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Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont fiimis en commen^ant par ia premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'iiiustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, seion le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUiVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre fiim4s it des taux de reduction diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, ii est filmA A partir de I'angie supArieur gauche, de gauche d droits, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivints illustrent ia mAthode. 1 2 3 4 5 6 ':W- i lb ■. - :^ " t louNu «v Muaj , V ^• ■-.? r Plain and Seasonable ADDRESS ^ T O THE ' FREEHOLDERS . :'.-^.-':-- V '--OF GREAT^BRITAIN The Prefent Pofture of AiFairs in A M g R I C A. ^^ •II i*-(- Curfe on hi? Virtues, they've undone his Country '— Such PopuiAi^ Humanity is Treason. Cato. IR LONDON: fainted for Richardson anJ Urquhart, unde;" * the Royal-Exchange, Cornhill. MDCCLXVI. {Price SixpiNci.] :?fta W P HI-WWiW Wl iW— III •v . y V .'. ' r'L •at.' •A'' ^t I'i «l r-.r >. i '^' + ..» I- .# -.^-.-^A-^^' ■ '■''• '^■'J r«*i.--5--. >■ ■■■ •■-i''J«";j5%ilWfr-.«<»»*«**»^«'<*»-«' ■■■'■ -i'^^ " ■ ■■: 'ik r.» .■<- - ^..0 v.: ■M ■#• # ;#■ t~L. : > . l*LAi'N and Seasonable ADDRESS, &c. .■??■ ■'t > . THERE is fcarcc any evil, natural or moral, but has had its admirers and advocates : even thofe that fecm mod abhorrent to human nature, fuch as poverty and difgrace, difeafe and pain, have been lavifhly commended by fome, and volunta- rily embraced by others. How many mag- nificent temples have been eredcd of old to the fcveral Vices ? and how many Vota- B IIQS [ ^ 1 rics arc thrre, even .it this day, ready to offer up their humble and ardent adoration to them ? The mod contemptible and ab- jedl of all qualities, which is Folly, can boaft of a celebrated Admirer, who has a- dorned her in all the graces of wit and elo- quence. There is but one evil under the fun, and that is Facflion, in whofe favour no champion has hitherto entered the lifts : and this is the more extraordinary, as fuch a number of ingenious perfons have, in all ages of the world, been handed up by her to the higheft feat of honour and prefer- ment. That not one of thefe fprightlicr Wits (hould ftep forth, and vindicate his Pa- tronefs from thofe fcul afperlions, which the duller and groffer part of mankind have thrown upon her, is the ftrongeft proof that can be given, of the baicnefs and in- gratitude of human nature. I do not dc-' fpair, however, but that fome time or other, ftie will have ample juftice done her, and that we fliall fee as fpirited and ingenious an encomium upon Fadtion, 9S the celebrated Erafmus has given us upon Folly* What induces me more particularly to [ 3 ] to this opinion is, that one of the moft ad- mired and popular Gemujes of the prcfent age, has frequently been extravagant in her praifes : not indeed in a plain, blunt, pofi- tivc manner, for that would be fulfome and aukward ; but by flrong and frequent in- uendoes, which, however delicate, were too ijntelligible to be miftaken. As a proof of what I am now advancing, I beg leave to inftance his late remarkable fpecch in an il' luftn'ous ajfembly, which could be made for no other reafon, but to throw every thing into cottfufion, and, by that means, fervc. the interefts of Fadtion in the moil effcd:ual manner. ,\ would not here be mifunder- ftood, as if I meant to aiiirm, that he was deiirous of fcrving any of thofe faiftions, which, at prefent unhappily diflradt this kingdom. No !— f le feeias to have fixakea hands fairly with them all, and they with bim. Undaunted, aad alone, he ilands upon his own bottom ; and, like another Atlas, fupports upon his ftculders the, whols Ame wean world. It is a f^lorious fight, to fee a man of his age and iniircai-j^ ties, jftrip o^ all little prejudices, and par- 7-K'i B i tia] [ 4 J tial afifedlons for this or tbat country, and put himfelf at the head of a fet of bra^e and refolute fellows, v/ho, roufed by the noble fpirit of Li-erty, are determined to burft afunder thofe artificial (hackles, which human wifdom has invented, to cramp the free and generous mind, and aflcrt the rights and privileges of nature. How un- charitable is it to impute this behaviour of his to a love of popularity, and a defire of ingrafting himfelf in the affedtions of a mob ? This, it muft be confeffed, has hi- therto been his darling paffion ; it has been the polar ftar^ by which he has regularly fteer*d his courfe through the voyage of life. To fecure this ineftimable jewel, more precious to him than the fabulous bags of wind to the provident Ulyffes, how has he watch'd and toiled, ranted and roared, bullied and hindered I He