By the operation of divers acts of the British parliament, we behold, with deep affliction, that happy communion of interefts and good offices, which had fo long fubfifted between this country and America, fufpended, and an intercourfe (which, augmenting, as it grew, the ftrength and dignity of your Majefty's dominions, hath enabled your Majesty to defeat the natural rivals of your greatnefs in every quarter of the world) threatened with irretrievable ruin.

We should humbly reprefent to your Majefty, if they had not been already reprefented, the deadly wounds which the commerce of this country muft feel from these unfortunate measures; that it has not yet more deeply felt them is owing to temporary and accidental caufes which cannot long continue.

But we beg your Majesty to caft an eye on the general property of this land, and to reflect what must be its fate when deprived of our American commerce.

It fills our minds with additional grief to fee the blood and treasure of your Majesty's fubjects wafted in effecting a fatal feparation between the different parts of your Majesty's empire, by a war, uncertain in the event, destructive in its confequences, and the object contended for loft in the contest.

The experience we have had of your Majesty's paternal regard for the welfare and privileges of all your people, and the opinion we entertain of the justice of the British parliament, forbid us to believe, that laws, fo repugnant to the policy of former times, would have received their fanction, had the real circumstances and fentiments

of

of the colonies been thoroughly understood, or the true principles of their connection with the mo. ther-country been duly weighed: we are therefore neceffarily conftrained to impute blame to thofe by whom your Majefty and the parliament have been defignedly miled, or partially informed of thofe matters, on a full knowledge of which alone, determinations of fuch importance fhould have been founded.

We beg leave further to reprefent to your Majefty, that, in queftions of high national concern affecting the dearest interests of a ftate, fpeculation and experiment are feldom to be juftified: That want of forefight is want of judgment; and perfeverance in meafures, which repeated experience hath condemned, ceafes to be

error.

We might appeal to the hiftory of all countries to fhew, that force hath never been employed with fuccefs, to change the opinions or convince the minds of freemen; and, from the annals of our own in particular, we learn, that the free and voluntary gifts of the fubject have ever exceeded the exactions of the fword.

Reftraining, prohibitory, and penal laws have failed to re-eftablith the public tranquillity; and the prefent ftate of this unfortunate difpute affords reafon to believe, that, as it commenced without policy, it must be profecuted by means which the natural and conftitutional ftrength of Great-Britain cannot fupply.

In your Majefty's juftice we confide for a fair construction of an apprehenfion we have conceived, that your Majefty hath been advifed to

take foreign troops into British pay, and to raife and difcipline Papifts both in Ireland and Canada, for the purpose of enforcing fubmiffion to laws which your Majefty's Proteftant fubjects in America conceive to be deftructive of their liberties, and against which they have repeatedly petitioned in vain.

Anxious to vindicate the national honour, we would willingly dif credit reports of flaves incited to infurrection, and barbarous nations encouraged to take arms against our American brethren, if they had not prevailed without refutation, and filled the minds of your Majefty's faithful fubjects with indignation and horror.

If to thefe circumstances of peril and diftrefs our fears could fuggeft any addition, we might justly expect it from the refentment of thofe powerful enemies, who have ever fhewn a readiness to take advantage of our internal commotions, and will joyfully embrace the occafion of avenging that dif grace they fuftained, during the late glorious war, from the united arms of Great-Britain and Ame rica;-and we should indeed be reduced to despair, but that we are encouraged to look up to your Ma jefty, the common father of all your people, as the happy inftrument in the hands of Divine Providence, which bringeth good out of evil, for refloring to this dif tracted empire the bleffings of mutual confidence, liberty, and peace.

For the fpeedy effecting of which, we moft humbly befeech your Majefty to caufe hoftilities to cease in your Majesty's colonies in America, and to adopt fuch mode of reconciling this unhappy controversy as

may

ordinate relation to Great-Britain, now openly avow their revolt, hoftility, and rebellion. They have raifed troops, and are collecting a naval force; they have feized the public revenue, and affumed to themfelves legislative, executive, and judicial powers, which they already exercife, in the moft arbitrary manner, over the perfons and properties of their fellow-fubjects; and although many of thefe unhappy people may ftill retain their loyalty, and may be too wife not to fee the fatal confequence of this ufurpation, and wish to refift it; yet the torrent of violence has been ftrong enough to compel their acquiefcence, till a fufficient force fhall appear to fupport them.

The authors and promoters of this defperate confpiracy have, in the conduct of it, derived great advantage from the difference of our intentions and theirs. They meant only to amufe, by vague expreffions of attachment to the Pajent-ftate, and the ftrongest proteftations of loyalty to me, whilft they were preparing for a general revolt. On our part, though it was declared in your faft feffion, that a rebellion exifted within the province of the Maffachufett's Bay, yet even that province we wifhed rather to reclaim than to fubdue. The refolutions of parliament breathed a fpirit of moderation and forbearance; conciliatory propofitions accompanied the measures taken to enforce authority; and the coercive acts were adapted to cafes of criminal combinations amongit fubjects not then in arms. I have acted with the fame temper; anxious to prevent, if it had been poffible, the effufion of the blood of my fubjects, and the calamities which are

infeparable from a ftate of war; ftill hoping that my people in America would have difcerned the traiterous views of their leaders, and have been convinced, that to be a fubject of Great-Britain, with all its confequences, is to be the freeft member of any civil fociety in the known world."

The rebellious war now levied is become more general, and is manifeftly carried on for the purpose of establishing an independent empire. I need not dwell upon the fatal effects of the fuccefs of fuch a plan. The object is too important, the fpirit of the British nation too high, the refources with which God hath bleffed her too numerous, to give up fo many colonies which he has planted with great industry, nurfed with great tenderness, encouraged with many commercial advantages, and protected and defended at much expence of blood and treasure.

It is now become the part of wifdom, and (in its effects) of clemency, to put a fpeedy end to these diforders by the most decifive exertions. For this purpofe, I have increafed my naval establishment, and greatly augmented my landforces; but in fuch a manner as may be the leaft burthenfome to my kingdoms.

I have alfo the fatisfaction to inform you, that I have received the most friendly offers of foreign affiftance; and if I fhall make any treaties in confequence thereof,they fhall be laid before you. And I have, in teftimony of my affection for my people, who can have no caufe in which I am not equally interested, fent to the garrisons of Gibraltar and Port Mahon a part of my Electoral troops, in order that a larger number of the effa

blished