that was the cafe, he had not received it legally, nor were those true notifications of the act, as the gover. nor when out of the province, and the attorney-ge neral when in it, could not, with regard to this com munication, be confidered in any other light than a private perfons. They gave feveral inftances of the province having fuffered from the accidental detention of government information, fufficient to prove that certain forms were abfolutely to be used in all matters of government, especially fuch as related to authenticating new laws of fuch immenfe consequence to that province. It is highly probable that they had receiv ed many laws through channels not more authentic than this now mentioned, but as this was more contrary to their inclination, they were difpofed to make the more objectious to it.

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But the colonifts devised a better method to avoid the stamp act. The merchants throughout all these colonies entered into the most folemn engagements to each other, to order no more goods from great Britain, whatever should be the confequence, and to recal the orders they had already given, if not exécuted before the ift of Jannuary, 1766; and they refolved further, not even to difpofe of any British goods fent them upon commiffion, that were not fhipped before that day; or if they confented to any relaxation from thefe engagements, it was not to take place till the ftamp act, fugar act, and paper money acts were repealed. The people of Philadelphia alfo refolved by a large majority, that till fuch a repeal should happen, no lawyer fhould put in fuit for a demand for money, owing by a refident in America to any one in England; nor any perfon in America, however indebted in England, make any remittances there. This refolution was adopted by the retailers, who unanimously

"

agrees

agreed not to buy any more English goods fhipped contrary to these refolutions. Ages to come will be a mazed that feparate governments, and fo many colonies diftinct from each other, fhould have united fo fpeedily in one interest, notwithstanding the influence of government agents among them, who both op pofed all their measures, and endeavoured to fruftrate all their defigns. Ideas of freedom, when people are. not too much vitiated through the power of venality and diffipation, will produce marvellous effects on the behaviour of a people.

This controverfy between the mother country and the colonists was for a feafon of great fervice to Ire land. What goods the Americans could not poffibly want, they ordered from that country, in exchange for their hemp and flax-feed, of which they sent yearly a great quantity.But in the mean time they pursued every rational method to free themfelves from that dependence. A fociety of arts, manufactures, and commerce, was inftituted at New-York in imitation of that of London, and markets were opened for the fale of home-made manufactures. It foon appeared that neither the natives nor thofe manufacturers which they had invited from Britain and other nations, were idle; they gave good encouragement, and they found workmen in abundance. They made progress in the woollen and linen manufacturės, in feveral species of coarfe iron-ware, malt, fpirits, and paper-hangings. Thefe were fhewn to the fociety. and approved, and when brought to the market were greedily purchased: and to furnish materials for the woollen work, most of the inhabitants came to a refo-! lution to eat no lamb;-and to extend this defign more univerfally, they determined not to deal with any butcher that should kill of expofe any lamb to fale for

a

a limited time. The spirit of industry prevailed to fuch a degree, and fo far took place of idlenefs and profu. fion, that the most substantial people were among the first to fet an example to their countrymen, by wearing home-fpun or old clothes, rather than make use of any British manufactures, of which they were wont to be madly fond. Such were the efforts of all ranks, and fuch wife and prudent measures did they pursue, that many began to think what they formerly had imagined impoffible, was exceedingly probable, and that in a little time the colonies would be able to fupply themselves with every neceffary of life. Where ideas of freedom once prevail, the arts, fciences, and every other branch of profitable knowledge will attend them. Slavery enfeebles the mind, and renders all the faculties thereof stupid, dull, and inactive: Men who know not the nature of freedom, may toil like beafts of burden, or chaunt like birds in a cage, at the pleasure of their masters; but they enjoy no rational pleasure, nor poffefs the enjoyment of creatures, dignified with reafon and divine understanding. It is fomething amazing that men who profefs to be great and wife, fhould not take pleasure in seeing others as wife, great, and happy as themselves, but fhould have the ambition to think that the Deity gave all men the fame faculties, with a defign to make them the fervants of a few, and never to be their own masters.

As one thing generally leads to another, the Americans began to enter into a refolution, which in its confequences would have made the mother country feel the fruits of her folly effectually. It was pro posed to stop the exportation of tobacco from Virginia and South Carolina to Great Britain; which confidering the great quantities of that article which are re-exported from Great Britain, and the immenfe

fums

fums fo infenfibly raised, by home confumption, her trade, and efpecially her revenue, could not fail of be ing greatly affected. These were notices to the mo ther country of what a refolute people will determiney and had the been fo wife as to have profited by those warnings, fhe and her colonies might have for ages to come lived in friendship and dependance upon each o ther.

As the rife and spring of the prefent war in Ame rica ought first to be investigated before we can des termine on either fide of the question, it must be obferved here, that one pretence for beginning and carrying it on is groundiefs and frivolous. It has often been affirmed that the taxes intended to be impofed on the colonies, were only defigned to indemnify the mother country for the expence of protecting them in the last war. To fet this point in a clear, light, it may be remembered, that in the year 1754, when the French were making encroachments on the crown lands in America, and interrupted the trade of that country with the Indians, a war was apprehended, and commiffioners from a number of the colonies met at Albany, to form a plan of union for their mutual defence. The plan they agreed to was this, "That a grand council be chosen by the affemblies and fent from all the colonies; which council, together with a governor-general to be appointed by the crown, fhould be empowered to make general laws to raise money in all the colonies for the defence of the whole. This plan was fent to the govern ment in England for their approbation, and had it been approved and established by authority, English America at that time thought itself fufficiently able to defend itself against the French without any affift

ance.

Several of the colonies in former wars with

ftood

stood the whole power of the French without affift ance from Britain, or any other quarter. The plan: was rejected, and a new one formed in its ftead; in which it was propofed that the governors of all the colonies, attended by one or two members of their respective councils, fhould affemble and concert mea fures for the defence of the whole, erect foris, where they thought proper, and raise what troops they thought neceffary, with power to draw on the treafury in England for the fums that fhould be wanted; aud the treafury to be reimbursed by a tax laid on the colonies by act of parliament. This new plan was communicated by Governor Shirley to Doctor Franklin, who was then at Bofton, whofe thoughts at that time on the fubject will throw confiderable light upon this controverted point. The enemies of this renowned philofopher must confefs, that it is impoffible to anfwer his arguments; but the reader fhall judge for himself.

"SIR,

Tuesday morning.

"I return the loofe fheets of the plan, with thanks, to your excellency for communicating them...

"I apprehend, that excluding the people of the colonies from all fhare in the choice of the grand coun cil, will give extreme diffatisfaction, as well as the taxing them by act of parliament where they have no r prefentative. It is very poffible, that this general government might be as well and faithfully administered without the people as with them; but where heavy burdens have been laid upon them, it has been found ufeful to make it, as much as poffible, their own act; for they bear better when they have, or think they have fhare in the direction; and when any pub