The Freeman's journal, or, New-Hampshire gazette. [volume], June 08, 1776, Image 2

About The Freeman's journal, or, New-Hampshire gazette. [volume] (Portsmouth, N.H.) 1776-1778

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a legiflatare, in those perfons,who are bound
by it’s laws, unless such persons are there re
prelented, and their representatives, an{wer
able to their constituents ? Art. 10, That
theocracy is the only government intitled to
supremacy over those, who are not consulted
personally or by representation, in framing
the laws which bind them, where God him
felf is the immediate legislator ; whose uner
ring wisdom and infinite goodnefs,renders his
unlimited power over his creatures, infinitely
fafer to the whole creation, than if all or a
ny part of it, could interfere in the gracious
and beneficent dispositions of his kind provi
dence. »
This is the orthodox political faith of a
true whig ; which faith except 2 man keep
whole, entire and undivided, pure undefil’d
and unpolluted, he will loose his liberties ci
viland religious, and be in most eminent dan
>er of perithing everlaflingly.
s o ORTHODOXUS.
Mr. PRINTER.
"IN the last Boston paper were inserted the
Resolves of the very Hon. Continental
Congress, of the 15th of May, recommend
ing it to the refpéctive assemblies and con
ventions of the UnitedColoniesto adopt {uch
GovERNMENT, as thall in the opinion of
the REPRESENTATIVES of the people best
conduce to the happiness and [afety of their con
ffituents in particular, end America in general,
“I'his refoive, as it is of the most important
nature, cannot be too much considered of,
and weighed, before it is fully executed, so
far as it regards the internal police of every
colony ; and I was much pleased in reading
in the fame paper the infiruétions from the
town of Boston to their representatives ;
wherein they are peculiarly watchtul for the
happiness and fafety of the people. I think
they are deserving of our Example, and on
that account cannot be too attentively tho’t
on. 'They observe, it is ¢ffential to Liberty
that the legislative, judicial and executive pow
ers of government, be as nearly as polfihle, inde
pendent of and [eparate fromeach other, the rea
sons they give for this, are very -conclusive,
viz. where they are united in the fame persons
or number of perfons,there would be wanting that
mutual check, which is the principal [ecurity a
gainst the making arbitrary laws, and a wan
tom exercise of power in exccuting of them. At
a time when we are new modeiling the state,
every improvement upon former defeéts,
should be made ; we have seen the civil and
military powers lodged in the fame persons,
which is flill worse, and never thould, in any
account be permitted ; the powers of govern
ment ought to be divided as much as poflible,
“and every officer, whether king or fubjett,
“ought to confider himfelf as the servant of
the people, and that any power with which
he is invested, is only delegated to him for
the public good, and when he neglects that
important end, be ceases to stand in any re
lation to them, and his power, like a stream
returns to it’s fountain the People : we cannot
be too well guarded against the ambitious
views of men, who only confider the encrea
fing of their own private eflates, while the
public interest is with them, only a seconda
ry consideration : the rights of the people are
?%:{afer while under their own controul, than
“1n any,other way ; too great a power there
fore, thould not be lodged in any one man,
or bady of men : by such investments their
irfluenée sxtendsover too many departments,
thus for instance, nojudges of courts, no ex
ccative officer, civil or military, no person
whatever in government pay, should be a
member of the general court, which ought
to be as pure as the element we breath, and
it any gentleman, who is a member, should
‘gocept a public offices bis feat thould become
- yacant, and a new choice made by the town
‘gex:rhlch he belonged, and no gentleman,
whatever may be his pnblic worth, should
sustain more than one oflice in government,
and for that purpose, we ought to make every
_place ot honor, a place of so much profit-at
least, as that persons of credit and reputation
may accept them ; l acknowledge the esteem
of the people is a pearl of great price, but at
the fame time, it cannot be expelted, they
should be served for nothing, it ever was and
ever will be a maxim, That the public ought
nol 1o be bencfited by private injuries, but not
withstanding that, T have knowh {ome gen
tlemen fink their private fortunes by serving
the public, which ought not to be the case;
the labourer is worthy of his hire, and every
gentleman in public ftations,ought to be pro
vided for according to the importance ot his
oftice, and the time heisingaged in it ; thus
if a judge, he ought to be the most indepen
dent person in government, and therefore
should be genteely provided for ; and thould
be continued i~ his place, quam diu [¢ bene
gefferit, and to be removed only by impeach
ment before the General Assembly, which,
confifiing of Gentlemen, unpenfioncd and nn
placed, can determine with more integrity
and uprightness ; such a General Assembly would
be a glory to, and boast of a community,
where bribery and corruption can never en
ter, and will be ferrors to evil doers,and a praise
to them that do well. They are most proper
comptrolers of the public accounts, and ex
penditure of it’s monies, and the people will
be better secured in such men’s hands,
OBSERVATOR.
dethe PUBL I C,
HE fcllowing query and answer is
affc &ionately and refpeétfully offer’d
to the serious consideration of the
public.
