march 6 1778 ' the number 418 north-g^rolin gazette with the lateft advices foreign and domestic semper pro libertate et bono publico from the london evening post th e fituation of this country becorues more and more critical and calls loudiy for our moil ferious attention dangers ir.uit ; piy upon us difficulties iocreafe and uitr american war initead of open ing to us in its progrefs any piofped cf fuccefi only difcovers in the cle irelfc point of view the impolicy and in expediency of oar endeavours as we as the imminent perils to which we arj txpoftd by ma;ijy perftvering in this abfurd and chimeiica project the general acqiuefceace and placid langour which now pre vails under our accumulated evils i 3 10 me of all things the moft a'toniihing the har.dicraftfman or m-<e<jfacturer who is put out of employ the nasrehaftt that lofea his coofigements and the man of unded property who is loaded with un additional borthen on his eftaa to fappoit thefe mc&fures or blot.dihed and ppreti-n matf 1 ffroimd imagine frfl the loads with which ■ ■•■ are feparath encumbered a:iu uniefs the nature 2nd d # fi i 1 oi man is ro~al y revtrrfed oujrht as they have evi dent rc^fon to complain again s tucir opprrftors the diiintereitei patriot wr.o caruio but foreiee the certain ruiaofhis coui-oy approa hi)j s , viii2;_-3 the very exiftence cf britain 33 a ration itak"d or the event of this ca;/.j.iiign iho^ld be urder apprehenfions greate than thofe wh:ch giitjrb any of the jorcg ing orders of nun i his tears a.e excited by m tc generous and benevolent motives the love cf bis country and the prefervation of the lives ol mankind yet hov canes i that w are a'l o tiani.i 1 j a;:d turter adaiiniiiratiog almoft without a murmur to cariry on a war not o y unji i in its commencement dangerous uv.d prejudicial in its cou quen^es bat which threaten rain ad orul oc;i itioi i che c»d for exceptiij^g the motion made ionic tim iince by that renowned patriot and la tefman the bar of chaih-na whole magnani mity and zeai cannot uv fufficicatly admiicd by his countrymen we have of late fcarce ittade any oppouciun to ih'-fe inlanous me?furc ; . v7e ought to compiain if i wa onlv to kecj alive and i-p on record the many injuries we have fuiiained ; tor my part i axpedl ibme good to ariie from our compiiints as 1 hope we fnall obtain redrefa in ti'e erd this country has ever found means of avenging its urorg 1 - the many revolutions we have experienced not only aiford »? fufficient teftirrioniai ot rhe fpi rit of our anceitors r m which we oeght never to deventrate but point oat to us in the itrongeit marjner that line of con " u!l we ought ourielves molt iiecitiily to burfue lei not mini riers in a fa'.ure day wht^n n?i.sfortune heaped upon misfor tune fhaii have brought this country to the utmoft pitch of 3e ftrucljob have any fubrerfuge by which they may eicape that piinifhmenc they have fo jailly mcfitcd le them no make pretence that they afted with the concur nre and for the be neii of the people mo fc~ih|j can be farther from the rruth — it is true the cries o poverty re sut feldorn hca j iul icarcely ever attended to every » r.e ilrives to avoid the unhappy wretch who by exp bog his o-va i'edigehee ieems to lay irlaim to the bounty or his more opulent neighbuur . thus the ftarving manufacturer and ji farcied artifan thuogh they com plain unpitied and unheard p-jrhaps prelicd into the iervice as foldiers and mariners their clamours are effectually iilcnced and a period put to their misfor:unes by a f.