Engraved for Murrays History of the American War.

Pollard sculp.

Lord

GEORGE GERMAINE.

Printed for T. Robson, Newcastle upon Tyne.

our juries. And they obferved that it was unlikely that the act would ever be put in execution, as they were in hopes that fuch a feasonable fhew of to much vigour and lenity would operate to bring the colonies. to a fenfe of their duty, aud make them give over their feditious practices. These are the arguments upon the other fide, which as they have little force in themfelves, have hitherto, in the execution produced none of those effects which the authors promifed.

Administration feem to have expected more confidence from the public, than their conduct for fome years paft entitled them to, when they fay it was ungenerous to fuppofe that they would make an improper use of their power in harraffing innocent perfons, for their past conduct gave all the reason in the world to fuppofe that mercy and clemency were none of their characteristic virtues. And as they had refused to admit an enquiry into the original caufes of the disorders in the colonies, there was good reafon to conclude that impartiality would not be obferved in profecuting those who were the objects of their refentment. The colonifts had for fome time been in a state of diforder, and many irregularities had been committed, but there was a jealoufy and fufpicion that fome mifmanagement in government had been the cause thereof; it was therefore unreafonable to seek to punish the petty delinquents, without taking notice of those who had been the caufe of all thefe evils. The constitution of the government of the Maffachufetts colony, in granting that privilege to the townfhips, the privilege of electing juries, and to the affembly, the liberty of appointing the council, had never produced any ill confequences, till ambitious governors wanted to dictate to both councils and affemblies; and then they found that the conftitution of the colony was a check upon their power, and reftrainBb

ed

ed it within a certain limit. Thofe who formerly had no other object in view than to rule for the good of the community, never confidered this part of the conftitution of the colony as any hardship: they fupported their own legal dignity, and never wanted to encroach upon the privileges of the people. But fome late governors affumed power which their office did not give them, and when they could not rule the colony according to their arbitrary pleafure, because the government of the province did not allow them fo to do, they began to complain both of the form of government, and the conduct of the people, who did no more than it allowed them. It would have been no more than fair, to have made an enquiry into the conduct of government, that it might have appeared, whether the disturbances had arifen from maladminiftration inthe officers of the crown, or from the licentiousness and restleffness of the people. Had it appeared that the miniftry and governors had done their duty, it would have united all ranks in this kingdom against the colonists, and added a strength to adminiftration which would have enabled them to have pürfued their measures with more eafe and fatisfaction. But when they refused to fubmit to an enquiry, it confirmed the fufpicions of the public, that there were fomething done that could not bear a trial. The allufion to the times of the Stewarts, in the reasoning of the majori ty, and their keenefs for the revival of the ftatute of Henry the eight, encreafed the jealoufy of the colonifts, and aggravated the oppofition at home. Precedents taken from arbitrary reigns, and tyrannical princes, had but an ill appearance, and were not reckoned fuitable to the principles of the revolution, and the government of a prince of the Brunfwick line. The colonists irritated already, by what was past,

confidered

confidered thefe new meafures, as contrivances of ftate to enflave them; and they began to apprehend that government would proceed from one thing to another, till they reduced them to the ftate they were in before the revolution. What gave rife to these apprehenfions, was the fimilarity of proceedings, and the influence that the friends of the ancient family were supposed to have in the Court of Britain; these ideas were confirmed by the effays of party-writers in England, who, without confining themselves always to truth, had for fome years paft, in the most positive manner affirmed, that all the springs of government were moved and managed by an invifible agent, whose influence turned the puppets which way he pleased. Though it cannot be reasonably fuppofed that any one man poffeffed fuch influence as was fuppofed, yet the measures of the ministry were frequently fo fufpicious and inconfiftent, that they gave reafon for fuch furmifes. It is not ftrange, that the colonifts fhould have believed what was published with so much confidence in the mother country; especially when we confider that their minds by this time were warped by prejudice, and their imaginations heated with oppofition and refentment. They had petitioned without fuccefs, and remonstrated in vain; they acknowledged the fupremacy of the fovereign, and the authority of parliament to direct their trade and navigation, but nothing would please administration but abfolute dominion over their all. This they accounted contrary to their natural rights as Englishmen, and a breach of their charters; and the new proceedings of parliament they confidered as fo many chains to enflave them. Thus like a ftream that is fed by constant fupplies, their oppofition encreafed, till, like a torrent, it overflowed all bounds.

Both