhould be carried, and with whom alone we fhould trade; and though fome of these res ftrictions were grievous, we nevertheless did not com→ plain; we looked up to you as our parent flate to which we were bound by the ftrongest ties, and were happy in being inftrumental to your, profperity and grandeur. They warmly call upon the inhabitants of Britain to bear witnefs to their loyalty, and attachment of the common interefts of the whole empire, and appeal to them, if, they did not, in the laft war, add all the strength of the American continent to theforce which repelled the..common enemy. Did we not, fay they leave, our native fhores, and meet difcafe and death to promote the fuccefs of the British arms in foreign climates? And did not you thank us for our zeal, and even reimburfe us large fums of money, which you confeffed we had advanced beyond our proportion, and far beyond our abilities. To what caufes then, are we to attribute this, fudden change of treatment, and that fyftem of flavery which was prepared for us at the refloration of the peace? They add, before we had recovered from the dif treffes which ever attend war, an attempt was made to drain our country of money by the oppreffive ftamp act. Painted glafs, and other commodities, which you would not permit us to purchase of other nation's, were taxed: Nay, though no wine is made in any country fubject to the British ftate, you prohibited us from procuring it of foreigners, without paying a tax impofed by your parliament on all we imported, Thefe, fay they, and many other impofitions, were laid upon us unjustly and unconstitutionally, for the express purpose of raifing a revenue. In order to filence complaint, it was indeed provided that this revenue fhould be expended in America for its protection and defence. But, fay they, these exactions, however, can receive no juftification from a pretended neceffity of defending us. They are lavishly squander. ed, on court favourites and minifterial dependents, generally avowed enemies to America, and employing themselves by partial representations, to traduce and embroil the colonies. For the neceffary fupport of government here, fay the colonists, we ever were, and ever fhall be ready to provide. And whenever the exigencies of the ftate may require it, we fhall, as we have hitherto done, chearfully contribute our full proportion of men and money. To inforce this unconftitutional and unjuft fcheme of taxation, every fene that the wifdom of our British ancestors had carefully made against arbitrary power, has been violently thrown down in America, and the inestimable right of trial by jury taken away, in cafes that touch both life and property. It has been ordained that whenever offences fhould be committed in the colonies against particular acts, impofing various duties and restrictions upon trade, the profecutor might bring his action for the penalties in the court of the admiralty; by which means the fubject loft the advantage of being tried by an honeft and uninfluenced jury of the vicinage, and was fubject to the fad neceffity of being judged by a creature of the crown, and according to the courfe of law which exempts the prefecutor from the trouble of proving his accufation, and obliges the defendant defendant either to evince his innocence or fuffer. To give this new judicatory the greater importance, and as if with a defign to protect false accusers, it is further provided that the judge's certificate of their having being probable causes of seizure and profecution, fhall protect the profecutor from actions at common law, for recovery of damages. In this addrefs it is alfo reprefented, that although juftice is impartially administered in all the colonies, yet by the conftruction of fome, and the direction of other acts of parliament, offenders are to be taken by force, together with all fuch perfons as may be pointed out as witneffes, and carried to England there to be tried in a diftant land by a jury of strangers, and fubje& to all the disadvantages that refult from want of friends, want of witneffes, and want of money. The colonists in this address do not forget to take notice of the tea act, with a design to raise a revenue in America; and it must be allowed they represent this affair both warmly and judicioufly. They obferve, that when the defign of raifing a revenue from the duties upon tea, imported into America, was in a great measure rendered abortive by their ceafing to import that commodity, a fcheme was concerted by the miniftry with the East India company, and an act paffed enabling and encouraging them to tranfport and vend their tea in the colonies. Aware of the danger of pergiving fuccefs to this infiduous manœuvre, and of mitting a precedent of taxation thus to be established among us, fay they, various methods were tried to elude the stroke. The people of Bofton, then ruled by a governour, whom, as well as his predeceffor, Sir Francis Bernards, all America confiders as her enemy, were extremely embaraffed. The fhips which had arrived with the tea were, by his management, prevented prevented from returning. The duties would have been paid; the cargoes landed and expofed to fale; a governour's influence would have procured and protected many purchafers. While the town' was fufpended by deliberations on this fubject, the tea was deftroyed. But fuppofing, fay, the colonists, a trefpafs was committed, and the proprietors of the tea entitled to damages; the courts of law were open, and judges appointed by the crown prefided in them, The Eaft India company, however, did not think proper to commence any fuits, nor did they even demand fatisfaction either from individuals, or from the community in general. The ministry officiously made the cafe their own, and the great council of the nation defcended to intermeddle with private property. Divers papers, letters, and other unauthenticated ex parte evidence, were laid before them; neither the perfons who deftroyed the tea, nor the people of Boston, were called upon to answer the complaints. The miniftry being incenfed in being difappointed in a favourite fcheme, were determined to recur from the little arts of fineffe, to open force and unmanly violence. The port of Boston was blocked up by afleet, and an army placed in the town. Their trade was to be fufpended, and thoufands reduced to the neceffity of gaining fubfiftance from charity, till they should fubmit to pass under the yoke, and confent to become flaves, by confeffing the omnipotence of parliament, and acquiefcing in whatever difpofition they might think proper to make of their own lives and properties.. Having reprefented this ftate of facts, they then warmly exclaim, Let juftice and humanity ceafe to be the boaft of your nation! Confult your hiftory, examine your records of former tranfactions; nay, turn te |