has made his very difeafes themfelves fubfervicnt to this great end ; and has either put them on, or thrown them off, as he found moft conve- nient and necelTary. Who can forget the grotcfque figure that he made, when he was brought, packed up in ikmneU to fup-^ fc^ port I 5 ] port the tottering liberties of his country ? There never fure was a happier drcfs in- vented, for roufing the paflic*^?, and mov- ing the pity of his audience, than this woollen wrapper ; which was far more- graceful, expreflive, and eloquent, than the flowing robe of Tully, or the bleeding man- tle of Caefar. But though popularity has hi- therto been the fole dear idol of his foul^ I cannot help thinking that, on a late occajiortt his views were more extenfivc and noble* Wild and enthufiaftic as his paffion for ap- plaufe may be, it could never hurry him on to fuch amazing lengths, as thofe, to which he was lately tranfported. No!— -To fet at nought the laws of his country; to ridicule the whole body of ftatutes, as mufty and obfoletcj to fight one fadlion againft an- other, and confound them both j to degrade' the dignity of p , and rob thd crown of its deareft jewel ; to throw the whole kingdom into the utmoft confufioti and perplexity. — This, methinks, was the work of a mafter, and worthy of CromweU hinvfelf. The Mighty Patriot has not yet difoovered enough of his plan, for us to de- termine * ! : [ 6 ] termine cxadly what he intends by fuch unaccountable behaviour; whether to re- duce this diftraded country to the laft ex- tremity of didrefs, and then flep in as per^ fitual dilator ; or to tranfport himfelf to Aii^erica, and head the deluded colonifls, whom he has encouraged to rebellion. If this latter is the cafe, I heartily wi(h him a fefe voyage i for if Britain gives upj her Slower of taxing the Colonies, what does it ignify to whom they belong ? fo far froni b^ing an advantage to the Mother Country* ^e;^- v/ill become her greated burden ; as (hey will jefembJc^ in the body politic, W.hat wjens and impofthumes are, in the b©.dy natural, which draw to them a difpro*; portionate fiiare of the blood and juices,^ w^ithout affording in return the leaft fupport QX nourifliment. Coniidered in this lights they are no other than excrefcences ; that \vhile they belong to us, muft inevitably Y^eaken and impoverish us ; and had better be cut off entirely, than retain fo unnatural WJ union, .:,Y.aT,-'\v ::.f;fi ^TOrrm v. i« snoY/ - ^il Ct ^f? " J., .Mt;\'Z 111. t.; ■i'stjons j: I -ft y-^'-'e-. [ 7 ] The lencrcafc of territory to Great Britain n America, fmce the peace, has made it ncccflary for feveri thoufand more forces to be kept up there, than were before the wan the expencc of maintaining which, amounts to near three hundred thoufand pounds a year. Add to this, the enormous fum of above ^ty millionst expended in proteding her from the common enemy i who would have put the bit of flavery in her mouth, and have loaded her with burthens, too heavy to be borne. Belidcs this, flie has expe- rienced every kindnef: and indulgence in her manufadorics and commerce, which it was poffiblc for the mod tender parent to afford. Need I mention the bounties that have been granted on Hemp, Flax, Tim- ber, Indico, ane feveral other Commodi- ties ? And what return has been required for all thefe weighty obligations ? A fum not exceeding fixty thoufand pounds a year, levied upon the moft able and opulent, in the ge.tleft manner, and at the propereft feafons^ There might be fome caufe to complain (though it would even then be ungrateful) if the tax was either in itfelf, •" i or t 8 ] or In the mode of collcding iti burthen* feme and oppreffive ; if it iiDpeded trade, if it fell upon the common neceflaries of life, or was impofed on the poor and labour- ing part of the people. But the very reverfe of this is manifeft in every particular ; and therefore it cannot be the tax itfetf that they objed: to, but to the power ef taxation^ which the Mother Country aiTumes over the Colonies. They look upon This as a proper opportunity to afTert their independ-* ance and freedom : they know that Britain is exhauflcd both in men and money : that every nerve and fibre was ftrained, to carry on the late war ; and that they cannot bo ilrctched any further, without the utmoH: danger of breaking. Ungrateful America, to forget that it was upon Her account, that Britain has driven herfelf to this extremity of diftrefs, to protedl her in the cnjoymfent of her rights and privileges I The Lte war did not only begin in America, but it was the fole object which Britain had/in view, du- ring feven years expence of blood and trea- fure. How ungenerous and bafe is it, there- fore, when her liberties are fecured, and • * peact I 9 ] peace reftored, to endeavour to throw