-dden death other mean are made ; fe of to filence rhe clamours of other men the merchant who receives a lucrative contract from go vernment by whics thp public are dc'vauae.j as in rhe cafe of the rum contracl of more than half t»e money expended will make but feeble complain cs of the lo&a he hab iuitained in other ij tnehes of trade iu like manner the man of landed property who from his acqujeieace with the meafurc-s cf government expe£b a bribe r falary from ihem in return ; or the landed man who is fo abfurd as to imagine that by taxing america if ever fuck a fcheme could be accomplifhed his own burthens would be ligh tened is very well fv.i»£fcd under thi raiftakea iaea that a merica lhoa^d be cnflaved ; though i fay thefe bafc minded men wiu are attuated by fuch grovelling and narrow princi ples will fuffer admirailration to do as they pleafe let their meafures be ewer co deferable , yet the bulk of the natioii ought to be and i aai fully perluaded if the fenfe of the people could be fairly collected the bulk of the canon are againjt theic abfurd and inicuitous meafjres now although unfortunately we cannot at this moment re medy the mifchiefs that have been committed in america ox recover any dominion over that extenfive continent we may prevent the further increafe of the evil by iniuntly terminating the war a firm union and confederacy founded on commercial views may ftill be formed ; and fjch an union wa3 it to tak<j place would perhaps be mere beneficial to this country than if we were eltabliflied in ourilrmer chims of superiority and unbound ed controul , . let us look a little to tire prefer flare ef things la that cotin try and ccnfider briefly the profped we have before us the congrefs of america who if the fsireit and moll une quivocal mode of reprefcnration can convey the fer.iv of the peo pje jtand in the place of zht whole continent and fpeaking the ientiments cf the people by whrm they were deputed they have declared that country rree ar:d independent * i he y have publiih^d to he world in the izoa folemn manner this their deter mi nation with the reafons which induced thczz to diffolre the bands of union with their mpther date this was done lat ar ?.? tie inlbnc when gnwnj howe with an army the mofl formidable anericiner faw appeared before new york this declaration has been joyfully receii . ed oy tke continent t large each pmv-nce ha in djrail giv en its.afleat and eftabtsfiied wth the utiaoft tvifdum end celi bcrati^a its own internal mxxle of poveromenr thus thirteen republicks each diiferieg in form : jt agree ing in lubltance being all buii on ru ruj bills of civil hber ty and equal freedom are in an r.'hi..t irrevocably eitablilh ed deprived of the benefits o our l^v are they to blam if tiiey ettabliih laws of their own ? i'erfecoted by us a:^d invad ed with fire and fword would not acquiefccnce under iuch ac cumulated ir.fulcs and injurie h^yc been trim in j ? therigha of f eemen called them to ariasj^ad o arms they have appeal ed driven to independency * an we be furprized that tkey have received as a conation frrnx us that fupcriority whic we were oo haoghty t hold any longer upon reafor.able ennditi brisr a federal union of the juf.cft nature conned the whole and forms them i:«:o one collective body their rren<»th and power in this manner united fecir to be eq>;al to the declara tion they have inr.de ; and the ridicule f an imnienfe continent continuing to be governed by an ifland at foer thoufand mile dittantj is too apparent to efcape the ataaott deri£*on and con tenipr the abfolure fjecefs of their arms a the fi--fi camra'gn and the delay and diiturbance they g£ie c our colir^lcd force in the fecend when in reality we ejected mthinj but received con fide able icift-j are to me fuificient indications of their abilities to prelerve their liberties and maintain independence and yet at this moment we arc entering upon a third campaign wiih fewer advantages than e->\:r ! our rcops diminished and d heartened periihing a weil by ie feverity vt uie climate as by the fword f the eremv ; and further as i is ftrongly ap prehended at variance with each other fo ei^o mercenaries and more mercenary e gliihmen in open difagreement the commanders inltead of appcafing rhefe tuntalu fomenting the gener;i uiiccd and maintaining among theaiielvta party da puces and private caba!o the americans on the contrary more f.rmly united thsn e ver more derarmjr.ed in their views r.rui betrer pep ed for their defence a frricler discipline eftabliihed among the k>!die ry and ia addirion to all this th?v now recrive an open an i avowed attiltance from the court of france poverty ruin ard defeat icem to be the natural coo ic^ueaces of our continuing