North Carolina Gazette

              may 12 1775 t h e number 323 north-carolina gazette with the jateft advices foreign and domefticlc semper pro libertate et bono puklico govbrnor johnstone's speech en the shteflion far r committing ihc addrefs de claring the colony e/'maftachufetts-fiay m rebel lion mr sp.kaker j q e !•' o r e you pronounce this dreadful fej ft sentence upon a meritorious b £ sober industrious people cift i hrlkr,y'.^m l r?t * °"^ e wiu indulge inc.wkh jbh*_jf ■ ty fowe myfelf and likewife with a • ,„ view of tranfmitting my character fair to pofterity when chofe black scenes hall be examined without prejudice the real qjeition before us is upon mie proper meafures to be parljcd rcfpecling oar fellow sub jects in jamerica in order lojud^e of this we mart con/!dtf the real cause ofdifpute i lay the lumtantcal difference rums on the right of , taxation molt of the advocates 03 the other side have endeavoured to flur this point and al ledge that the claims of the americans extend far beyoiyl this article and that the act of navi gatioru'itifflf is in danger — kat it is hnpoifible forajfljumus mind to read th-j material papers |^^ t ihat this is illusory the con milf of their trade as neceilary in rile mutual tjssttaexioft and the inductions from phiiadel whia on which 0|e proceedings of the gohgrefs wchiefly formed,'avow these doctrines in more full and explicit terras this method of . candemnipk men by inverencf and con jftcture contrary to their rejx-a ed declaratii aiilh-i cannot approve % i feah therefore bend the while force of ray argument to the original caui'c quarrel taxation t . the great and only secret yet fnnnd o'nt for pre jferving the liberties of mankind frojn the l'ri iioachrtlents of th?r power wh?ch is neceqiv /©£*-* fjbilin frii^tr ;■ "' -«±-~-^. ett of the purs'a this was the subject oi con tention in the civil wars of charles the firft : it i this privilege alone which makes the houfj of commons refp&aawe : 1 his was the point which | hampden obtained for us ! and i leave every o.ie acquainted with the hiftory of thole memora ble times to determin in his own mind " whe ther we ihould ever have enjoyed this blcfiing if he h i tamely paid the tax and had rot re sisted from this power we derive the cer tainty of affembling the reprefentatives r the peo ple j by this redreis of grievances mav pre ede . supplies and the se:urity that the exe.rcife will not be abufed is derived from hence that the hoefc cannot iinpofe on others what they are not to reel themfelves hy the principles 61 the conftitution every man lioulrl be represented ; but the devia tion'from i rale t nice for practice i t.i'ely borne becaufe the intere of every particular i member remains as a pledge that v < v individual | can be overbu^thened : when this security is re moved there is no i mger safety for thol : to whom the faft does not apply what is the cafe rcl peif.in r the american p does any member feel himfelt affefted by the impofitions he hall lay nn them nay does not the contrary prin ciple prevail ? the more he fliall hurtiiln america the more he will relieve himfelf -- udge iiobbert fays " if an t of parlin inent was made conftituting a man a judgi in his own caufe it would be voi i by the law oi n i tare yet fuch is the pre ife situation in which \ we contend we ought '->~> be placed refpedting the american and for the denial or which we are ready to condemn our fellow subject to all the 1 or tures enadted by the laws of treafon let us look round and view the fate of different states that have yiculed or preferved the privileges for which the americans contend so foon as the cortes loft this power their slavery was com telc.it portugal has now no veltige of this pallidium here is tyranny fupreme ! in france where the traces are left as in the pa-s d cuit their happinela is diftinguilhablc from the mifcry of other parts in britain we are yet free becaufe we retain it in holla n i switzerland and the other states of europe they are more or lefs fa a3 they preferve it what are the circumftances that dillinguilh and protect the british colonies from thole of o vhek n^tiuns } the reprcfcntativcs oi the peo pie met in gei«ral assembly and the trial by jury if the syflem of taxation by the parlramen of great-britain taktrs place what being can b co credulous as to expect the affemblies of the eople will ever m<et ; and it is confeited that adnirulty courts difclaiming tri als by jury urt ne<ch"ary to enforce hi species o'f taxation mere tien are i-.'l tlie tiicntiai i'livi . itzlz of n iifilli^bjbtf i ".- "" l n»v^n fljii cl&tfltkpi " stifr tfti fssitmcreittif i c c no wry concern ed in the contrary scsiv f'ru.e t!ie profperjty oi the colonies mult ever p|ove the riches and glory of england nothing in the absurd pride or narrow jgnoj.ance of tte present admimstra'i ion can !».• thrown into it - when once this s liqm takes p'i.ce we mail then feel the ty ranti y a|id oppreiiion of governor with ail their train of dependents as in the pro vinces of rome which are now iju-ited as an ex ample thus much fuppofirg the americans right in the difpute a 1 believe they are ; but fuppofing them wrong 1 flull now late their kxcuiev and fee what heart can condemn them and retain any claims to humanity the qoeition cortcrrniiig t!ie right to tax the meats is difficult u common ar>prohenfions montesquieu ifas obi'crved that i dvfpo tifffl every f iiirtg ovgh to depend on tivo or three ideas as for injuncr u there anv thing fo fit to falve this difpure as the l mty of the ijritilh emprre-.the supremacy of ihe legiilative authjrityvf great britain the omnipotence of par^'ajment ? is there any man fo ignorant after haviitj hcahl thofe sounding words as not clearly to comprehend the wl)oie of the cbntrover fy p16^3ini thinking creatures who aitaccuf _ t;>medt ro coh^dcr tht t ccy>ni»rat«t.l 1 lv j i^j^s a have r.evcr dilturbed theii repofe with fuch dry confederations can liave no doubt on tlii matter lie that as it may certain it is that the difcuflion of this mcfl important queftion was debated in this iflembly by the greatest ab1li hes after the fullest