——Query. Whereinis America lawfully
fubje&t to the crown of Great-Britain, or to
any other power in that Island ? The an
swer at the present timeis very obvious; that
Great- Britain, by the free consent and con
currence of the King, with the other two
branches of the legislature, having by alts of
the greatest injustice and inhumanity, and
with unparrellel’d cruelty and violence,
broke faith with America, the Jatter {tands
wholly difengag’d from, independent of,
and inconneéted with the former 3 and 1s at
free liberty to form any new plan of union
or disunion, as she thinks fit and best : But if
the question relates to former times, to days
of harmony and good understanding, the
way to discover this speculative but uneflen
tial truth, (curious perhaps, but wholly
useless and unnecefiary in the grand politi
cal change that has taken place in America)
is as evident plain and eafy.—Fiilt enquire
in what things a man may lawfully bind
himfelf, then ascertain how far and in what
manner he can righteously bind his posteri
ty, then learn wherein the charter of each
American government respectively agrees
with these two data, and the question will
be folv’d to umerring demonstration : tho’
this, as has been obferv’d, can only be mat
ter of meer curiosity, since all charters and
agreements between the two countries are
entirely cancel’d and vacated, and a {tate of
nature in America, fofar as relates to the
laws of Great Britain, has revolved upon the
former, wholly ewing to the mifconduét of
the latter ; all laws naturally returning back
into the hands of the people, or at lealt
ought so to do, as often as tyranny and op
preflion extend their lawless sway.—God
grant us a fafe deliverance from the evil ma
chinations and malicious devices, of all the
enemies to the free and independent States of
America, whenever that most perfect form
of government, the least subject of any ro
the bane of arbitrary power, shall be aflu
m’d. e
O happy revolution ! when it arrives com
pleat, how joyfully should it be welcom’d,
receiv’d, and embrac’d ; being the molft
essential means, conduéted by divine provi
dence, to preserve these wide extended Co
lonies, from anarchy and confufion, and the
fatal designs of their unnatural foes, against
the life, liberty and property, of every free
born foa of America, who has grace and
spirit, to assert and maintain these sacred
gifts of God and nature.
PLAIN DEALING.
AcC A RD
Plain Dealing presents his compliments
to Common Sense (thatis the Publick)with
the foregoing solution ot a queltion,ot great.
er importance to ic, than any fubje of it’s
attention, on this fide the grave,
LOND ON Mirch 21, 1776.
In the Debate, which arose in the com
mittee of supply last Monday night, on the
estimate of the army extraordinaries, the
death of the gallant General MONTGOME
RY was lamented in flrains of the mott pa
thetic eloquence that ever were heard in the
House of Commons. Three of the princi
pal Orators, Mr. Burke, Mr. Fox, and Colo
nel Barre, diftinguithed themselves on the
occasion, and vied with each other in the pa
negyric of that hero. General Burgoyne,
tho’ he exprefled -a firong zeal againii the
American cause, in 4 very handsome man
ner, did jutlice to his merits ; and {aid, that
all his virtues were abundanily rewarded,
when they were thus ¢ praised, wept, and
honored by the muse he lfoved.” *
Lord North censured the urqualified libe
rality of the praises bestowed on General
MONTGOMERY by the gentlemen in op
position, because they were beflowed upon a
REBEL ; and said he could not j»in in la
meniing his death as a public loss. He ad
mitted indeed, that he was brave ; he was
able ; he was humane ; he was generous ; but
still he was only a brave, able, humane, and
generous Rebel ; and {aid, that the verse of
the tragedy of Cato might be applied to him,
““ Curse on his virtues, they've undone his
country.”
Mzt. Fox rose a {econd time, and said, the
term of Rebel, applied by the noble Lord to
that excellent person, was no certain mark
of disgrace, and therefore he wasthe less ear
nest to clear him cf the imputation ; for that
all the great aflertors of liberty, the faviours
of their country, the benefaétors of inankind,
in all ages had been called REBELS ; that
they even owed the constitution, which ena
bled them to fit in that house, to aREBEL
LION.
Lord Irnham said it was a thame to punith
the poor voters of Hindon and Shaftebury for
bribery, while the names of several members
of parliament were to be f und in the lift of
contraftors, amafling sums of money out of
the calamities of their country. He moved
that the 7. ounts on the table of all the ar
ticles of extras for the army at Boston, four
crout and all, might be publithed.
Mr.Tuftual complained of an extravagant
article for pickles and vinegar for 6000 men
at Boston for three months, and said, that if
they had lived upon nothing else the whole
time, it could not have come to half the mo
ney.
Sir Joseph Mawbey objeéted to the war,
and to all the charges of it ; he was bitter
against the minifiry, and said somebody must
an{wer in the long run for this deflructive
war,
Lord North, Sir Grey Cooper, and Mr,
Pownal, spoke in support of the measures,
the expences and the resolutions of the com
mittee of supply, and on putting the questi
ons they were carried.
Mr. Burke then made the following mo
tions : -
Resolved, that it appears to this house that
the sum of £849,000 1 4s 8d farthing, char
ged as extraordinary expences of the army,
was chiefly incurred for services within the
town of Boston in North America. It pas
sed in the negative.
Resolved that ample provision for the com
fortable accomodation of our troops at Bos
ton having been made by the public, there
could be no pretence to call upon the nation
for any farther {upply. pafled in the nega
tive. ‘
Lord H— having absolutely declined the
American command, staggers ahd confounds
the minifiry. »
It may be depended upon as an abfoluie
fact, that the prince of fiunfwick positively
refufed to let his regiment go to America ;
and on it’s being insisted on,refigned his com
mission immediately. |
* Pope. - i