off tf// obedience and lubjedtionl It is not the Stamp Aul which has occafioned thefe riots and tumults in the colonies ; no— this is only a pretence or fubterfuge. Bolt the matter to the bran, and you will find that the real grievance, the true and ultimate objedt of complaint, is, the Ad? of Navi- gation; and it is to rid themfelves of this burden, that they are now in a ftate of re- volt and rebellion. If they fucceed in their attempt to terrify and force the legiflature of Great-Britain to repeal iht Stanp A5f ; the very next ftcp they will take, and they are paving the way to it, will be to rejedl the ASl if Navigatiorit which bounds and circumfcribes their commerce. This is the true point of light, in which the feditious behaviour of the Americans ought to be confidered j and confidered in this light, it would be a mark of extreme infatuation or madnefs, to yield that to their fury, which their fober reafon could neither expccH", nor demand. Away w**h thofe idle, half-witted politicians, who make no more diflicuky of repealing tht Stamp ^A^y than of re- C pealing i I I [ lO ] pealing the 'Jew Bilh, and think that the nation would be no more afFcdcd by the one, than it was by the other ! The queftion is not whether the kingdom would be ru- ined by repealing an AB of Parliament ; but whether it is confiftcnt with the dignity of the Britifh legiflature, or the peace, credit, and welfare of this country, to repeal an AB^ the authority of which has been queidioned, and the execution of it oppofed with open force and violence. If the Americans gaio their point by fuch tundultuous condud, can it be imagined that they will ever fubmit hereafter to any other duties, or imppfi- tions, which the exigency of future times may think expedient and ncceflary ? The right of taxation is included in the very idea of fovereignty s and it is impodlble that they can refiil it, with the lead colour of reafont, without declaring, in the mod plain and diredt manner, that they are determined to cafl off all dependance and fubjedion. Indeed, if the Mother Country has no right to tax the Colonies, her power over them is merely ideal \ and every acquifltion of • - r ->l,,i^...,,^. t " 1 of territory is, in this cafe, no better than the empty poifetlton of a fhadow or a phantom. Nay, one may go further, and aflcrt, that fo far from being any advantage, it is a real and a folid grievance : and all that Britain has been doing, by a long,; bloody^ and expenfive war, was only to vindicate her right to dominions, under the burden of which (he will groan and totter>^ a€ 'Tarfeia did under the weight of thofc- very fpofls and trophies, which (he herfelf had ckfired. But the Right of Taxation cannot be ferioufly denied, evtn by the Ame* ricans themfehesy though it may be refiftcd. I am aware that there are Refoluttons of the feveral aflembliesr which call in queftion- the authority of the Mother Country, in- this particular. But the fecret and furrep-^ titious manner in which thefe refolutions have been procured, for inftance, at the end' of a fcffion, when the grcateft part of tb6 members were retired into the country, and' thofc who remained, were the moft raw and inexperienced ; plainly proves that they dp not contaiu the general {tvii'^ of the Countries, from which they were fentv ^ • I Q 2 There I [ 12 ] There is oney in particular, that was tarried by a majority of no more than one iingle voice, and that, too, when there were on- ly thirty-nine members in the Aflembly, which was fcarce a third part of the com- plete number. ; .. r t But the clear and almojl unanimous rcfolu- tion of both houfes of parliament, about the right of taxation, makes it unnecefTary to reft any longer upon this point : I (hall come therefore to my original purpofe, which was not fo much to argue the merits of the cafe, as to addrefs myfelf to the Land- holders of Great Britain, who are more par- ticularly concerned in the determination of this important affair. Conlider, gentle- men, the prefent fituation of this oppreft and mifcrable country. We are loaded with a debt of above one hundred and fifty millions; thirty'two millions of which were expended in the immediate and diredt de- fence of America j and forty millions more in profecuting the mighty patriot's pa- radoxical fchemc of conquering America, in Germany. To pay the intercfl of this enor- m ''i '^' :'i. mous T t '3 ] mousdebt, and provide for the exigencies, of government, every commodity, whether of your own, or of foreign growth, every article, and necefTary in life, is taxed to the veryutmoft farthing. The poor> and labour- ing part of the kingdom are fcarce able, to fupply the wants, and cravings of nature ; they are fcarce able, by the moft painful in- dudry, to procure even bread