inhabitants of the United States of America." In it 1778. they recapitulate in a masterly and affecting manner the occurrences and state of the three preceding years. Their language is calculated to seize and lead the paffions captive at pleasure. When they come to the French treaties, they fay-"You have ftill to expect one fevere conflict. Your foreign alliances, though they secure your independence, cannot fecure your country from defolation, your habitations from plunder, your wives from infult or violation, nor your children from butchery. Foiled in the principal defign, you must expect to feel the rage of disappointed ambition. Arife then! to your

tents! and gird you for battle. It is time to turn the headlong current of vengeance upon the head of the deftroyer. They have filled up the measure of their abominations, and like fruit muft foon drop from the tree. Although much is done, yet much remains to do. Expect not peace, while any corner of America is in poffeffion of your foes. You must drive them away from this land of promife, a land flowing indeed with milk and honey. Your brethren at the extremities of the continent, already implore your friendship and protection. It is your duty to grant their request. They hunger and thirst after liberty. Be it yours to difpenfe to them the heavenly gift. And what is there now to prevent it?" They afterward hold up to their view-the fweets of a free-commerce with every part of the earth, foon to reimburse them for all the loffes they have sustained; the full tide of wealth to flow in upon their fhores, free from the arbitrary impofitions of thofe, whose intereft and whofe declared policy it is to check their growth;-and the nourishing and foftering of their in

1778. terefts by governments, whofe power will be derived from their grant; and that will therefore be obliged, by the influence of cogent neceffity, to exert it in their favor. They clofe with-" It is to obtain these things that we call for your ftrenuous, unremitted exertions. Yet do not believe that you have been, or can be saved, merely by your own ftrength. No! it is by the affiftance of Heaven; and this you must affiduoufly cultivate by acts which Heaven approves. Thus fhall the power and happiness of thefe fovereign, free, and independent states, founded on the virtue of their citizens, increase, extend and endure, until the Almighty fhall blot out all the empires of the earth." That this animated, but in some instances, extravagant address, might have its full operation, and to the utmost extent, they recommended to ministers of the gofpel, of all denominations, the reading or the caufing of it to be read, immediately after divine fervice, to the inhabitants of the United States, in their refpective churches and chapels, and other places of religious worship. A week after, they refumed May 15. the fubject of making an allowance to officers after the war, and then refolved unanimously, "That all military officers commiffioned by congrefs, who now are or hereafter may be in the fervice of the United States, and shall continue therein during the war, and not hold any office of profit under these states or any of them, fhall, after the conclufion of the war, be entitled to receive annually for the term of seven years, if they live fo long, one half of the prefent pay of fuch officers; provided that no general officer of the cavalry, artillery or infantry, fhall be entitled to receive more than the one half part of the pay of a colonel of fuch corps; and provided that

this refolution fhall not extend to any officer, unless he 1778, shall have taken an oath of allegiance to and fhall actually refide within fome one of the United States."

All later proceedings of congrefs must be deferred till another opportunity.

On April the twenty-fifth, the Maffachusetts affembly fent a letter to congrefs giving the reasons why they refrained from paffing the regulating act, viz. their apprehenfions that it could not be carried into execution, and that it would be attended with the most fatal confequences. They have paffed an act for prefcribing and establishing an oath of fidelity and allegiance. Perfons refufing it, are to be fent off by order of council, within forty days after such refufal, to some port in the dominions of the king of Great Britain.

The declaration of independence made it neceffary for the South Carolinians to new model their temporary form of government. The inhabitants, inftead of choofing delegates to meet in convention for that business, intrusted their representatives with it; and the elections in every part of the ftate were conducted on the idea, that the members chofen, over and above the ordinary powers of legiflators, fhould have that of framing a new conftitution. Thus authorized, in January 1777, they entered upon the bufinefs. They did not proceed to give a final fanction to their deliberations; but the model they had agreed to was printed in the form of a bill, and fubmitted to the examination of the people at large for the fpace of a year. Such was the prevailing approbation, that when it came before the legiflature, the general affembly and legislative-council proceeded in

1778, terefts by governments, whofe power will be derived from their grant; and that will therefore be obliged, by the influence of cogent neceffity, to exert it in their favor. They clofe with-" It is to obtain these things that we call for your ftrenuous, unremitted exertions. Yet do not believe that you have been, or can be saved, merely by your own ftrength. No! it is by the affiftance of Heaven; and this you muft affiduoufly cultivate by acts which Heaven approves. Thus fhall the power and happiness of thefe fovereign, free, and independent ftates, founded on the virtue of their citizens, increase, extend and endure, until the Almighty fhall blot out all the empires of the earth." That this animated, but in some instances, extravagant addrefs, might have its full operation, and to the utmost extent, they recommended to minifters of the gofpel, of all denominations, the reading or the caufing of it to be read, immediately after divine service, to the inhabitants of the United States, in their respective churches and chapels, and other places of religious worship. A week after, they refumed May 15. the fubject of making an allowance to officers after the war, and then refolved unanimously, "That all military officers commiffioned by congrefs, who now are or hereafter may be in the service of the United States, and fhall continue therein during the war, and not hold any office of profit under these states or any of them, fhall, after the conclufion of the war, be entitled to receive annually for the term of feven years, if they live fo long, one half of the prefent pay of fuch officers; provided that no general officer of the cavalry, artillery or infantry, fhall be entitled to receive more than the one half of the pay of a colonel of fuch corps; and provided that

part

this resolution shall not extend to any officer, unless he 1778, shall have taken an oath of allegiance to and fhall actually refide within fome one of the United States."

All later proceedings of congrefs must be deferred till another opportunity.

On April the twenty-fifth, the Maffachusetts affembly fent a letter to congrefs giving the reafons why they refrained from paffing, the regulating act, viz. their apprehenfions that it could not be carried into execution, and that it would be attended with the most fatal confequences. They have paffed an act for prefcribing and establishing an oath of fidelity and allegiance. Perfons refufing it, are to be fent off by order of council, within forty days after such refufal, to fome port in the dominions of the king of Great Britain.

The declaration of independence made it neceffary for the South Carolinians to new model their temporary form of government. The inhabitants, instead of choofing delegates to meet in convention for that business, intrufted their reprefentatives with it; and the elections. in every part of the state were conducted on the idea, that the members chofen, over and above the ordinary powers of legiflators, fhould have that of framing a new conftitution. Thus authorized, in January 1777, they entered upon the bufinefs. They did not proceed to give a final fanction to their deliberations; but the model they had agreed to was printed in the form of a bill, and fubmitted to the examination of the people at large for the fpace of a year. Such was the prevailing ap-. probation, that when it came before the legislature, the general affembly and legiflative-council proceeded in