information that ever ac companied an political quelhpns the decifion was in favour of the americans j the stamp acl was repealed 1 admit that principles of expedu ci are alledged u the reas n in the preamble of the bill ; bat the men wh > bold ly denied during this difculfion the power of taxing the colonies a conftitutional exifling in the commons ol great britain naiffely lord chatham and lord camden ivlen of as extraordinary 1'alents as ever adorni j society the one was made prune minifter the other na creat ed a peer and lord high chancellor ol great-bri tain the keeper of the king's coiifcience ! what american could have retained any doubt ol iiis caufe in the mind of his majelty or the nation after fuch a deciiion f the compromifing adi foon followed for the sake of gratifying a partyj violat iii all the principles of commerce and policy in the lump-giving drawbacks here exacting duties r re committing the power and authority of the nntiun on subjects which never could produce any el tual revenue and this in a manner that all men of benfe mull e cr c ind mn when the american ■. faw v thi act of parlia ment thai the great quellion was likely again to return upon thfcm in i - prog re fs of tune through ; the creed ignorance or caprice of statefmen they meet the poiition in fly circuitous qucf tionable shape they recurred to their old princi ples they revolted againrt the preamble they tranfmitted petition and all failing they enter ed into non»importation agreements this pro duced lord hlllsborough's circular let ter which 1 will repteat again and again till a contrary conducl is purfued ; for no fatisfaftory anfwer can be jjiven about it while the pielent doftrinea are avowed the americans thus fortified in their opinion concerning the points of taxation are unanimous ag \ i nst our power hum nova scotia to georgia if there be any doubt on this l\ici why not call governor eden we are told he lately ar rived it would have been becoming to have pro duced him 12 at 1 call on his relations friends r itny man to contradict me in this after tion " that the americans rc .. auimous aguintl this power of taxation as lodged in jw lint li 1 ar ljamcnt they are relolved to re.mt ; d iuioe you have placed them in ;; situation where they niuit cither be reb 1 .-, or staves the blame mull lie with thofe who have drove them ro this d.leimia j 11 jlifcuffing riie iil:.,.h of aloio'j n ~ i its n atiifs ' twlij vefcan be ilefincxi or admitted ys lawful the aril ofactr of the crown has tmr - jv xpre/ted piy idea on this subjee the j*rin ciple ihould vievu be exringuilhcd in any govern ment much left in a free country yhe occasion mull ever be referred to the general feelings of tijankind now if depriving a trading town of its commerce — if cutting off whole societies from th benefit of the elements which god has given them — if proceeding to deprive them of the • fiftiery their subfiflance if altering their char ter and annihilating all their rights without her.ring them in dcfefice*r-if cftabliihing in it .'■■' stead a new form of government which leave all things in co.ifuhon — if erecting a syftcm of tyrannv in their neigh&tnirhood and estav ellblilng no h the abfurditiejmfrtf h repveh?htatlves*nfa^^(^raeterinin(?d ufelefs . inicrior duties ihviedojjf'&st of parliaments in fliort precedents for tife violation cf eve y thing we hom meft facred in this country : i fay if ails like the^e can vindicate reultance . the a mericak3 can quote thesjn^and i god and the world muit judge between us for my own part i confider wtth lord somers '* that treafon afcainft ths coi stitution is the first species of that crime aits of parlia ment are facred things and yet they may l^e f ma^-g i ri»idir,g.^ht^e^c j ci£atlaniguid : that hanto .^, jsejbto 1 — »— * — iph aurvrny — ttojjcei t and were hanged for aftin-—ac cording :•) aft of parliament i have now ftated the arguments which fliould induce you to paufe at leaft before you take this ir retrievable brep i ihdl examine next the confe quences suppoft we fhould succeed in futduine the americans is it not dear from henceforward that we inuil govern them by ivulitary force mull not oar army be increa ed in i'ropuru'on r while his majeity retains the power of moving his troops from one part of his dominions to another can there be any safety for the liberties of this country if the mortification begins at the ex treivilties will it not foon communicate to he centre r every man acquainted with the hif tory of nationsi mull forefee the confequences if we fail in the attempt whiih is the h;ippidt event that can occur what diiliculties may not difguit irritations and ill the horrors of civil war engender while the juitice and moderati on of this country are blotted from the face of the earth and the accumulated expence when the springs of riches cut off mull shake public credit to the very centre the noble lord his hinted " if repealing the tea lax would do he would yield that and he fpeaks even faintly on the 1'ower of taxation it tlide arc hit principles we are yet more inexcufa b!e we are going to punifli men for ma1n tainig what we rc ready to yield and to engage the nation in ehdlefs expettce for the sake of a qjj1ddity since whether renounced on the principles of expediency or right the s.-uis faction mw be equally com pleat to the americans r^uc the noble lord alledges " that yieluing the point of taxation would not now do 1 his is conjecture on his part : bui at leait it would pro duce this good effi ct — we would divide the ame ricans we ihoukl unite men in this country and goto the cornell with be'.ter hopes ot succefs — the proofs the noble lord j i v c for lm opinion are feveral indiscrete ads ol different meet ings fincc the i ill c iiiuli n in america such detail never affe&s me 1 t'.ink ho condufion ea:i be drawn from them in all civil v ars when the people are let loofe to i albn <■!! government a i houfand ablurd doctrines are broached u apply ins to ur own countr — let u i i tmember all the ridiculous circumftances which hudibras lias painted better than i can but fhaold the gklat cause of j icerty in whith g r