Family-histories and genealogies : containing a series of ...
Family-histories and genealogies : containing a series of ... Family-histories and genealogies : containing a series of ...
#fl;tren=3JoJ)n!SOtt " How then can they be annul'd, or superceded, without forfeiture and legal trial, any more than the royal patents to Knights, Earls and Peers, who for eminent services have been ennobled, and rewarded with their titles of honor, with lands, with peerages &c. can " ... be " taken away without forfeiture and legal trial ? In short, our charters are so well founded that we think they can't be superceeded or annul'd, in a sovereign way, without danger to the free charters in Great Britain. And why may not this act, in subversion of the priveleges of our charters, in future time, be improved as a precedent against Magna Charta itself, and the other charters in England, to the ruin of their priveleges, with equal or stronger force. . . . ?" The paper of October 4 considers the evil of the measures of the British Government as tending "to destroy that good affection and confi- dence between our gracious King, the British parliament and his American subjects, which has most happily subsisted, and is highly important ;" and dwells upon the thought suggested by the sameness of human nature in all ages, and illustrated and enforced by earlier English history, that those measures tend even to civil war, and threaten the loss to Great Britain of her American colonies : " Never a people more loyal than the Americans ; that more exulted in their relations to their mother country, and enjoyment of British liberties ; that had a greater affection for their sovereign, and more intire confidence in the British parlia- ment. And had the just and gentle measures of the former reign been, their loyalty had been fixed ; by fixed immoveable forever." every principle of affection, duty and interest it would have been But the treatment the colonies had received "has already had an amazing effect on the minds of many thousands, and doubtless will have a worse if continued. . . ." " Do not these measures tend to a very fatal Civil War ? I hope, in the mercy of God, things may never be pushed to this bloody, this dreadful, issue ! which must be attended with infinite ill consequences to the Mother country and Colonies ; and, considering the advantage France and Spain would certainly make of such a crisis, could scarce fail of ending in the ruin of England and America. 330
#fl5en=3JoJ|nson ". . . Suppose human nature the same as in foregoing ages, and that like causes will have like effects—and what the probable consequence ? What were the grievances that have caused the most terrible civil wars, and rivers of blood, in England ? Was it hot the superceeding, and trampling upon, their Liberties, which had been held by common law, time immemorial ; and afterwards confirmed in the Norman way, under hand and seal by charter from Henry I., and afterwards by King John ; and, particularly, sovereign judgments and executions without a trial by their peers—that were chief causes of the Baron wars, that made those noble patrons of liberty associate, shed their blood, and swear, by. him that lives for ever and ever, that they would part with their substance, and life itself, before they would part with those liberties ? Were not the raising taxes by ship money &c., without the consent of the good people of England who were to pay them, and arbitrary courts of trial, contrary to the rights of Englishmen, and the common usages of the land, principal grievances and causes of the civil war in the reign of Charles I.? Were not the unconstitutional, arbitrary courts erected, contrary to the English liberty, and usages of the nation ; corruption of trials by packed juries ; the arbitrary taking away, and trampling upon, the privileges of royal charters ; and the refusing to hear petitions and redress grievances ; arbitrary suspense of laws and executions legally obtained—among the principal civil grievances in the reign of James II. which caused the glorious revolution ? For which the nation needed and inexpres- sibly joyed in a deliverer. If A—ri—ns apprehend their grievances similar to some of these which have produced such prodigious scenes in the nation, are we sure they will never call to mind revolution principles, taken from the great Selden and the best writers of the English nation ? such as ' Where there is a right there is a remedy ; And the usage of the nation is the law of the nation, as much as the usage of parlia- ment is the law of parliament; And the law of self-preservation takes place of all the laws of compact, when they come into competition ' &c. And can we be sure they will have no effect.? Indeed, if their measures were only a sudden heat of passion, from the novelty of the tax, it might issue and die in some transient tumult only ; but, if it proceeds from a deliberate apprehension that their most important civil liberties are deeply affected ; and this uneasiness is increased and more deep rooted, the more attentively it is considered (as is now the case in fact)—then the ill effect is like to be great and lasting; and increase (and not abate) by length of time, as the weight of these measures will be more painfully felt. And what makes the matter worse is the zealous scribbling advocates for these measures seem to be councellors of Rehoboam's stamp. . . . they are . . . for adding burthen upon burthen, till they make the little finger of his present Majesty a thousand times 33 «
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#fl;tren=3JoJ)n!SOtt<br />
" How then can they be annul'd, or superceded, without forfeiture <strong>and</strong> legal<br />
trial, any more than the royal patents to Knights, Earls <strong>and</strong> Peers, who for eminent<br />
services have been ennobled, <strong>and</strong> rewarded with their titles <strong>of</strong> honor, with l<strong>and</strong>s,<br />
with peerages &c. can " ... be " taken away without forfeiture <strong>and</strong> legal trial ?<br />
In short, our charters are so well founded that we think they can't be superceeded or<br />
annul'd, in a sovereign way, without danger to the free charters in Great Britain.<br />
And why may not this act, in subversion <strong>of</strong> the priveleges <strong>of</strong> our charters, in future<br />
time, be improved as a precedent against Magna Charta itself, <strong>and</strong> the other charters<br />
in Engl<strong>and</strong>, to the ruin <strong>of</strong> their priveleges, with equal or stronger force. . . . ?"<br />
The paper <strong>of</strong> October 4 considers the evil <strong>of</strong> the measures <strong>of</strong> the<br />
British Government as tending "to destroy that good affection <strong>and</strong> confi-<br />
dence between our gracious King, the British parliament <strong>and</strong> his American<br />
subjects, which has most happily subsisted, <strong>and</strong> is highly important ;" <strong>and</strong><br />
dwells upon the thought suggested by the sameness <strong>of</strong> human nature in all<br />
ages, <strong>and</strong> illustrated <strong>and</strong> enforced by earlier English history, that those<br />
measures tend even to civil war, <strong>and</strong> threaten the loss to Great Britain <strong>of</strong><br />
her American colonies :<br />
" Never a people more loyal than the Americans ; that more exulted in their<br />
relations to their mother country, <strong>and</strong> enjoyment <strong>of</strong> British liberties ; that had a<br />
greater affection for their sovereign, <strong>and</strong> more intire confidence in the British parlia-<br />
ment. And had the just <strong>and</strong> gentle measures <strong>of</strong> the former reign been, their loyalty<br />
had been fixed ; by<br />
fixed immoveable forever."<br />
every principle <strong>of</strong> affection, duty <strong>and</strong> interest it would have been<br />
But the treatment the colonies had received "has already had an<br />
amazing effect on the minds <strong>of</strong> many thous<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> doubtless will have a<br />
worse if continued. . . ."<br />
" Do not these measures tend to a very fatal Civil War ? I hope, in the mercy <strong>of</strong><br />
God, things may never be pushed to this bloody, this dreadful, issue !<br />
which<br />
must be<br />
attended with infinite ill consequences to the Mother country <strong>and</strong> Colonies ; <strong>and</strong>,<br />
considering the advantage France <strong>and</strong> Spain would certainly make <strong>of</strong> such a crisis,<br />
could scarce fail <strong>of</strong> ending in the ruin <strong>of</strong> Engl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> America.<br />
330
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