the many arbitrary States and Kingdoms that surround you, and shew us a single Instance of Men being condemned to suffer for imputed Crimes, unheard, unquestioned, and without even the specious Formality of a Trial; and that too by Laws made expressly for the Purpose, and which had no Existence at the Time of the Fact committed. If it be difficult to reconcile these Proceedings to the Genius and Temper of your Laws and Constitution, the Task will become more arduous when we call upon our ministerial Enemies to justify, not only condemning men untried, and by hearsay, but involving the innocent in one common punishment with the Guilty, and for the Act of thirty or forty, to bring Poverty, Distress and Calamity on thirty thousand souls, and those not your Enemies, but your Friends, Brethren, and Fellow-Subjects.
“Admit that the Ministry, by the Powers of Britain, and the aid of our Roman Catholic neighbours, should be able to carry the point of taxation, and reduce us to a state of perfect humiliation and slavery. Such an enterprize would doubtless make some addition to your national debt, which already presses down your Liberties, and fills you with Pensioners and Placemen.—We presume, also, that your Commerce will somewhat be diminished. However, suppose you should prove victorious—in what Condition will you then be? What Advantages or what Laurels will you reap from such a Conquest?
“May not a Ministry with the same Armies enslave you—it may be said, you will cease to pay them—but remember the taxes from America, the
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Wealth, and we may add, the men, and particularly the Roman Catholics of this vast Continent, will then be in the Power of your Enemies—nor will you have any Reason to expect, that after making Slaves of us, many among us should refuse to assist in reducing you to the same abject State.
“Do not treat this as chimerical—Know that in less than half a century, the quit Rents reserved to the Crown, from the numberless Grants of this vast Continent, will pour large Streams of Wealth into the Royal Coffers, and if to this be added the Power of taxing America at Pleasure, the Crown will be rendered independant on you for Supplies, and will possess more Treasure than may be necessary to purchase the Remains of Liberty in your Island.—In a Word, take Care that you do not fall into the Pit that is preparing for us.
“We believe there is yet much VIRTUE, much JUSTICE and much public Spirit in the English Nation—To that Justice we now appeal. You have been told that we are seditious, impatient of Government, and desirous of Independency. Be assured that these are not Facts, but Calumnies—Permit us to be as free as yourselves, and we shall ever esteem a Union with you to be our greatest Glory and our greatest Happiness; we shall ever be ready to contribute all in our Power to the Welfare of the Empire—we shall consider your Enemies as our Enemies, and your Interest as our own.
“But if you are determined that your Ministers shall wantonly sport with the Rights of Mankind—If neither the Voice of Justice, the Dictates of the Law, the Principles of the Constitution, or the Suggestions of Humanity can restrain your Hands from shedding HUMAN BLOOD in such an impious Cause, we must then tell you, that we never will submit to be Hewers of Wood or Drawers of Water for any Ministry or Nation in the World.
“The People of England will soon have an Opportunity of declaring their Sentiments concerning our Cause. In their Piety, Generosity, and good Sense, we repose high Confidence; and cannot, upon a Review of past Events, be persuaded that they, the Defenders of true Religion, and the Assertors of the Rights of Mankind, will take Part against their affectionate Protestant Brethren in the Colonies, in Favour of our open and
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their own secret Enemies, whose Intrigues, for several Years past, have been wholly exercised in sapping the Foundations of civil and religious Liberty.”
Printed and published for the Authors, by T. W. SHAW, in Fleet-Street, opposite Anderton’s Coffee House, where Letters to the Publisher will be thankfully received.
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THE
CRISIS
| NUMBER VI | To be continued Weekly. |
| SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1775 | [Price Two-pence Halfpenny |
Is there not some hidden CURSE in the Stores of HEAVEN, Red with uncommon Wrath, to BLAST the Man who Owes his GREATNESS to his COUNTRY’S RUIN.
To the Right Honourable LORD NORTH, First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Ranger of Bushy Park, &c. &c.
My LORD,
WE know not which is most to be detested your Lordship’s PUSILLANIMITY, or your VILLAINY, such a Miscreant never before disgraced the Administration of any Country, nor the confidence of any King; one Day you are all Fire and Sword, Boston is to be laid in Ashes, and the Rivers of America are to run with the BLOOD of her Inhabitants; Ships are prepared, Troops embarked, and Officers appointed for the threatened Carnage; you no sooner find, the
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brave Americans are determined to resist your Instruments of Slaughter and to oppose the cruel Designs of a despotic Tyrant, to rob them of their Rights; than all the bravadoing, and all the blustering of your Lordship, is immediately softened into a Calm, and you Relax; FEAR seizes your dastardly Soul, and you sink beneath the Weight of accumulated Guilt.
One Day we hear of nothing but accusations, Proscriptions, Impeachments, and Bills of Attainder against the Patriots in America, and they are speedily to be apprehended, and to receive a Punishment due to their Crimes, due to Rebels; three Days do not elapse before this JUST and NOBLE resolution of your Lordship to bring those Traitors to a Trial is dropped, and lenient, or, no Steps are to be taken against them.
Another Day ALL the Colonies are in a state of REBELLION, and the last Advices received from America, you tell the House of Commons, were of a very alarming Nature, and such a daring Spirit of Resistance had manifested itself throughout the Continent, that it was now high time Parliament should adopt Measures for ENFORCING obedience to the late Acts, a Plan is no sooner proposed by you, but carried by a ROTTEN MAJORITY, for reducing them to a state of Subjection to your, and your Royal Master’s WILL; and Bloodshed and Slaughter stare them in the Face; they laugh at your impotent Malice, and with a spirited firmness becoming of Freemen, DARE you to the Stroke; when behold, your Threats, and the resolutions of your venal Troop, (I will not call it a British Senate) become like the Threats and Resolutions of a Society of Coal Porters, who declare Vengeance against another Body of Men, who will not comply with their UNLAWFUL IMPOSITIONS, but, FEAR the next Day without even the shadow of Justice on their side to carry their desperate Designs into execution.
The Motion you made, my Lord, in the House of Commons on Monday last, for a SUSPENSION of the several American Acts, till it is known WHICH of the Provinces will raise a REVENUE, and contribute to the Luxuries of the parent State, subject to the Controul of the British Parliament, is a Subterfuge too low, and too thinly disguised to deceive the Americans, or to impose upon the understanding of the meanest Capacity; it is evident to the World this is only a villainous Plan to divide
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them, who, while united together, may bid defiance to all your Lordship’s cunning fraud, force, and villainy.1