and water for their wretched families. Indeed, gentlemen, they are heavy laden, and I do not wonder that they groan under the intolerable bur- then. Suffer me to call upon you to feel for Them, for Yourfclves, and for your Coun- try ^! — Is it equitable, or even juft, that this kingdom fhould pay the intcrefl of money, which was expended in the defence of Amc** rica^? Will you fubmit to tax your own lands, to defray a debt, which has not been con- traded Vi^QViyour own accounts? Nay, I will go further, and aik you whether you can tax the land higher than atprefent? Will it bear an additional burden ? Does not the price of every article in life, rife or fall, in pro- portion to the price of grain ? And can ypq tax the land higher vvichout encreafing * ' ' that? r '4 ] tliat ^ One may venture to prophecy that this country muft inevitably be ruined, if an additional tax, of but one prilling more inf' the pound, be laid upon the land ; and yet' It mujl be laid upon the land, if ye give way to the froward Americans. There is bo' other alternative, you muft either compel* tlie Americans to bear their (hare of thcT burthen of government, or the whole weight" muft fall upon yourfelves. But what rea- fon can be aftigned why they (hould be ex- empted ? Do they not claim, and are HI they not entitled to, all the privileges of Britifh fubjedls ? Are they not part of ther fame common conftitution ? Do diey net enjoy the benefit of our laws, and have they hot experienced our favour and pr6te upon this occadon (and furely it Is fub-> verfive of all order and government, at the fame time that it is repugnant to thei very principles of reafon, juftice, anJ the law of nations) I cannot help think- ing it lefs abfurd and pernicious, upon the whole, than this (huffling, prevari-^ eating and temporizing /cheme of the pre- fcnt minidry. To adopt Mr. Pitt's idea» might be imputed, by the Colonics, to ft tendernefs for the rights and privileges of the people, which inclines the Briti(h le- giilature, in a point that carries with it the lead fhadow oi ambiguity, rather to cede from their own power, than to trefpafs, in the flighted degree, upon the Liberties af the fubjedi. Such indulgence as this might poflibly (but how dangerous to put it to the tryal ?) work upon their gratitude^ and make them# for the future, as cautious of D QfTending^ *l(»f" i! Pi* [ |8 ] offending, as they fee Britain is of tyrah-« nizing and lording it over them. But how differently will they reafon, if the Rig&S of Taxation is afcertaincJ, and the Stamp- A(S repealed ? Is not this (hewing that you have the Right, and yet are qfraU to exerJ it ? Is it not paj^ng Sentence upon the Ame- ricans for their revolt and fedition, without ^daring. to put it into execution!' Have you any claim, in this cafe, upon their Grati- tude ? Certainly not : for they will think themfelves as elTentially aggrieved by the Rigbt of 'Taxation being aflerted, as if they bad been a•' Ing the Cudom-Houfe books, which prove that the decreafe of our trade began, befori the Stamp- A £t was ever thought of. In-» deed, there are many concurring reafons to be produced, which contribute to this dif^ agreeable circUmflancc* There are at pre-< fent in America fifty thoufand perfons itwtU and a million and an half of money kfs, than during the late war : her markets too are overflocked with our commodities ; be« fides which, a fhameful and illicit trade ia carried on thither, from different parts of Europe. It is to extend this illicit trade; and to throw ofF the ASi of Navigation^ that the Colonies are now in a flate of up-* roar and fedition. Here they arc galled-^** here ft is that the fhoe pinches : let xh\9 little circumflance be removed, this injigni^ Jicant AB qf Parliament be repealed, and I will engage for the Americans, that they fhall pay the Stamp-Duty with the utmofl chearfulnefs* Though they are now fro* ward and techy, give them hopes of this* and they will be all duty and obedience* Like Regan and GoneriU they will coa* fhdr good g^ld Parent, 'till wc have given \ \ # thp f t " 1 the" ftaflF out of cur own hands, anU t'l :| they will, very probably, lay it about jur (houldcrs. In (hort, while Britain aflerts her privileges, and maintains her authority, (he has nothing to fear frem the licentious behaviour of the Colonics; but (he will have rpafon to dread the day, when, en-* courag'd by her indulgence, they lay aiidq their fubjedlion. Whenever that unhappy period arrives, how applicable to her will be the following words, which the Fool ufcs to poor old Lear, *' Thou waft a pretty •f fellow, when thou hadft no need to car(^ ;• for her frowning : now thou art an Q ff without a figure," •y-'.r > ♦% r. f i k I s. 4 ■rf^- ■ JT.^'-' >•'••■ .-•iKr*» ^ * ,V*- -T*" X # 1 r*